The Bengals were looking for an upset win in Week 12, as Joe Burrow is gearing up to make his return.
He returned to full practice earlier than expected, hinting that he might push through the toe injury and rescue a season already sitting on the ledge. He did not suit up against the Patriots, but the possibility of a Thursday return against the Ravens kept Cincinnati fans waiting for something to believe in. The problem is simple. Even with Burrow, the Bengals may already be too far gone already.
Cincinnati fought hard without its franchise quarterback, pushing the Patriots for four quarters before falling 26 to 20. It was their fourth straight loss and another reminder of how thin their margin for error has become.
At 3 and 8, winning out is the only path to a record above.500. That is a steep climb for a team that has not solved its biggest issue all season. Burrow can spark the offense, but he cannot patch the holes on defense that have cost the Bengals critical games this season.
The turning point came long before Week 12. Cincinnati blew a two touchdown fourth quarter lead to the Jets, who entered the game without a win. A week later, the Bengals allowed a go ahead touchdown in the final minute to the Bears. Those two losses reshaped the entire AFC North picture. If Cincinnati had handled its business in Weeks 8 and 9, the Bengals would sit at 5 and 6 today, one game out of first place and very much in the hunt.
Instead the Bengals now need to go on a Baltimore Ravens type of run, and rally a few straight.
As it's do or die for them as they must win every game from here on out, including two against a surging Ravens squad that looks nothing like the team Cincinnati beat earlier in the season.
The toughest reality is that the Bengals offense is not the problem. Joe Flacco has kept the unit steady enough to compete, but the defense has collapsed in the moments they needed the most. Burrow is elite, but even he cannot flip a defense that has given up late game disasters in games Cincinnati absolutely had to win.
The Bengals always believed they would get the final stretch of the season with their superstar back on the field. They will likely get that, but the question now has changed. It is no longer about whether Joe Burrow can save the Bengals. It is about whether the Bengals gave him too much to save.
If Week 12 proved anything, it is that this uphill climb has turned into a mountain. Burrow’s return may deliver a spark, but the season might have slipped out of reach long before he had the chance to grab it back.