CINCINNATI —- Joe Burrow’s return has sparked hope amongst not only Bengals fans but also the national media. Cincinnati dominated the Ravens 32-14 on Thanksgiving. The Pittsburgh Steelers were crushed by the Buffalo Bills 26-7. That gives the Steelers and Ravens a 6-6 record and leaves the door open for the Bengals to make a run at the AFC North crown, despite having a 4-8 record.

One national analyst, though, has consistently said that the Bengals season “was not over.” Even after Burrow’s injury and Jake Browning came in to start at quarterback, and again when the team acquired Joe Flacco via trade.

Rich Eisen has been a Bengal believer throughout the season. That belief is stronger than ever with Burrow back.

“There is a team from Ohio that is in fact at 4-8 somehow, someway, sniffing it [The Playoffs]. Now a lot of people thought I’ve been the one sniffing something and I picked the wrong week to stop”. Eisen said. “When I was saying when Burrow went down ‘Here comes Jake Browning, seasons not over.’ I was wrong. And then Flacco gets acquired in October I said again what I said in September, ‘The season’s not over for the Cincinnati Bengals.’ Flacco won only once in his place of Joe Burrow, my take of the seasons not over looked pretty silly.” Eisen admitted, but afterwards detailed how nobody else has run away with the AFC North crown.

As silly as it might’ve looked a few weeks ago, it certainly isn’t silly anymore. The Bengals are alive with five games to go.

“So now that it’s December, you take a look at the standings in the National Football League’s American Football Conference North Division, who’s just two games back?” Eisen asked. “Who’s just two games back with the Ravens and the Steelers playing each other this week, and Joe Burrow back for the Bengals going into the spot where he once upon a time ended the Bills season, and reportedly allegedly a bromance between Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs.”

Eisen would go even deeper into how the Bengals have a chance by pointing out how Burrow’s return has helped the defense as well.

“It’s not just Burrow on offense either, it’s amazing what a franchise quarterback’s return can just do for everyone. This Ravens offense was going against a Bengals defense that couldn’t stop a cold. A season-low 14 points the Bengals defense gave up and a season-high five takeaways.” Eisen said. “These Bengals are two games out! I don’t care about the circumstances that caused me to say the season’s not over, might’ve been highly inaccurate about why I felt that way, but at the end of the day, season is not over. He beats the Bills OK, and the Ravens beat the Steelers, all they would have to do is keep winning, beat the Ravens one other time, and have the Ravens lose to say New England. All they gotta do is sweep the Ravens and then have the Ravens slip up when they don’t, get out of here how big is this game in Western New York, not just for the Bills, for the Bengals chances, but most importantly, for my redemption story.”

The Bengals are only two games behind the Ravens and the Steelers. They play Baltimore in Week 15. If they can beat the Bills on Sunday, then they have a real shot at making the playoffs this season.

The Bengals’ path to the playoffs is clear and somehow they still control their destiny for the most part even amid all of the incessant turmoil that has ensued this season, a historically bad defense, injury to their star quarterback, Ja’Marr Chase getting suspended at one point.

If this Bengals team can pull this off, it will be a monumental testament to their resilience as a football team, and it is good to see the national media recognizing their chances of making a surprising playoff run.

Check out the clip of Eisen below:

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