The Cincinnati Bengals are back in the playoff race after the Week 7 win over the Cleveland Browns.
While they wouldn’t be in if the playoffs started today just yet, the move to 3-4 has put them in a position to get there—which is frankly incredible after that 0-3 start.
And it’s Joe Burrow’s offense that has someone like CBS analyst and former quarterback Matt Ryan considering the Bengals the biggest threat of all.
“There’s a very real chance this Bengals team is .500 in early November,” Ryan said. “And that puts them squarely in the AFC wild card talk along with the Broncos, Chargers, Steelers, Jets and the Colts. In my opinion, of that group, Cincinnati is the most dangerous because of what they can do offensively. The only way they get there though, is if the defense starts playing better.”
Luckily for the Bengals, the defense has been playing better in recent weeks, and the unit also just avoided a major injury in surprising fashion.
Had the defense played better over the first month of the season, perhaps the Bengals win that one-point loss to Kansas City or the overtime, three-point loss to Baltimore.
The fact the Bengals have already played those two contenders to close results says quite a bit about the team’s upside, at least.
The Bengals play 4-2 Philadelphia and 2-5 Las Vegas next and could very well have a winning record before a Week 10 rematch with the Ravens.
