Wildcard Watch

[depthchart]

Even with a ridiculously bad Defense, the Bengals are clinging on to the 6th Wildcard Spot as of today.

The Chargers hold the 5th Wildcard with a 7 & 2 record.

I don't see the Bengals moving into the 5th Wildcard spot as the Chargers likely hold onto it. Chargers likely won't catch the Chiefs in their Division or be caught by the Bengals. The Bengals do play the Chargers later, offering a glimmer of hope of holding a tiebreaker over them.

I just don't see this Bengal team catching & passing the Steelers or Chargers unless they have injuries to Big Ben &/or Phillip Rivers.

Teams in play for the 6th Wildcard spot:

Bengals 5 & 4 (in the 6th spot now)

Titans 5 & 4 (Could switch out with the Texans from their own Division by passing the 6 & 3 Texans, making the Texans a Wildcard team)

Dolphins 5 & 5 (Bengals beat Dolphins head to head)

Ravens 4 & 5

Colts 4 & 5 (Bengals beat Colts head to head)

Fun fact:  Browns are next in line at 3 & 6 & 1 tie (Bengals still to play the Browns twice & can't afford to split with them)


The Titans have a formidable Defense and just whipped the Patriots.

The Bengals need to win this upcoming game at the Ravens to send them to 4 & 6 while clinching the head to head versus the Ravens.

One of either the Titans or Texans needs to sputter enough the rest of the way to allow the Bengals to retain that 6th Wildcard spot.

I don't see much Margin for error here for the Bengals.

My guess is now that the AFC West puts in 2 teams (Chiefs & Chargers) & the AFC South puts in 2 teams (Texans & Titans)

This would leave the Bengals as one of the on the Bubble teams that barely misses the Playoffs.

Bengals may be the front runner for being the 7th best team in the AFC when all is said and done.  IMO

Just missing the Playoffs...

[I_C_DeadPeople]

There never is much margin for error, regardless of the year.

But this team is 5-3 and despite the injuries and the *********** defense, it still has it's own fate in its hands. No excuses.

[Big Boss]

First order of business is taking Baltimore out back on Sunday. Worry about everybody else after that.

[depthchart]

(11-14-2018, 02:13 PM)I_C_DeadPeople Wrote: There never is much margin for error, regardless of the year.

But this team is 5-3 and despite the injuries and the defense, it still has it's own fate in its hands. No excuses.

Right now they are in front of 10 other AFC teams which does deserve some respect.

And as you say, doing so with a really bad Defense.

Better than many but not as good as a few key teams.

Like a B minus student.

Never Valedictorian but doing better than the C, D & F students.

[bengalsturntup926]

I dont want to face the steelers,pats or kc first in the playoffs,I'm hoping for any other team.we could probably beat the steelers but they have the refs help.

[*ochocincos*]

I think Cincinnati finishes 9-7 and just misses playoffs. I think the Titans get that last WC spot. They put a whoopin' on NE, something I don't think the Bengals would have come close to doing. With the coaching change, I think it MIGHT help to reduce the downward spiral of the past month but I don't think it's enough to get into the playoffs.

[*Go Cards*]

Believe we will be right on the bubble and need some help, yet just squeak in.

[*bengalfan74*]

I think this defense is going to hold us back. 9-7 is just about best case scenario, 8-8 isn't out of the question. The Titans will probably beat us out.

Only chance we have is for defense to do a complete 180

[leonardfan40]

10-6 and get the last WC spot, said that before the season and still think that’s how it plays out. God help us if we make the playoffs and the D hasn’t improved any though.

[bengalsturntup926]

(11-14-2018, 02:56 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I think Cincinnati finishes 9-7 and just misses playoffs. I think the Titans get that last WC spot. They put a whoopin' on NE, something I don't think the Bengals would have come close to doing. With the coaching change, I think it MIGHT help to reduce the downward spiral of the past month but I don't think it's enough to get into the playoffs.

Such a shame we start 4-1. The steelers look bad,and all the sudden steelers are the 2 seed and we are fighting to stay alive. Horrible. 

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(11-14-2018, 02:56 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I think Cincinnati finishes 9-7 and just misses playoffs. I think the Titans get that last WC spot. They put a whoopin' on NE, something I don't think the Bengals would have come close to doing. With the coaching change, I think it MIGHT help to reduce the downward spiral of the past month but I don't think it's enough to get into the playoffs.

