The Cincinnati Bengals might have to win out to make the playoffs now that the record sits at 4-7 during the bye week.
No easy task, to say the least — but some aren’t giving up.
When asked which team under .500 still has the best shot at the playoffs, ESPN’s Dan Graziano still took the Bengals:
I have to say the Bengals, even though I don’t think they can get there anymore. If things fall apart for some of the teams on the back end of the AFC race and Cincinnati runs the table to sneak in, it is going to be a formidable opponent because it has a championship-caliber offense. (And if the Bengals do run the table, I have to assume that means the defense is playing better).
If the Bengals could just find a way to field an even league-average defense during the bye week, making a playoff push would still be a slim possibility — assuming Joe Burrow can keep going at his MVPish level.
Out of the bye, the Bengals play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13, one of five AFC teams left on the schedule over their last six games.
With a little help in an AFC that has been all over the place, the Bengals could still make a run, but the inability to close out games against good teams looms large over the bye.
