In a back-and-forth game, Cade York made a 33-yard field goal with 2:43 left in overtime, and the Broncos tied the game with a miracle touchdown pass with 8 seconds left in regulation, but the Bengals needed to win. There was. Fans who think their team is cursed.
But the Bengals found a way to keep their season alive on Saturday when Joe Burrow connected with Tee Higgins in the end zone for his third goal with 1:07 left in overtime, giving Cincinnati a 30-24 victory.
The team's four-game winning streak means the Bengals (8-8) enter Week 18 with a chance to make the NFL playoffs, after their hopes looked bleak at 4-8. You will need a lot of help in the process.
Below are the playoff scenarios for the Bengals entering Sunday's Week 17 contest.
Bengals must beat Steelers
Nothing else matters unless the Bengals get back to work next week on the road against the AFC North rival Steelers, whom they won 44-38 in their first matchup in Week 13.
The Steelers (10-6) have lost their third straight game, but they still have a chance to win the division if they win against the Bengals and the Ravens (11-5) lose to the Browns (3-12).
The Colts have to lose at least once.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson will miss Sunday's game against the Giants (2-13) with back and foot injuries, so Joe Flacco will return under center.
If the Colts (7-8) lose to the woeful Giants, they certainly won't qualify for the playoffs. If they win, Indianapolis has a good chance of winning, as they will face the almost equally bad Jaguars (3-12) next week. The Colts also need the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs and either the Bengals or Dolphins to win to qualify for a three-way tiebreaker.
Dolphins must lose at least once
Another team in doubt for a playoff spot will be without its starting quarterback in Week 17 as Tua Tagovailoa is out with a hip injury.
But like the Colts, the Dolphins should theoretically have an easy matchup against the Browns. Miami then visits the Jets for their final game next week.
So it's also very realistic for the Dolphins to win, making things even more difficult for the Bengals.
Broncos must lose to Chiefs
The Broncos (9-7) remain in control, holding sole possession of the No. 7 seed and the AFC's final wild-card spot.
They will host a Chiefs team next week that has already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but the problem is that Kansas City will rest star players like quarterback Patrick Mahomes to ensure they are healthy for the playoffs. The question is whether to make a choice that would essentially give them the right to play in two games. I got a bye to advance to the divisional round, so I took a few weeks off.
Start times for all Week 18 games have yet to be determined.
