Today’s 25-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium not only eliminated the Cincinnati Bengals from playoff contention, but it guaranteed them last place in the AFC North Division for the first time since Joe Burrow’s rookie season in 2020.
It continues an all-or-nothing trend in the Zac Taylor era, as the Bengals have finished last in the division in three of his five seasons and first in the other two.
Who Will the Cincinnati Bengals Play in 2024?
By comparison, Marvin Lewis had two fourth-place finishes in his 16 seasons at the helm, but he obviously never won a playoff game, while Taylor is already the franchise leader in postseason victories with five.
Instant observations from the #Bengals playoff-snuffing loss at Kanas City: https://t.co/ij5GogbYgY pic.twitter.com/6GAfKwg75j
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) January 1, 2024
The loss to the Chiefs also finalized the Bengals’ list of 2024 opponents.
Fourteen of the 17 already were known, with the six AFC North Games and the rotational divisional games against the AFC West (Denver Broncos and Los Vegas Raiders at home; Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers on the road) and the NFC East (Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders at home; Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on the road).
The three TBA games were slated for the teams that finished in the same position as the Bengals in the AFC East (home), AFC South (away), and NFC South (away).
The New England Patriots finished fourth in the AFC East, so they will come to Paycor Stadium in 2024, presumably with a head coach other than Bill Belichick for the first time since 2000.
The last-place finisher in the AFC South is the Tennessee Titans, so Bengals fans will get a chance to party in Nashville for the fourth consecutive year. The Bengals beat the Titans in the 2021 Divisional Round and the 2022 regular season before losing to them in Week 4 this season.
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And the last-place finisher in the NFC South is the Carolina Panthers, who also may be under the direction of a new head coach after firing Frank Reich earlier this season and with 2023 No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young.
At 2-14, Carolina already has clinched the top pick, but that selection will belong to the Chicago Bears after the team’s big trade last offseason. It will be the first time since 1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers that the team with the worst record won’t own the first pick.
The Bengals have not played at Carolina since Week 3, 2018. The 31-21 loss was their only setback in a 4-1 starter before the season — and Lewis’ tenure as head coach — fell apart, ushering in the Taylor era after Cincinnati lost seven of its final eight.
Also notable on the 2024 slate is yet another trip to Arrowhead to play the Chiefs. The Bengals haven’t won there in the regular season since 2012, and they are 3-8 in their last 11 regular-season visits.
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