The Cincinnati Bengals' playoff hopes took a severe hit after their loss to the Buffalo Bills, dropping their record to 4-9 for the 2025 season. With only four games remaining, the maximum record they can now achieve is 8-9. This poor standing puts them firmly behind in the competitive AFC North, well behind the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Even a perfect 4-0 finish, which would put them at 8-9, necessitates the Ravens and Steelers to have catastrophic collapses, dropping to 7-10 or 8-9 with tiebreakers falling the Bengals' way. Their head-to-head records with their division rivals will be key, but the margin for error is now completely gone.
Ultimately, the defeat to the Bills has turned the Bengals' chase for a postseason berth from "slim" to "mathematically remote." They are dependent on winning every remaining game and requiring multiple other teams to lose nearly all of theirs, including the two teams above them in the division.
While quarterback Joe Burrow's return has kept their spirit alive, the reality of the 4-9 record means they are now focused on spoiler roles for the remainder of the season, starting with their must-win game against the Baltimore Ravens.
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Bengals playoff picture
The Bengals (4-9) are hard-pressed to win an AFC wild-card berth given the Chargers, Colts and Bills hold those three slots ahead of them by a considerable margin.
Cincinnati is buried behind the top seven playoff-positioned teams as the 12th of 14 teams still alive, with winning the weak AFC North the only real remaining playoff path.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | New England Patriots | 11-2 |
| 2 | Denver Broncos | 10-2 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-4 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-6 |
| 5 | Buffalo Bills | 9-4 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Chargers | 8-4 |
| 7 | Indianapolis Colts | 8-5 |
| 8 | Houston Texans | 7-5 |
| 9 | Baltimore Ravens | 6-7 |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-6 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | 6-7 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-9 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 3-10 |
| 14 | Cleveland Browns | 3-10 |
| 15 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-10 |
| 16 | Tennessee Titans | 2-11 |
AFC North standings
The Bengals (4-9) are three games behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6), who took control of the AFC North after a win against the Baltimore Ravens today.
Cincinnati has a 3-1 division record, which was matched by Pittsburgh.
| Team | Record |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-6 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6-7 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-9 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-10 |
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Bengals remaining schedule
The Bengals' final four games present a formidable challenge starting in Week 15 with a pivotal home rematch against the Ravens, a game they must win to even entertain division title hopes. Following this crucial AFC North showdown, they travel to face the Miami Dolphins in a Sunday Night Football matchup, a significant AFC contest against a team potentially fighting for a Wild Card spot themselves.
| Week | Opponent |
| 15 | vs. Ravens |
| 16 | at Dolphins |
| 17 | vs. Cardinals |
| 18 | vs. Browns |
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