Sitting at 3-5 after eight weeks of action, the Cincinnati Bengals desperately need a win in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders if they want to remain in the playoff picture in the AFC. That fact isn't lost on star quarterback Joe Burrow, who emphasized the importance of the contest while speaking with media members.
"This is a must-win game," Burrow said. "We're 3-5. You go to 3-6, then you gotta basically win out to get in. Urgency's very high every week from here on out.
"... "This is the situation that we find ourselves in," Burrow added. "We know what we have to do going forward, and we're going to attack that challenge to the best of our ability."
Burrow is completely correct. The odds are already heavily stacked against the Bengals qualifying for postseason play at 3-5, and with another loss their playoffs hopes can be put to bed. Luckily, the Raiders have had some serious struggles of their own this season, as they've won just two out of their first eight games. As a result, the game looks like a winnable one for the Bengals, on paper at least.
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However, the Bengals will need to figure out a way to play better at home if they want to beat the Raiders. They're 0-4 at Paycor Stadium this season.
Last time that the Bengals and Raiders squared off against each other was in the Wild Card round of the playoffs in January of 2022. The Bengals pulled out a 26-19 victory in the game to claim their first playoff victory since 1990. They then went on to make the third Super Bowl in franchise history.
That Super Bowl berth feels like a long time ago, as the Bengals don't really resemble that team at this point in time. Some of the key contributors -- like Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins -- are the same, but the supporting cast isn't as good, and there doesn't really seem to be an easy path to improvement.
Burrow recently said that he thinks the Bengals need to win seven out of their final nine games to give themselves a shot at the postseason. That starts with the game against Las Vegas. Let's see if they're able to bounce back after an embarrassing performance against Philadelphia in Week 8.