With one game still left on the Week 13 slate, the AFC North has officially entered chaos mode - and somehow, the Cincinnati Bengals are right back in the thick of it. That’s not a sentence many expected to hear just a couple of weeks ago, but here we are.
After back-to-back losses to the Steelers and Patriots, the Bengals’ playoff hopes looked like they were circling the drain. But now, with Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers unraveling in a 26-7 home loss to Buffalo, the division is suddenly wide open - just like Joe Burrow said it was.
Burrow’s Back, and So Are the Bengals
Let’s rewind for a second. When Burrow first addressed the media after his turf toe surgery, he didn’t mince words: “The North is wide open.”
That was before he stepped back onto the field on Thanksgiving and led a 32-14 beatdown of the Ravens in Baltimore. It wasn’t just a win - it was a statement.
And now, with the rest of the division limping toward the finish line, the Bengals might just be the last team standing.
Rodgers Looks Off, and the Steelers Are Slipping
Rodgers is clearly not himself. The multiple fractures in his left wrist are affecting his throws, and it’s showing up all over the tape.
The Bills’ defense had him out of sorts all game long, and the frustration is clearly boiling over. After the game, Rodgers didn’t hold back, calling out his teammates in film sessions and on missed routes.
That kind of finger-pointing rarely ends well, especially with a locker room that’s already feeling the weight of a .500 record.
The Steelers now sit at 6-6, tied with the Ravens, who also hold the tiebreaker for now. But the two teams still have to face each other twice - once in Week 14, and again in the season finale. That’s going to shake up the standings no matter what happens.
The Bengals’ Path Is Real - And Manageable
Here’s where things get interesting for Cincinnati. They’ve already split their season series with Pittsburgh.
So the best-case scenario? Baltimore beats Pittsburgh this coming Sunday.
That would set up a golden opportunity for the Bengals to sweep the Ravens in Week 15 and take the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Of course, that all hinges on Cincinnati taking care of business in Buffalo next week. Not an easy task, but if they pull it off, they’d be just one game back in the division with three to play - and a favorable schedule the rest of the way.
After the Bills and Ravens, the Bengals won’t face another team with a winning record. They’ll visit the 5-7 Dolphins, then close out the season at home against the Cardinals and Browns, both sitting at 3-9. That’s a stretch where, if they stay healthy and focused, they could easily stack wins.
The Other Teams Have Brutal Roads Ahead
Meanwhile, the Ravens’ final stretch is anything but easy. After facing Pittsburgh twice, they’ve got a date with the 10-2 Patriots in Week 16 and a trip to Lambeau to face Green Bay. That’s a gauntlet.
Pittsburgh’s closing stretch isn’t much better. After hosting the Dolphins on Monday night in Week 15, they’ll head to Detroit - never an easy place to play - and then finish in Cleveland. Given how shaky they’ve looked lately, dropping two of those isn’t out of the question.
Don’t Let the Record Fool You - The Bengals Are Dangerous
There’s a very real chance the AFC North champ finishes with an 8-9 record. But if that team is Cincinnati, they’ll be the one nobody wants to face in January.
Joe Burrow is back, and he’s playing like a guy who knows what it takes to win in December. The defense is quietly surging. And the schedule is setting up for a late-season run that, just a couple of weeks ago, seemed impossible.
Bottom line: if the Bengals get into the tournament, the rest of the AFC better buckle up. Because this team - healthy, confident, and suddenly red-hot - could be the biggest problem in the conference.