{"id":207396,"date":"2024-12-31T13:46:40","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T18:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=207396"},"modified":"2024-12-31T13:46:40","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T18:46:40","slug":"with-one-game-to-go-the-cincinnati-bengals-playoff-hopes-are-on-life-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/12\/31\/with-one-game-to-go-the-cincinnati-bengals-playoff-hopes-are-on-life-support\/","title":{"rendered":"With One Game to Go, The Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Hopes Are On Life Support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, the Cincinnati Bengals’ playoff odds were in the single digits<\/a>. This week, they have remained virtually unmoved. It’s going to be an uphill battle with just about everything working against what the Bengals want and they’ll need a lot of help to get back to the postseason.<\/p>\n

Heading into Week 17, Cincinnati could not clinch a spot. However, its job could have gotten significantly easier. With a win over the Denver Broncos, perhaps the easiest step was completed. Considering the fact the defense made Bo Nix look like 2014 Peyton Manning and Joe Burrow<\/a> and Tee Higgins<\/a> had to will the team to an overtime victory<\/a>, saying it was the easiest step is not selling it short.<\/p>\n

The Joe Flacco-led Indianapolis Colts needed to lose once in the final two weeks. Thanks to Brian Daboll pulling a Lovie Smith, the Giants helped out the Bengals and eliminated the Colts. The Miami Dolphins<\/a> also had to play with a backup quarterback but Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley out-dueled Dorian Thompson-Robinson to keep their hopes alive.<\/p>\n

Now, in the final week of the season, the path is clear…but it’s the narrowest path in the NFL.<\/p>\n

With One Game to Go, The Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Hopes Are On Life Support<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a><\/h3>\n

The only piece of the equation that the Bengals can control is beating AFC North rival, Pittsburgh. However, even with the Steelers in their patented December free-fall, it’ll be far from easy. Cincinnati get the honor of playing a fifth road primetime game on the year, breaking the record. When it comes to primetime AFC North matchups, the Bengals haven’t had one at home since Week 15 in 2020. This marks the fifth road AFC North primetime game since.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Steelers are going for four in a row over the Bengals, effectively turning the tide back after Cincinnati took five of six from December 2020 through November 2022. Pittsburgh isn’t resting any of its players. Even if the Baltimore Ravens beat the Cleveland Browns in the earlier matchup, the Steelers are battling for seeding.<\/p>\n

The first game of the year between these two was, as has been commonplace in the Bengals eight losses, a classic. Pittsburgh won in Cincinnati, 44-38, marking the only 40-point performance from the Steelers this year and first since Week 5 of 2018. Burrow threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns but the defense allowed 520 yards.<\/p>\n

Those 520 yards were, again, a season-high and the first 500-yard game since Week 12 of 2018.<\/p>\n

The Bengals offense is red-hot but the Steelers are still the Steelers. Cincinnati has scored over 30 points in eight games…and is 4-4 on the year. Scoring isn’t the end-all-be-all but it’s a good start. The Bengals defense will have to wake up for this one and make sure the Steelers’ offense reverts back to the lethargic, inefficient offense we all know and love.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Denver Must Lose<\/h3>\n

Here is where it gets hairy.<\/p>\n

The Broncos, fresh off back-to-back crushing losses, gets to face the top-seeded, back-to-back Super Bowl champs to end the year. The only catch is that the Chiefs are going to rest a significant portion of the roster as the one seed has already been locked up.<\/p>\n

The Bengals must rely on Carson Wentz<\/a> (or even practice squad quarterback, Chris Oludokun). Denver is a good team and tongue-in-cheek comment about Nix aside, he’s a very solid rookie quarterback.<\/p>\n

Denver is favored by over a touchdown at this point.<\/p>\n

Of the two remaining steps, this is the longest of long shots to happen.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Miami Must Lose<\/h3>\n

Finally, the Dolphins also need the Broncos to lose to keep their own playoff hopes alive. However, they will have just as easy of a Week 18 opponent as the Broncos.<\/p>\n

The New York Jets<\/a> have been the epitome of ugly football all year thanks to quarterback\/head coach\/general manager\/shaman\/owner Aaron Rodgers<\/a>. The 41-year-old former MVP is a shell of a shell of his former self this year and it’s not even looking like he wants to play for the Jets moving forward.<\/p>\n

The Dolphins have not looked great and, one could argue, look less like a playoff team than any of the teams in contention. Regardless, that’s why these things are decided on the field.<\/p>\n

Rodgers could play his way into a better situation with a strong game on Sunday. Or, he can slunk into an unceremonious retirement. Anything can happen. But the fact of the matter is that this is just as much of a long shot as the Broncos losing to the Chiefs’ practice sqaud.<\/p>\n

All in all, there is a reason the Bengals playoff hopes are slim: They lost too many one-score games out of the gate at the beginning of the year. Ultimately, you cannot blame the Chiefs or Jets if you’re a frustrated Bengals fan.<\/p>\n

You can blame the front office’s approach to free agency.<\/p>\n

You can blame the atrocious play of the defense.<\/p>\n

You can blame some questionable play calls in crucial moments.<\/p>\n

Either way, the Bengals need help. And, while it’s certainly possible, it’s highly, highly, highly improbable.<\/p>\n

Main Image: The Enquirer\/Sam Greene \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cincinnati Bengals playoff odds remain long. With one week to go, three dominoes must fall for the season to continue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4051,"featured_media":207413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,7],"tags":[7725,5819,6178],"class_list":["post-207396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-bengals","tag-cincinnati-bengals-news","tag-joe-burrow","tag-tee-higgins"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4051"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207396"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207414,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207396\/revisions\/207414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}