The Pittsburgh Steelers loss to Buffalo on Sunday has pulled the Cincinnati Bengals within two games of the lead in the division, with five games remaining in the regular season.
According to ESPN playoff projections, the Bengals currently have a 7% chance to make the playoffs. That percentage is directly tied to them winning the AFC North. While 7% seems like an extremely long shot, it is much better than the 1% chance they had prior to their Thursday night victory in Baltimore.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to projections by The Athletic, if they can win out and go to 9-8 on the season, they would then have a 90% chance of making the playoffs.
The Steelers and Ravens are the two teams they are currently chasing, with both teams sitting at 6-6. Those two teams will face off this weekend in Baltimore.
Meanwhile, the Bengals will be playing against the Buffalo Bills at the same time on Sunday. A win in Buffalo will go a long way in increasing their playoff odds. Joe Burrow with a chance and five games to play could set up for some real fireworks down the final stretch of the season.
The Ravens remaining schedule sees them facing the Steelers twice, Bengals, Patriots, and Packers. Meanwhile, the Steelers face the Ravens twice, Dolphins, Lions, and Browns in their final five. The Bengals final five games are the Bills, Ravens, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Browns.
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