NFL Playoffs: Bengals Can Still Have An Affect On Seeding And AFC North Title

by Josh Kirkendall on Dec 27, 2010 12:18 PM EST in Playoffs

CINCINNATI - SEPTEMBER 19: Michael Johnson #93 and Geno Atkins #97 of the Cincinatti Bengals sack quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium on September 19 2010 in Cincinnati Ohio. The Bengals beat the Ravens 15-10. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Even though the Cincinnati Bengals are out of the playoffs this season, it doesn't mean that we have to isolate ourselves from the NFL community as teams push for a playoff spot and improve their seeding. In case you couldn't tell based on the site, I love the Cincinnati Bengals. But I also love NFL football and NFL playoffs, even if the Bengals are imitating all of us, resting on the couch and watching the best against the best -- though when one defines a division champion without a winning record, that hardly seems like the "best".

Closer to home, the AFC North title has yet to be decided through 15 games. If the season were to end, the Pittsburgh Steelers would edge out the Baltimore Ravens based on a Strength of Victory tie-breaker. However, someone just wiped perspiration from their brow thinking they woke up in a future where apes ruled the planet and the NFL only played 15 games.

If the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh clinches the AFC North and a first-round bye no matter what the Ravens do. If the Steelers lose to the Browns, then the Ravens have an opportunity to clinch the AFC North and a first-round bye. That's where the Bengals come in during this week's Wreck Your Team Campaign. If the Bengals beat the Ravens, after the Steelers already lost, then Pittsburgh goes back to clinching the AFC North and a first-round bye.

You might say, "I'd rather the Ravens be the division champions over the Steelers." And I might say, there's no circumstance in this world in which I want the Ravens, Steelers or Browns to beat the Bengals. Well, in reality, there's no circumstance in this world in which I want the Bengals to lose. Period. Not even for a draft pick.

The Patriots (first seed), Steelers, Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West Champions) and New York Jets (Wild Card #2) already have a playoff spot clinched. That leaves the AFC South. With a win over the Tennessee Titans, the Indianapolis Colts head back to the postseason, no matter what the Jacksonville Jaguars do. Now, if the Jaguars beat the Houston Texans and the Titans beat the Colts, then the Jaguars are in the playoffs and the Colts miss the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

In terms of seeding, New England has clinched home-field advantage and the first seed. Either Pittsburgh or Baltimore will clinch the other first-round bye and the second seed -- the other team will clinch the fifth seed as the best Wild Card team. If the Chiefs and Colts win this weekend, Kansas City will be the third seed and the Colts will be the fourth seed. However, if the Chiefs lose and the Colts win, the seeds are swapped and the Colts become the third seed. If the Colts lose and the Jaguars win, then the Chiefs lock the third seed no matter what they do against Oakland.

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Well, in reality, there’s no circumstance in this world in which I want the Bengals to lose. Period. Not even for a draft pick.

AMEN

Joe Reedy: "Supposedly Marvin could not find his flag to challenge the call. I am not kidding. #bengals"

by Doc Scratch on Dec 27, 2010 12:57 PM EST reply actions

lol

I just highlighted that same quote in order to block it. I couldn’t agree more.

First of all, this team is not devoid of talent. If anything, the last two weeks have proven that there is A LOT of young talent at almost every position. I think that Marvin has to be held responsible somehow for not putting his best players on the field, but in a lot of cases, those players were playing behind proven vets. Simpson has been waiting 2 years for Chad to get injured. Atkins had to wait for Tank to get injured. Caldwell has been waiting for TO to get injured. It took Dunlap injuries to Fanene and Odom to get on the field. The sky is not falling in Cincinnati.

Secondly, when people say that they should play for a draft pick they mean that the Bengals should throw games. Call it what it is. Show me a team "playing" for a draft pick, and I’ll show you a sorry bunch of losers with "0" pride and fight in them. Adding a #1 draft pick to that situation is the medical equivalent of doing a heart transplant on an corpse. This team is, and should be, playing to win out the rest of the year.

This is our year!

by Paul Cannon on Dec 27, 2010 1:07 PM EST up reply actions

As they do every losing season

Win the last three for hope. Right? They win the last three all the time and all is forgiven.. I told everybody that this is what is going to happen. I still want a freakin GM no matter what.. That will not change. Oh, and while I’m at it, I want Brat gone. If fans think that there is hope next year without these changes I just spoke of, then your crazy! I don’t care how much talent there is next for year.
I’m not saying throw games. I want for them to win out too, but changes are a must for them to succeed. We all have seen this circus act before..

by WHYUS!! on Dec 27, 2010 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

oops! for next year

by WHYUS!! on Dec 27, 2010 1:43 PM EST up reply actions

Nothing's forgiven

To a man, this team hasn’t delivered and garbage wins in December doesn’t change any of that. There’s one thing I know about Bengals fans, we got LONG memories, and the way this season tanked will linger long in the memory once more. If it was Pat Sims on that damn fourth down against New Orleans or Marvin’s inability to manage the clock (because Palmer showed last season he couldn’t do it), the mistakes were elementary.

