Bengals remain in playoff hunt; AFC North still in play

The Cincinnati Bengals left Pittsburgh Sunday evening with a massive win against the Steelers. Coming off of their bye week with a 0-3 division record, this was essentially a must-win situation and the team responded as such.

Winning not only got them on the board in the AFC North, but it kept them in the hunt for playoff contention. If the season ended today, Cincinnati would be in as the seventh seed, earning a Wild Card berth.

Not only do they have a shot at the playoffs, there is still a real path for the Bengals to end the season atop the AFC North with matchups with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens still to come. Finishing at .500 in the division, paired with some help from Baltimore could slide Cincinnati to the top of the division if they handle business against other opponents.

A spot in the playoffs won’t come easy, though as five of the Bengals’ last seven games come against teams in the playoff picture. Regardless of if it comes via a division crown or a Wild Card spot, Zac Taylor and his team will undoubtedly have earned their playoff spot, should they get in.

Traveling to Nashville to take on the surging Tennessee Titans will be another tall task as the team attempts to recreate their magical run in the second half of the 2021 season.