Thursday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens was not a must-win for the Cincinnati Bengals. The 34-20 loss did make it significantly tougher for the Bengals to make the playoffs, however, especially with Joe Burrow spraining his wrist in the loss.
Entering the prime-time showdown, Cincinnati’s chances at making the playoffs were 48.6%, according to SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh. That number dropped to 38% after the loss, and it’ll drop even further, to 25%, if Burrow’s injury causes him to miss Cincinnati’s upcoming at home against Pittsburgh and on the road in Jacksonville on “Monday Night Football.”
The loss dropped the Bengals to 5-5 and 0-3 in the division while essentially ending any hopes of a third consecutive AFC North title. Cincinnati’s remaining division games are against Pittsburgh in Weeks 12 and 16 and at home against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18.
Thursday night’s loss dropped the Bengals to 10th in the AFC standings, just behind Las Vegas (5-5) and Indianapolis (5-5) and just ahead of Buffalo (5-5). Houston (5-4), who defeated the Bengals this past Sunday, would own the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot if the postseason started today.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that the Bengals have the NFL’s toughest remaining schedule. Six of the Bengals’ seven remaining games are against teams with winning record (the Colts, their Week 14 opponent, is the only team that does not currently have a winning record).
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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/joe-burrow-injury-bengals-playoff-chances-plummet-after-qb-hurts-wrist-in-ravens-loss-can-season-be-saved/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2023-11-17 15:46:10
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