Bengals Avoid Basement, Finish Third in AFC North
The Bengals’ 16-6 defeat of the Kansas City Chiefs today, combined with Cleveland’s loss to Pittsburgh, means that Cincinnati (4-11-1) escapes the AFC North cellar and finishes third in the division, half a game ahead of the hapless 4-12 Browns. Cleveland will now pick fourth next April, with the Bengals sliding to fifth for the moment, pending the results of the Oakland-Tampa Bay and Seattle-Arizona games.
Update: Oakland has upset Tampa Bay, completing the Bucs’ epic collapse this year. That Raiders victory closes out the seventh overall pick for Cincinnati. They will pick fifth if Seattle wins, sixth if Seattle loses. (If Seattle loses, I believe they will also move ahead of the Browns, dropping Cleveland to fifth, based on strength of schedule.)
Update 2: Seattle lost to Arizona, locking Cincy into the six spot next April.
