Cincinnati Bengals Are Hungry For First-Round Bye
By Julie Swartz
@julieswartz86
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into Week 16, it was unclear whether or not the Cincinnati Bengals would even make the playoffs this season. With two difficult matchups in their final weeks, there was a good possibility they could lose both games and fall just short of their fourth straight NFL playoff berth.
On Monday night, however, the Bengals made a huge statement against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos with a 38-28 victory. This not only secures a playoff spot, but it also gives them hope for the AFC’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. This will of course depend on the outcome of the Broncos’ game with the Oakland Raiders this week. The Broncos would have to lose this game for that to be a possibility.
The Bengals seem to be coming alive as a team just at the right time with the approach of postseason play. They will travel to the Steel City this weekend to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Sunday night matchup that will ultimately determine the AFC North champion. Since the Broncos play at 4:25 p.m. ET, the Bengals will know by game time whether they are still in contention for the first-round bye. But with all of that aside, they need to focus first and foremost on beating the Steelers to secure their AFC North crown.
If everything goes in the Bengals’ favor on Sunday, they will blow out the Steelers to secure the division title and the Broncos will lose. This means they would have a first-round bye in the playoffs, allowing them proper rest before their postseason run, which will hopefully lead to their first playoff victory in 25 years. I think many will agree that it’s time for them to end this drought.
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