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A frustrating 2016 season has come to an end for the Bengals, who will not be playing beyond Week 17 for the first time since the 2011 playoffs. It was the kind of season that disheartens fans and makes everyone glad that things finally came to a merciful end.
There was a time when it looked like the Bengals might have a shot to sneak into the playoffs due to a poor start from the AFC North as a whole. But, things didn’t work out like that as the Bengals continued to lose and the Steelers turned their season around. But, even if the Bengals had somehow made it to the playoffs, do you really think the team would have had any shot once there? I don’t. It’s probably best that the Bengals have some extra time this offseason to evaluate the state of the team and make necessary changes.
That said, there is still plenty of football to be watched - arguably the most interesting football of the year. I know that many fans are frustrated and burnt out from the bad season. But, I’m curious to see who among Bengals fans is still planning to watch the playoffs to see how the 2016 season wraps up.
Personally, I will be happy to watch football while we still have it. The Bengals won’t play again until August for the preseason and September for real football, but there is still roughly a month of professional football left to watch. Let’s be honest: the Bengals would have been creamed if they made it to the playoffs, so now we have an opportunity to watch the best teams this season battle things out to determine who was the best team in the 2016-17 NFL season. As long as the Steelers don’t win the Super Bowl, I can’t imagine regretting watching.
That said, I certainly understand why some Bengals fans won’t want to watch. Seeing the Bengals lose more often than they won, realizing that they were actually lucky to have won even six games, is simply draining. Fans pour their heart and soul into the success of the team, so when the results are as poor as they were this season, it's hard to recover right away.
The teams playing in the playoffs are the Patriots, Chiefs, Steelers, Texans, Raiders, Dolphins, Cowboys, Falcons, Seahawks, Packers, Giants, and Lions. None of those teams are the Bengals, so why should you care? The next few weeks are sure to be a nice break after such a frustrating and draining season to be a Bengals fan.
So, what is your perspective on the matter? Are you going to be watching the playoffs? Let us know in the poll and voice your thoughts in the comments below!