The Cincinnati Bengals got back into the win column after knocking off the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The win got Cincinnati to a 5-8 record and they're still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, though the odds of making it to the postseason are slim.
If the Bengals want to get into the playoffs for the third time in the last four years, they'll have to win out and hope to get some help from the current wild card teams. This offense has the juice to get the team through this stretch but the defense is where things could fall flat. That's been the story this whole year after all.
With the season (and the Bengals' playoff hopes) winding down, let's look at the final four games on Cincinnati's schedule and predict how they might play out.
Week 15 @ Tennessee Titans
The Titans aren't a good team this year and they've been eliminated from playoff contention. All they have to play for at this point is draft status so that should hopefully help the Bengals out. That being said, Tennessee is a scrappy team.
Last year, the Titans blew out Cincinnati early in the year but that Titans team is different from the one taking the field this season. Before that, the Bengals had won three straight against Tennessee.
This one should be a blowout but crazier things have happened. If the Bengals can win this one, like they should, they'd be 6-8 and on the right track to making the impossible a potential reality.
Prediction: Bengals 34, Titans 17
Week 16 vs. Cleveland Browns
The Browns might be eliminated from playoff contention but that doesn't mean they'll be a cakewalk when they come into Cincinnati in Week 16. Not only are the Browns a pesky team this year (if you've watched Jameis Winston play, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about) but they've always played the Bengals tough.
While the Bengals are riding a two-game win streak against Cleveland and have won three of their last five against the Browns, there was a four-year stretch from 2018 to 2022 where the Bengals won just one game against their in-state foe. Now, of course, a lot has changed for both of these teams since the beginning of that run and the Bengals have clearly shown lately that they can win against Cleveland but it's something to consider.
With how poorly the Bengals defense has played this year, don't be shocked if this game is closer than expected. Hopefully, the stripes can come away victorious.
Prediction: Bengals 30, Browns 28
Week 17 vs. Denver Broncos
This game could be what determines the Bengals' playoff hopes. The Broncos have been a surprising team in 2024, sitting at 8-5 and as the seventh-seed in the playoffs after Week 14. The other three AFC teams fighting for playoff spots all have losing records and that's working in Denver's favor. That being said, the Broncos have to play the Colts and Bengals in their final four games, both of those teams wanting what the Broncos currently have.
This game is going to be tougher than Bengals fans thought earlier in the season but Cincinnati has to win this one if it wants to be in the postseason. The Broncos have a better defense than Cincinnati but the Bengals have a better offense. This could truly be a fun game to watch but I'm not sure the Bengals pull it off.
Prediction: Broncos 32, Bengals 27
Week 18 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
If my Week 17 prediction comes true and the Bengals do end up losing to the Broncos, they'd be 7-9 entering their final game of the season and likely eliminated from playoff contention. That could make their Week 18 match-up against the Steelers irrelevant. The Steelers could also be resting players if they've locked up the division by that point.
Either way, the Steelers have been a surprising team in 2024. They're currently leading the AFC North and Mike Tomlin once again led the Steelers to a winning record. Meanwhile, the Bengals won't have much to play for but their spot in April's draft. Don't be surprised if Cincinnati is out of the playoff hunt by the time Week 18 rolls around to see an ugly match-up to end the year.
Prediction: Steelers 38, Bengals 24
If these predictions come true, the Bengals would finish the year at 7-10, which would give them their first losing record since Joe Burrow's rookie season in 2020. This would be a disappointing result for a team that had Super Bowl aspirations before the year began but hey, when your defense can't stop anyone, this is to be expected.
For the Bengals to get into the playoffs, they have to not only win out to get to 9-8 but they have to hope that the 8-5 Broncos lose at least three of their final four games. The good news here is that Denver doesn't have an easy slate. They face the in-the-hunt Colts, the wild card Chargers, the in-the-hunt Bengals, and then the back-to-back defending champion Chiefs who might not have much to play for in the final week. This schedule could work in Cincinnati's favor.
If the Bengals don't get into the playoffs, however, they only have themselves to blame. They had so many winnable games this season where if their defense was able to get a single stop, things would have been different. It's frustrating how this season panned out but this team isn't dead yet.