The Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild overtime win Saturday over the Denver Broncos. That ensured they would be alive and have a clinching scenario in Week 18.
With the AFC games in the books for Week 17, the Bengals now know their path to the playoffs and what needs to happen next week.
The Bengals got a huge gift from the New York Giants of all teams. New York and quarterback Drew Lock (309 yards, four touchdowns) stunned the Indianapolis Colts in what turned into a shootout at MetLife.
The Giants scored their first home win of the season, defeating the Colts 45-33. The loss officially eliminated the Colts from playoff contention and cleared one obstacle for the Bengals.
They weren’t able to get the same luck from the Cleveland Browns, who fell to the Miami Dolphins 20-3. Miami keeps their playoff hopes alive and keeps an obstacle in front of the Bengals.
It boils down to this: the Bengals must defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers next week, a team still fighting for the AFC North crown.
Cincinnati also needs the Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, who look unlikely to play quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters after clinching the No. 1 seed on Christmas.
Finally, they need the 4-12 New York Jets to pull the upset on the Dolphins. The same Jets team that was down 40-0 at one point against the Bills Sunday.
It’s a lot, but crazier things have happened. Think back to 2008. The Philadelphia Eagles needed the 7-8 Houston Texans to beat the 9-6 Chicago Bears and the 5-10 Oakland Raiders to somehow beat the 9-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers just to have a shot.
Those results happened and then the Eagles went on to rout the Cowboys, 44-6, to claim the final playoff spot. The Eagles went on to reach the NFC Championship Game.
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over, as Yogi Berra famously said.