So you're saying there's a chance.
The Cincinnati Bengals knew Thursday night's game was a must-win affair with Joe Burrow back from injury, and they played like it. Not only did Burrow throw for a pair of touchdowns in a 32-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens, but the Bengals' defense forced five turnovers and looked more stable than it has for most of the season.
The road ahead for the Bengals is difficult, but the path is still there.
Here's a look at how realistic the Bengals' playoff hopes are after a Thanksgiving win.
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Can Bengals still make the playoffs?
The Bengals could not have been eliminated from contention on Thursday night, but a loss would have sent them to 3-9 with very little chance at a playoff berth.
After the win, the path is becoming a bit clearer for Cincinnati.
The Bengals still trail in the AFC North by 2.5 games, but a Pittsburgh Steelers loss on Sunday would trim that deficit to two. Cincinnati split its two games against Pittsburgh this season and still has one game remaining against the Ravens.
It's entirely possible, if not likely, that the Bengals still have to win out to win the AFC North. That scenario would have to include another win over the Ravens, as well as at least one more Baltimore loss. The Steelers would also have to do some losing, but they still face the Ravens twice along with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and Detroit Lions in Week 16.
The Bengals are also still in wild-card contention, but with all three AFC wild-card teams already to seven wins, the AFC North is likely Cincinnati's only realistic path to the playoffs.
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AFC North standings
Rank Team Record GB
1 Steelers 6-5 --
2 Ravens 6-6 0.5
3 Bengals 4-8 2.5
4 Browns 3-8 3.0
The Bengals now trail the Steelers by 2.5 games and Ravens by two games in the AFC North. Cincinnati still faces Baltimore one more time, while the Ravens face the Steelers twice.
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Bengals remaining schedule
Week Opponent Time (ET)
14 at Bills 1 p.m.
15 vs. Ravens 1 p.m.
16 at Dolphins 8:20 p.m.
17 vs. Cardinals 1 p.m.
18 vs. Browns TBD
The Bengals' toughest remaining game is likely their next one, as they have to go to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 14.
If they can survive that, however, they would be 5-8 when they welcome the Ravens to Cincinnati. The Bengals finish their season with three consecutive games against sub-.500 teams in the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns.
The Bengals would not be eliminated with a loss to the Bills, but they would need some serious help to win the AFC North with a sub-.500 record, to say the least.