I don’t think the talent was ever questioned. It was the inability to channel it in such a way to put this franchise in the playoff mix. There are teams with less talent in the playoffs.

This season ends Sunday and the next one will begin on Monday or Tuesday with a new GM (Marvin Lewis) and head coach. Whoever that head coach is, and I don’t think it’s Mike Zimmer, his priority should be getting JJo and Benson in the fold for 2011.

I wonder does Hue Jackson want to work with Chad again?

by wiseking on Dec 27, 2010 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

We aren't getting a GM anytime soon.

Not until Mike Brown is gone.

by TCfromDubVee on Dec 27, 2010 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

Watch this space!

by wiseking on Dec 27, 2010 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

"We all have seen this circus act before.."

Yep. We won the last three in 2008 and went to the playoffs in 2009.

Managing Editor at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Josh Kirkendall on Dec 27, 2010 2:18 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe it will be

win the last 3 in 2010 win the superbowl in 2011!

by TCfromDubVee on Dec 27, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

Let's hope

I mean they have to win one sometime right…… :(

by Throw the ball on Dec 27, 2010 2:32 PM EST up reply actions

Is that good enough for you? I know how big a fan you are and I know you don't like the circus act either.

I don’t want to sound like a pessimist but didn’t we lose the last three games of that 09? We still have 2 winning season out of 20 with no playoff wins. I’m still pulling for change and really don’t want people to forget that we need a GM. And Brat needs to be gone no matter what. It’s imperative that we keep talking about this change. I want what you want… WINS and a SuperBowl.
BTW, I do see a lot of hope with these young players. I just don’t want the same status quo, business as usual, b/c it will Bengalize these young studs.(see same circus)

by WHYUS!! on Dec 27, 2010 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

Two things

- I agree that Brat, or Marvin, or somebody needs to be held responsible for this year, meaning that they lose their job. If it were up to me, Brat would be gone for sure.
- Outside of Luck, I don’t see any players in the draft who are such sure things, that we need a top 5 pick to get him. We can do just as well picking at #5-9 as we could #2-5 (you could argue for AJ Green, but this is supposedly a deep draft class for WR, so they could see who falls in round 2 if they wanted to go that direction).

This is our year!

by Paul Cannon on Dec 27, 2010 2:54 PM EST up reply actions

We need O-line and D-line help. That should be our priority.

by jbs62 on Dec 27, 2010 3:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

You have to blame Marvin..

for bringing in a lot of these young players too..

by Cry on Dec 28, 2010 3:33 AM EST up reply actions

I've been thinking about that too

As easy as it is to criticize Marvin for not playing certain guys (Dunlap), he’s still the one most of us would point to for bringing all that talent into the organization.

This is our year!

by Paul Cannon on Dec 28, 2010 10:04 AM EST up reply actions

So he needs to play them too..

by WHYUS!! on Dec 28, 2010 10:36 AM EST up reply actions

Jerome Simpson vs any NFL team for the Superbowl

Nobody can stop this beast.

Bengals 2010. Road 2 The Toilet Bowl.
Paul Brown Stadium "The Home of the 2nd down 1yd Run" +
"More blue lines than google earth"

by bengals life on Dec 27, 2010 5:21 PM EST reply actions

We have a 6'11 WR who can't be stopped and a RB who can run through defenders

Anybody notice how easily B. Scott gets 4 yds before he even moves. He appears 3-4 yds ahead the seocnd he gets the hand off from Palmer. Saw it 4x yesterday.

Bengals 2010. Road 2 The Toilet Bowl.
Paul Brown Stadium "The Home of the 2nd down 1yd Run" +
"More blue lines than google earth"

by bengals life on Dec 27, 2010 5:23 PM EST reply actions

Playing with the lead

makes it a whole lot easier.

If we were behind and one dimensional … very different kind of game. The receivers don’t get behind the defenders then.

by IllinoisBengal on Dec 27, 2010 7:24 PM EST reply actions

Never a lead when u have Ced and the sideways shuffle

Bengals 2010. Road 2 The Toilet Bowl.
Paul Brown Stadium "The Home of the 2nd down 1yd Run" +
"More blue lines than google earth"

by bengals life on Dec 28, 2010 12:50 AM EST up reply actions

I think the Bengals Can Still Have An Effect On Seeding And AFC North Title

Also, I think the Bengals Can Affect Seeding And The AFC North Title

Owners needed for NL-only fantasy baseball league....inquire within.

by cesarhernandez on Dec 27, 2010 7:58 PM EST reply actions

How did I know someone would go there?

I’m known as the dickweed who goes after big grammar issues, but a slight malapropism error in the difference between affect and effect? You’re better than that.

"I bet that sex Bengals fan is really pissed now." -DT3428

by sexsalad on Dec 27, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions