The Cincinnati Bengals have been one of the most disappointing teams in the 2024 season. While Joe Burrow and the offense have been one of the best units in the NFL, the defense has more than neutralized the offense’s work, leading to a 5-8 record entering Week 15.
But with their victory over the Tennessee Titans, they now move to 6-8 on the season. Will it be enough to salvage the Bengals’ season and give them a fighting chance for the playoffs? Using the PFN Playoff Predictor, we look at Cincinnati’s slim chances of reaching the postseason.
Cincinnati Bengals Playoff Scenarios | Week 15 Update
AFC Scores in Week 15 Relevant to Playoff Race
- Chiefs defeated Browns, 21-7
- Bengals defeated Titans, 37-27
- Texans defeated Dolphins, 20-12
- Ravens defeated Giants, 35-14
- Buccaneers defeated Chargers, 40-17
- Eagles defeated Steelers, 27-13
- Broncos defeated Colts, 31-13
- Bills defeated Lions, 48-42
After their Week 15 victory, PFN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Bengals an 11.9% chance of reaching the postseason. Simply put, the Bengals will need a lot of help to make the playoffs, but it’s not out of the question.
To begin, they have no chance to win the AFC North. The Bengals were formally eliminated from division title contention in Week 14, though their fate was sealed long before that. Cincinnati is 1-3 in the division this season, with a pair of losses to the Baltimore Ravens and a home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bengals lost all three of those games despite averaging 36.7 points per game, scoring between 34-38 points in all of those contests.
As for the Wild Card race, they’re currently the 10th seed in the AFC, but the Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, and Miami Dolphins losing in Week 15 starts to make things a little interesting. Cincinnati will square off against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, the Denver Broncos in Week 17, and the Steelers in Week 18.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are 8-6, and the Colts are 6-8. The Dolphins also sit at 6-8 as the ninth seed. The Chargers will face the Broncos in Week 16, the New England Patriots in Week 17, and the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18. Certainly, that’s a favorable schedule for Los Angeles.
The Colts will face the Titans in Week 16, the New York Giants in Week 17, and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18.
As for the Dolphins, they’ll get the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, Cleveland in Week 17, and the New York Jets in Week 18.
So, there’s a chance — but the schedule gods are not in the Bengals’ favor. And after the Broncos’ win in Week 15 and moving to 9-5 on the season, Bengals fans will have to root for the Chargers to lose next week in their matchup against Denver at any chance to steal a Wild Card spot.
Head over to PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor to test various scenarios and see how they change the playoff picture and the current NFL postseason bracket.
