The Cincinnati Bengals entered Saturday with a grip on a playoff spot and merely needed to win games and get a little help to make the postseason.
They left it out of the playoff picture.
While the Bengals aren’t completely eliminated from playoff contention, their loss and a Buffalo win later in the night knocked them far down the board:
- Ravens (11-3)
- Dolphins (10-4)
- Chiefs (9-5)
- Jaguars (8-6)
- Browns (9-5)
- Bills (9-6)
- Colts (8-6)
- Texans (8-6)
- Steelers (8-7)
- Bengals (8-7)
While the Bengals aren’t eliminated, they need wins over the Chiefs and Browns to close the season and some help.
Easier said than done, but that’s life in a stacked AFC when a team goes 0-5 in its division and 3-7 in the conference.