Bengals can clinch the AFC North with a win -- or with losses by the Steelers and Ravens

by Kirkendall on Dec 8, 2009 10:07 AM EST in Playoffs Comment 25 comments

When the season hadn't started yet and you had just finished watching another awesome episode of Hard Knocks, did you ever think to yourself that the Cincinnati Bengals, your Cincinnati Bengals, would clinch the AFC North in week 14? I'm not ashamed to say I wasn't expecting it. In fact, I reference that the team appeared to be in a rebuilding mode. The Sporting News made several June predictions, which ranged from Marvin Lewis being on the hot seat to the Bengals unable to stop the run to not enough stability on defense to ensure success. They predicted Cincinnati to fall to last place.

I did make one prediction. If the Bengals average two sacks a game, they're going to the playoffs. Through 12 games, the Bengals are averaging 2.4 sacks per game. And as luck would have it, if the Bengals beat the Vikings this Sunday, or if both the Ravens and Steelers lose, the Bengals clinch the division and ensure at least one home playoff game.

Is it a forgone conclusion? Sunday's game against the Vikings will be a tough measuring stick against one of the league's best teams and the Browns host Pittsburgh and the Ravens host the Lions. So don't bank on both teams losing this weekend. If the Bengals want to clinch the division, they'll have to win it -- or wait another week.

Think back to August. Dust off those unused capsules you call brain cells. Before the season started, did you predict this, that the Bengals would officially win the division with a win this weekend or losses by both the Steelers and Ravens?

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pre-season prediction

my brother and I watched hard knocks together and watched every preseason game as well, afterward we looked at the schedule and actually saw this team going at least 9-7, now we are hoping for a first round playoff bye, how sweet is that?

by whodeydoc on Dec 8, 2009 10:21 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I was in that 9-7 category too. I never expected to sweep the division.

This is our year!

by Carsonorbust on Dec 8, 2009 11:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Who-Dey

Not that I expected the Bengals to do this well, but I made my season prediction back on April 8 of this year. 10-6. I wasnt thinking playoffs, just improvement. Oh, what a difference an offensive and defensive line make! Who still misses Stacey Andrews? Not I!!

by Fid on Dec 8, 2009 10:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

miss stacey andrews? shit, i would’ve driven his ass to the airport after last year.

i'm going to go america all over your ass!

by Raging Clue on Dec 8, 2009 9:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In 2005, didnt Cinci sweep the NFC North

Seemed like they had 5 picks in at least a couple of the games (definitely chicago and detroit, iirc)

I guess a winning record brings out freaks.

by supergrover on Dec 8, 2009 10:53 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, it was turnover city, including 5 tossed by one Brett Favre. Interesting…

by Todd G on Dec 8, 2009 11:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep..

we had 5 picks against every team in the NFC North that year. 5 against Harrington, 5 against Orton, 5 against Favre (the fan in cincy ran on the field and attempted to grab the ball from favre) and 5 against the Vikes (dont remember their quarterback at the time)

by Bengalsnbucks on Dec 8, 2009 11:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the last 5

were courtesy of Duante Culpeper. I reckon if the Cardinals can shut down AP, we ought to be able to do it as well.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Dec 8, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

RE:

Not to correct you, but we only had five against Orton, Favre and Culpepper. I only remember that because the old blog I used to run, that was one of the fun story lines heading into that weekend against Detroit.

Oddly enough, we could clinch again by beating an NFC North team. We beat the Lions in 2005, giving us the AFC North.

UPDATE: OK, I looked it up. We picked off Jeff Garcia three times against the Lions in ’05 (totally forgot he played there).

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Dec 8, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

interesting, thanks

by Bengalsnbucks on Dec 8, 2009 12:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

geez, I was hoping they would just split the series with either the Ravens or Steelers

by Rocket_Man_G on Dec 8, 2009 10:56 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I totally agree. I was hoping for atleast a split.

by sgiridharan1982 on Dec 8, 2009 10:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Chick Ludwig was driving an empty bandwagon

I remember Chick Ludwig, then writing for the DDN, predicting they win 11 during the preseason. He got a lot of flack for that prediction.

by carsick on Dec 8, 2009 11:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

If I remember right...

I predicted 6-10 realistically, or 8-8 if we were lucky, and Marvin deciding to do a Cartman and say, “Skee yi guyss…I’m outta heeeeh…” Yeah…you can see it, I know you can.

I couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised at this. Can’t really compare the Bengals’ defensive chances against Far-vruhh to the 2005 meeting, since it was a totally different defense with a totally different coordinator against a totally different team (literally), but I like the matchups.

I say the real test will be whether the Bengals watch enough tape of how the Cards managed to totally blank Jared Allen. I swear, that man is not from this planet.

by TheWalrus1971 on Dec 8, 2009 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

jared allen is actually

not that good against the run, and plenty of teams all year long have had success running in his zone. I expect the bengals to do the same.

by cokane on Dec 8, 2009 10:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I remember thinking that we could be either 6-10 or 10-6.

Never did I dream of 13-3 or 12-4 and a first round bye.

I expected the team to be 10-6, and to push for the playoffs, but I didn’t expect a sweep of the division.

I expected our defense to be strong, but I didn’t expect it to carry our team the way it has.

I can’t say this often, but the Bengals have pleasantly surprised me.

"If it wasn't this, it'd be something else."

by ZJiff30 on Dec 8, 2009 1:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I put money on us finishing even or better during the preseason.

I was conservatively optomistic. Just like I am right now in fact.

I would greatly like us to beat the snot out of the Vikings and Chargers back to back to secure the division and #2 playoff berth with home fries.

Then clear the benches and practice squad for the Chefs and Jets. “Coffman. Wake up. You’re in!”

by UpStateMike on Dec 8, 2009 2:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Kirk

I’m pretty sure you also said they needed to avg 4.2 a carry and right now they’re at 4.0 but you weren’t far off.

by brandone on Dec 8, 2009 2:59 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

I predicted 12-4.

I just looked back for the previous post that I had on cincy Jungle but it has rolled off. But I know I was 12-4 because I was getting a lot of ribbing for it early on. We are 3-1 in each quarter of the season so far. We can do that again. I think making the magic number of 1 is not so much on everyone’s mind as getting the first round bye.

http://cdn1.sbnation.com/profile_images/174579/jungle_avatar.jpg

by heckno on Dec 8, 2009 3:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

A thing I was annoyed with the Sporting News at the time (and now a bit)

Was that the Bengals would have “another” last place finish in the AFC Norht, when the Bengals have only finished last in the AFC North once, and have won the AFC North once. It just seemded like shoddy journalism.

by jim0ijk on Dec 8, 2009 3:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs