The Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Baltimore Ravens in a huge AFC North battle in Week 13. The game will be the final of three on Thanksgiving Day and the first time these divisional opponents have met this season.
The Bengals head into the game with a 3-8 record, sitting in 12th place in the AFC playoff picture. Cincinnati is teetering on the edge of elimination, but there is hope that quarterback Joe Burrow will be back for this Week 13 matchup. The Bengals have only won two games since Burrow suffered his injury, including Week 2 when he was initially hurt.
It doesn't feel like Cincinnati has much room for hope after a 1-8 stretch in their last nine games, but it is still alive in the AFC playoffs. The Bengals not only still have a chance to make the playoffs, but mathematically, they can still win the AFC North and qualify for a top-four seed in the playoffs.
Here is more on the Bengals' playoff chances heading into Week 13.
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Bengals playoff picture
Cincinnati has more teams ahead of it in the AFC's playoff picture than it does behind it, but that doesn't mean it can't still make the postseason. The Bengals are entering an extremely important stretch, starting with the Week 13 game against the Ravens. Cincinnati has two games against the current AFC North division leaders in the next three weeks. If the Bengals were to win both and beat the Browns later in Week 18, they would have a 5-1 division record and an important tiebreaker if needed.
The Bengals could technically still qualify for a Wild Card spot, but they head into Week 13 trailing the 7-seed Buffalo Bills by four games. They have a much better chance and need less help from other teams to win the AFC North.
Rank Team Record
1 New England Patriots 10-2
2 Denver Broncos 9-2
3 Indianapolis Colts 8-3
4 Baltimore Ravens 6-5
5 Los Angeles Chargers 7-4
6 Jacksonville Jaguars 7-4
7 Buffalo Bills 7-4
8 Pittsburgh Steelers 6-5
9 Houston Texans 6-5
10 Kansas City Chiefs 6-5
11 Miami Dolphins 4-7
12 Cincinnati Bengals 3-8
13 Cleveland Browns 3-8
14 Las Vegas Raiders 2-9
15 New York Jets 2-9
16 Tennessee Titans 1-10
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Bengals remaining schedule
Cincinnati has a tough test in Week 13 against Baltimore. If starting quarterback Joe Burrow can spark some winning momentum in his return, the Bengals still have a shot of making the playoffs. Cincinnati will have some tough games coming, though, as it will play Buffalo in Week 14 and then Baltimore again in Week 15.
The hope would be that the Bengals go 3-0 in this stretch to move to 6-8. This would set Cincinnati up with a final three-game stretch against the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns who share a combined record of 10-23.
Week Opponent
14 at Bills
15 vs. Ravens
16 at Dolphins
17 vs. Cardinals
18 vs. Browns
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