It’s happening again: With five games left to go, the Bengals are once again down in their season, but not yet out.After Cincinnati recorded a decisive 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving during Joe Burrow’s return to the field, the Bengals’ playoff hopes have once again managed to stay alive going into the final five games of the season.Like last year, the Bengals also found themselves at a 4-8 record going into Week 14, which they managed to turn around at the last minute by notching five back-to-back wins.Unfortunately, it ended up barely not being enough to make the postseason. This was in no small part due to the Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to rest their starters in the final week of the regular season against the Denver Broncos, who ultimately came away with the final wild card spot. Still, the Bengals put up a winning 9-8 season record.Now, Cincinnati could potentially be set up for a similar scenario as last season.Going forward, it is likely to be no small task: the Bengals face the 7-4 Buffalo Bills next week, before going into a rematch with the Ravens, who now stand at 6-6.After those two games, the competition is likely to become slightly easier, with Cincinnati then facing the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns, who, like Cincinnati, all have had highly tumultuous seasons of their own this year.However, Cincinnati’s main challenge may come down to their rivals in the AFC North: To get into the playoffs, the Bengals can guarantee their spot in the postseason by beating out the records of the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have both had weaker-than-expected season this year. Additionally, the Browns have so far put up their second-straight year where they have struggled to gain traction.The Bengals stand at third place in the division, with the 6-5 Steelers currently in the lead, putting Cincinnati two and a half games behind pole position.Both the Steelers and Browns play again on Sunday, with the results certain to offer a fuller picture as to where the Bengals stand in the AFC North after the conclusion of both games.The NFL’s analytics currently peg Cincinnati at having a 2% chance of making the postseason, which is similar to where the Bengals stood at Week 14 last year. However, those odds rose week by week last year as the Bengals continued to put up wins.Can the Bengals make a postseason run again with Burrow now healthy and the defensive line showing improvement? Only time will tell, although it would mark just the latest unexpected chapter in a year of sports in the city of Cincinnati that also saw the Reds and FC Cincinnati both make the postseason, as well as the University of Cincinnati’s football team put up its best season in years.
CINCINNATI —
It’s happening again: With five games left to go, the Bengals are once again down in their season, but not yet out.
After Cincinnati recorded a decisive 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving during Joe Burrow’s return to the field, the Bengals’ playoff hopes have once again managed to stay alive going into the final five games of the season.
Like last year, the Bengals also found themselves at a 4-8 record going into Week 14, which they managed to turn around at the last minute by notching five back-to-back wins.
Unfortunately, it ended up barely not being enough to make the postseason. This was in no small part due to the Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to rest their starters in the final week of the regular season against the Denver Broncos, who ultimately came away with the final wild card spot. Still, the Bengals put up a winning 9-8 season record.
Now, Cincinnati could potentially be set up for a similar scenario as last season.
Going forward, it is likely to be no small task: the Bengals face the 7-4 Buffalo Bills next week, before going into a rematch with the Ravens, who now stand at 6-6.
After those two games, the competition is likely to become slightly easier, with Cincinnati then facing the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns, who, like Cincinnati, all have had highly tumultuous seasons of their own this year.
However, Cincinnati’s main challenge may come down to their rivals in the AFC North: To get into the playoffs, the Bengals can guarantee their spot in the postseason by beating out the records of the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have both had weaker-than-expected season this year. Additionally, the Browns have so far put up their second-straight year where they have struggled to gain traction.
The Bengals stand at third place in the division, with the 6-5 Steelers currently in the lead, putting Cincinnati two and a half games behind pole position.
Both the Steelers and Browns play again on Sunday, with the results certain to offer a fuller picture as to where the Bengals stand in the AFC North after the conclusion of both games.
The NFL’s analytics currently peg Cincinnati at having a 2% chance of making the postseason, which is similar to where the Bengals stood at Week 14 last year. However, those odds rose week by week last year as the Bengals continued to put up wins.
Can the Bengals make a postseason run again with Burrow now healthy and the defensive line showing improvement? Only time will tell, although it would mark just the latest unexpected chapter in a year of sports in the city of Cincinnati that also saw the Reds and FC Cincinnati both make the postseason, as well as the University of Cincinnati’s football team put up its best season in years.