Bengals in the NFL Power Rankings: Week 17 Edition

The Cincinnati Bengals were blasted on the road in Pittsburgh Saturday, and after a three-game winning streak behind backup quarterback Jake Browning, reality may be starting to set in.

It’s either that, or the Steelers just find a way to consistently have the Bengals’ number. Regardless, Browning didn’t look like the quarterback we’ve seen for the past month, and the Bengals got little going with both Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase sidelined.

Their playoff odds have now dropped to 18%, per the New York Times. That said, with the Kansas City Chiefs on deck in Week 17, let’s dive into where the national media is placing Cincinnati relative to others around the league.

Jake Browning’s worst game came at a pretty tough time, as did Ja’Marr Chase’s injury. Even if the 34-11 defeat at Pittsburgh wasn’t the final stake in Cincinnati’s heart, it inflicted a ton of damage to its already-fleeting playoff chances. But there’s also a bigger picture to consider for this Bengals season, which has to start with their 0-5 division record. It’s been over two decades since Cincinnati went winless in the North, even before Marvin Lewis’ time as coach. Joe Burrow started three of those five losses, by the way. The Bengals have changed the arc of the franchise, winning the past two AFC North titles under Zac Taylor, but Saturday’s blowout loss revealed a worrisome weakness. They were absolutely dominated on both lines of scrimmage, getting out-toughed by a team with even lower playoff odds and one that was starting its third QB of the season.