The early slate of games in Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season went as well as it could have for the Cincinnati Bengals. First, the Bengals pulled out their second consecutive victory with a 37-27 win over the Tennessee Titans to move to 6-8 on the season.
If the Bengals want to have any hope of making the playoffs, they need to win out, and they took care of business in that regard against the Titans. They also got some outside help. as the Houston Texans pulled out a 20-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins, who are competing directly with the Bengals for the final playoff spot in the AFC.
The Dolphins and Bengals now have the same exact record (6-8) with three games remaining for each teams. Cincinnati's final three games will come against the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. That matchup with the Broncos in Week 17 could have major playoff implications as the Broncos currently occipy the seventh and final spot in the AFC playoff picture.
Meanwhile. Miami's final three games will be against the San Francisco 49ers, Browns and New York Jets. On paper, the Dolphins have an easier remaining schedule than the Bengals, but you never know what can happen out on the field.
But, despite Cincinnati's win and Miami's loss, the AFC standings in regards to the playoff picture didn't change.
Updated AFC playoff picture after Bengals win over Titans
Division Leaders
1. Kansas City (13-1)
2. Buffalo (10-3)
3. Pittsburgh (10-3)
4. Houston (9-5)
Wild-Card Race
5. Baltimore (9-5)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)
7. Denver (8-5)
8. Indianapolis (6-7)
9. Miami (6-8)
10. Cincinnati (6-8)
So, what does this mean for the Bengals? Nothing new, really. Their chances of making the playoffs remain incredibly slim, but they're still not out of it. They need to continue to take care of their own business, while also hoping for some serious outside help.
The Dolphins losing to the Texans was a good start, but Cincinnati will need a bunch of other dominos to fall perfectly if they're going to avoid a second consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
With the way their offense has been playing, the Bengals could be a team that no one wants to face if they're actually able to make it to the postseason. But, they have to make it there first, and there's still a whole lot of work to be done in that regard.