Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys fan Marshall Keisling (age 9) cheers for his team during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
To start off, I would like to send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the horrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is a dark time, a sad time, a tragic time, knowing that these 20 kids will never grow up to experience the pleasures of life. My heart goes out to these 26 victims, and it’s hard to keep a dry eye. May they never be forgotten, and as much as football can get this out of our minds for the time being, this is a much more important thing than some football game. In the wake of the tragedy, the players of the NFL played today, many of them with these 26 souls on their minds.
The game today between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers was incredibly important for the Bengals playoff hopes, and the Cowboys did us a huge favor in defeating the Steelers 27-24 in an overtime thriller. Now the Bengals have a one-game lead in the AFC playoff race over the Steelers. This brings up a great scenario, if the Bengals go to Pittsburgh and defeat the Steelers, we clinch a playoff berth. The Steelers would also be eliminated from playoff contention.
With that said, the Bengals making the playoffs would likely put us against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Foxboro. That, obviously, won’t be easy.
Then again, there is still an opportunity at winning the division. The Ravens are reeling right now, and got flattened by the Broncos. They also still have to play the New York Giants next week and come to Paul Brown Stadium to finish the season. That game at PBS can determine the AFC North winner. Either way, it looks likely that the Bengals will make the playoffs this year, making it a first in 30 years where we put together back-to-back playoff years.
Just remember this, though: not every day is a guarantee. We never know when our last day will be, and we saw an example of that in Newtown, Connecticut. The 26 souls will never be forgotten. I can tell you I am deeply saddened, and like I said, my heart goes out to those victims.
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