It's like you read my mind. :andy:


In addition to that, I'd add that this is at least an improvement from last season.  If the defense hadn't been so bad, they probably would already have at least 1 more win, if not 2.  They're moving in the right direction, but they better be aggressive this offseason, and remove some dead wood from the defensive staff, as well as adding a bona fide DC to right that ship.

[guyofthetiger]

Who cares? The Bengals will lose the first playoff game as usual. Bank on it.

[CJD]

I think we squeak in.

We hold the tie breaker over a majority of the other contenders.

That is, of course, assuming that we don't just bottom out. I think 4-3 in our final 7 games would secure the playoff spot. This game on Sunday is absolutely critical though. If we can get that tiebreaker over Baltimore, I think our only real competition will be Tennessee/Houston.

[*ochocincos*]

(11-14-2018, 04:17 PM)Wyche Wrote: It's like you read my mind. :andy:


In addition to that, I'd add that this is at least an improvement from last season.  If the defense hadn't been so bad, they probably would already have at least 1 more win, if not 2.  They're moving in the right direction, but they better be aggressive this offseason, and remove some dead wood from the defensive staff, as well as adding a bona fide DC to right that ship.

Yea, I think honestly if Guenther had stayed, this defense would have been better. In terms of additional wins, the only one I think might have been turned to a W instead of L would have been Steelers. I'm interested to see who ends up as DC next year.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(11-14-2018, 05:23 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Yea, I think honestly if Guenther had stayed, this defense would have been better. In terms of additional wins, the only one I think might have been turned to a W instead of L would have been Steelers. I'm interested to see who ends up as DC next year.

The Stoolers would be the 1 win, the Panthers a possibility.  It's logical to think that maybe that game goes a different way if we don't make McCaffrey look like the second coming of Barry Sanders.

I agree about Guenther.  While not spectacular, the D was at least solid.  I'm interested to see how Merv does with them, and definitely about next year.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

I think we squeak in now that Marv is taking over the Defense. Austin was terrible and this will keep Marv out of Lazor's
ear to boot cause he will have to just concentrate on the D. I think we win atleast 10 games which will get us that last
spot, we lose once we get into the Playoffs though. Have to see a Playoff win before i can believe it with Marv.

[impactplaya]

my glimmer of hope is the defense gets healthy with Dennard and Burfict back in the fold.
Price and the rest of the oline can gel and be at peak form going into the playoffs.
hopefully the Bengals can peak at the right time

[fredtoast]

Titans are looking REALLY good right now.

-In their two games since the bye they have scored 28 and 34 points. Before the bye their offense was horrible averaging only 15.1 points per game. Mariota has been the difference. Before the bye he averaged 172 yds/game with 3 tds, 5 ints, and a passer rating of 78.5. He was supposedly dealing with some numbness in his throwing hand from a nerve injury. In the two games since the bye he has averaged 234 yds/game with 4 tds, 0 ints, and a passer rating of 122.2

-They have the #1 scoring defense in the league.

-They only have two games remaining against teams with winning records (Wash, Hou)

[HarleyDog]

Bengals win the AFC North. Don't have to squeak in.

[*wildcats forever*]

(11-14-2018, 05:27 PM)Wyche Wrote: The Stoolers would be the 1 win, the Panthers a possibility.  It's logical to think that maybe that game goes a different way if we don't make McCaffrey look like the second coming of Barry Sanders.

I agree about Guenther.  While not spectacular, the D was at least solid.  I'm interested to see how Merv does with them, and definitely about next year.

Even with all of the changes made during the off season, I wasn't convinced we were playoff-bound for this year. Coming out of the gate at 4 - 1 surprised a little, but the major failure of Austin's defense really did surprise. So did the amount of injuries we've had. 

IF Marvin does succeed with turning the defense around, who does he turn it over to that will maintain that progress, and even improve from there? Will he discover that he enjoyed it so much that he'll want to keep doing both HC and DC? Maybe going back to DC will be enough to shed his HC duties in favor of running the defense only. The flip side suggests that if this new approach falls flat that it will send him on down the road at the end of this year, and we get to start over with new leadership. 

Typical Bengals. They can't do much of anything without leaving a trail of unanswered questions behind.