TL;DR
- Cincinnati Bengals secured a crucial 32-13 victory against Baltimore Ravens, with Joe Burrow returning and defense forcing five turnovers.
- The Bengals now trail the AFC North leaders by 2.5 games, needing to win remaining games and get help from other teams.
- Cincinnati's most realistic playoff path is winning the AFC North, as wild-card spots are likely out of reach.
- Key upcoming games include a challenging matchup against the Buffalo Bills, followed by contests against the Ravens, Dolphins, Cardinals, and Browns.
So you're saying there's a chance.
The Cincinnati Bengals understood Thursday night's game was crucial with Joe Burrow's return from injury, and their performance reflected that. Burrow not only passed for two touchdowns in a decisive 32-13 victory against the Baltimore Ravens, but the Bengals' defense also generated five turnovers, appearing more solid than it has for much of the current season.
The road ahead for the Bengals is difficult, but the path is still there.
Here's a look at how realistic the Bengals' playoff hopes are after a Thanksgiving win.
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Is a playoff berth still possible for The Bengals?
Although their elimination wasn't official Thursday night, a defeat would've dropped the Bengals to 3-9, significantly diminishing their playoff hopes.
After the win, the path is becoming a bit clearer for Cincinnati.
The Bengals remain behind in the AFC North by 2.5 games, but a Pittsburgh Steelers defeat this Sunday would reduce that gap to two. Cincinnati divided its matchups with Pittsburgh this season and has another game left versus the Ravens.
The Bengals might very well need to win all their remaining games to secure the AFC North title. This would necessitate another victory against the Ravens, coupled with at least one more defeat for Baltimore. The Steelers would also need to experience some losses, though they still have two matchups against the Ravens, plus the Buffalo Bills this Sunday and Detroit Lions in Week 16.
The Bengals are also still in wild-card contention, but with all three AFC wild-card teams already to seven wins, the AFC North is likely Cincinnati's only realistic path to the playoffs.
MORE: Joe Burrow's stats in return from injury
AFC North standings
| Rank | Team | Record | GB |
| 1 | Steelers | 6-5 | -- |
| 2 | Ravens | 6-6 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Bengals | 4-8 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Browns | 3-8 | 3.0 |
The Bengals now trail the Steelers by 2.5 games and Ravens by two games in the AFC North. Cincinnati still faces Baltimore one more time, while the Ravens face the Steelers twice.
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Bengals remaining schedule
| Week | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| 14 | at Bills | 1 p.m. |
| 15 | vs. Ravens | 1 p.m. |
| 16 | at Dolphins | 8:20 p.m. |
| 17 | vs. Cardinals | 1 p.m. |
| 18 | vs. Browns | TBD |
The Bengals' most challenging upcoming contest is probably their immediate next one, requiring them to travel to Buffalo to confront the Bills during Week 14.
Should they manage to overcome that challenge, their record would stand at 5-8 as they host the Ravens in Cincinnati. The Bengals' season concludes with three straight matchups against teams with losing records: the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns.
Even with a defeat against the Bills, the Bengals wouldn't be out of contention, though securing the AFC North title with a losing record would require considerable assistance, to put it mildly.