As the weather is getting colder, the AFC Playoff race is heating up. With six games remaining and on a much-needed bye week, the Bengals remain in the fight.
Currently the 10th seed in the AFC, The New York Times projects Cincinnati with a 13% chance to make the playoffs, as does ESPN. The Athletic, meanwhile, has the Bengals with an 18% chance to get to the postseason, and NFL.com gives Cincinnati a 12% chance at the playoffs.
The path is clear: Win, and you’re probably in.
If the Bengals can win their remaining six games, they have a 94% chance to make the playoffs. Per The Athletic, Cincinnati is favored in five of the team’s last six games as of this writing, with the lone exception being Week 18 in Pittsburgh. A loss to any of the following opponents would significantly decrease postseason chances varying amounts depending on the game.
The Athletic gives Cincy a 63% chance to win in Week 13 against those same Steelers at home.
Then, the Bengals head to Dallas for Monday Night Football as 7.5-point favorites over a Cowboys team led by backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Cincinnati will then travel to Nashville as 5.5-point favorites over the 2-8 Titans.
A return home against the 2-8 Browns sees the Bengals as eight-point favorites. Weeks 17 and 18 will be against two playoff contenders: The Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Athletic currently projects the Bengals with a 58% chance to beat the 6-5 Broncos at Paycor Stadium in a game with potentially large AFC Wild Card implications. A win in Week 17 could set up a do-or-die game at Pittsburgh in Week 18. Currently, the Bengals are one-point underdogs in that game.
