Playoff Possibilities?

[gregcook69]

Making a wild card team is slim to none!

HOWEVER, winning the division is not probable but not impossible:

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=if the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals all finish 9-8, who wins the division&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

[HoosierCat]

Gaming out the rest of the season just for fun.

Quote

Bengals (4-8)

@ Bills L

Ravens W

@ Dolphins W

Cardinals W

Browns W (8-9) (5-1)

 

Ravens (6-6)

Steelers W

@ Bengals L

Patriots L

@ Packers L

@ Steelers W (8-9) (4-2)

 

Steelers (6-6)

@ Ravens L

Dolphins W

@ Lions L

@ Browns W

Ravens L (8-9) (3-3)

 

Browns (3-9)

Titans W

@ Bears L

Bills L

Steelers L

@ Bengals L (4-13)

I do think the odds of the division winner having a losing record this year are actually pretty good. If there's one thing the AFCN has demonstrated this season, it's that all these teams suck.

No matter who makes it in, and it's only going to be one team this year, one-and-done seems the most likely outcome.

[AMPHAR]

I wouldn't rule out a losing record division winner.    The conversation for the Bengals the next two weeks is win out.    If they are still in the mix sitting at 6-8, then we'll see. 

 

 

 

[gregcook69]

1 hour ago, HoosierCat said:

Gaming out the rest of the season just for fun.

I do think the odds of the division winner having a losing record this year are actually pretty good. If there's one thing the AFCN has demonstrated this season, it's that all these teams suck.

No matter who makes it in, and it's only going to be one team this year, one-and-done seems the most likely outcome.

I would agree that ‘whoever’ wins the division will ‘most likely’ go one and done . . . . HOWEVER . . . . . IF, and, with the messy defense the Bengals have, it is a BIG ‘IF’, the Bengals DO win out, and win the division, it could only ‘most likely’ happen IF the defense continues on the gradual upward swing!

Based on the history of last year, even Burrow couldn’t outscore the Bengals crap defense!

Hypothetically, IF the defense does hold its own, the offense surges, and #2 stays on track, in THAT scenario I see the Bengals having the ‘potential’ to go beyond one and done!

But, I believe that, in and of itself, is a pipe dream, at best!

[ArmyBengal]

Let me say this as food for thought.

"IF" the Bengals win out and end up winning the division title, I don't think it's necessarily a one and done situation.  Bear with me here.
Clearly, the defense would have had to make great strides to enable the team to come back from 3-8 and win the division.
What would that take?  Maybe a middle of the road defense at that point in the season despite how they started?

Isn't that exactly what we said should be enough to get this team to make another deep playoff run?

Just saying is all...

[ArmyBengal]

"Playoff Possibilities" ??

STRIPES, BACK AWAY FROM THE PLAYOFF MACHINE.
JUST FOCUS MY FRIEND.  IT WILL BE OK.

[AMPHAR]

I'd take any AFC North division winner at home over any AFC South Wild Card team in round 1 if it should work out that way.  

[gregcook69]

2 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

Let me say this as food for thought.

"IF" the Bengals win out and end up winning the division title, I don't think it's necessarily a one and done situation.  Bear with me here.
Clearly, the defense would have had to make great strides to enable the team to come back from 3-8 and win the division.
What would that take?  Maybe a middle of the road defense at that point in the season despite how they started?

Is that exactly what we said should be enough to get this team to make another deep playoff run?

Just saying is all...

Ditto!  (Basically what I said above AB, only in a little more hopeful hypothetical detail)

[ArmyBengal]

This current 3 game stretch they are in (Ravens, Bills, Ravens) is key to anything which happens in the following three (Dolphins, Cardinals, Browns).

It gets a lot more interesting to me if they win this Sunday.  I don't know if "hopeful" is the word I would use, but interesting for sure.

The Ravens and Steelers play this weekend and still have another game against each other to end the season.
Neither team has a cake walk towards the division title either.

Steelers final three are (@Lions, @Browns, Ravens)
Ravens final three are (Patriots, @Packers, @Steelers)

That's interesting to me for the time being.  A loss this weekend would hurt that interest depending on other outcomes.

[gregcook69]

1 hour ago, ArmyBengal said:

This current 3 game stretch they are in (Ravens, Bills, Ravens) is key to anything which happens in the following three (Dolphins, Cardinals, Browns).

It gets a lot more interesting to me if they win this Sunday.  I don't know if "hopeful" is the word I would use, but interesting for sure.

The Ravens and Steelers play this weekend and still have another game against each other to end the season.
Neither team has a cake walk towards the division title either.

Steelers final three are (@Lions, @Browns, Ravens)
Ravens final three are (Patriots, @Packers, @Steelers)

That's interesting to me for the time being.  A loss this weekend would hurt that interest depending on other outcomes.

IF and ONLY IF, the Bengals win out, they could possibly end in a 3 way tie for the division, but that’s a HUGE IF!!!

[ArmyBengal]

They are 2 games back with 5 to play.

They don’t necessarily need to win out but the only game that would have less of an impact would be the Cardinals. Non divisional and non conference.

[gregcook69]

45 minutes ago, ArmyBengal said:

They are 2 games back with 5 to play.

They don’t necessarily need to win out but the only game that would have less of an impact would be the Cardinals. Non divisional and non conference.

True, but if the Steelers and Ravens split, and the Bengals win out, that means the best the Ravens could do is 9-8 and I don’t see the Steelers beating the Lions, Dolphins, AND Browns, which would leave them at 9-8, at best, as well!

Again, a franchise hopeful hypothetical, but probably a pipe dream at best!  Too many things have to happen for the Bengals to win the last 5!