11-14-2023, 11:16 AM
(11-13-2023, 09:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Squeaking in with the 7 seed is not good.
It was added because of money, not because there were so many good teams who were missing the playoffs. That's why those teams are 0-6 with uncompetitive games more often than not.
It's not like baseball playoffs where getting into the playoffs means anything can happen. Football playoffs generally the better team just wins. I believe something like only 1 of the last 24 teams to play in the Super Bowl didn't win their division that year.
While I agree in general, the Bengals would not be your 'usual' #7 seed. Regardless of the ups and downs over the course of the regular season, I think most #2 seeds would rather play the other candidates, than the Bengals. Maybe Baltimore would want to play us for some revenge, but I think teams would probably rather play the Texans etc.
We're more than still in this fight and I expect us to be in contention in Week 18. But the conference record is a real handicap to our chances. We moreorless cannot allow it to come down to tiebreakers as we probably won't have them in our favour. That means we're in a position where we'll need another win than the other teams will need, and that's less than ideal.
Even though the division is more than in play as well, I just don't get the feeling we'll take it this year.
