The mission is far from complete for the Cincinnati Bengals, but they definitely kept their NFL playoff hopes alive with a crucial 19-17 humbling of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. If all the dominoes fall in their favor in Week 18, the Bengals will enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league and should pose problems for any opponent they will face there.
Following the Steelers game, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor seemingly issued a warning about how dangerous his team is.
"They are not going to want us in this tournament," Taylor said, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. "I promise you."
Indeed, the Bengals are looking like a team no team would want to deal with right now. Cincinnati has found its groove toward the end of the 2024 NFL regular season, picking up five wins in a row, including Saturday's triumph at the expense of Russell Wilson and company. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has played generally well of late, notwithstanding his four-sack night against the Steelers.
The Bengals can only secure the No. 7 seed in the AFC, which means they will be on a collision course with the No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills in the playoffs if the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins lose their respective matchups this Sunday.
Related: Bengals Post Three-Word Message After Crucial Win Over Steelers
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This story was originally published January 5, 2025 at 4:55 AM