This week vs the Steelers is basically the season

[Trademark]

If the Bengals lose this game they will fall to 0-4 in the division and 5-5 overall with a brutal stretch coming. This game this week is basically a must win, if they lose this the season is pretty much toast

[Nepa]

(11-18-2022, 12:49 PM)Trademark Wrote: If the Bengals lose this game they will fall to 0-4 in the division and 5-5 overall with a brutal stretch coming. This game this week is basically a must win, if they lose this the season is pretty much toast

I agree.

And the Steelers may look at this game as their Super Bowl this year, getting a chance in an otherwise dismal season to knock off their close rivals, in their home stadium. I hope the Bengals are hitting on all cylinders. 

[WeezyBengal]

I actually agree with this. You can lose against the Titans but we better make damn sure we win this one.

[Housh]

Everyone of the next 4 games is must win to me


We need to accept the wildcard is probably our best option


We can catch Baltimore but it’ll be hard

[*ochocincos*]

I would consider this a must-win, but that's primarily because I'm expecting the remaining teams to be (much) more difficult to beat than the Steelers.

Bengals are in the hunt, so they need to win and hope for some other teams to lose.
The good news is 4 of the teams ahead or in the hunt with the Bengals (all the AFC East) play each other one more time, so there's guaranteed to be some more losses for at least a couple of them.

I'm pretty much expecting TEN and KC to make the playoffs and probably win their division.
BUF and BAL also likely make the playoffs, leaving just 3 teams between CIN, NE, NYJ, MIA, and LAC.
Chargers have a pretty easy schedule remaining that it's easy to think they'll also make the playoffs, but they have been notorious in recent years floundering in December.
I don't see Colts making it since they have to play PHI, MIN, DAL, and NYG.

So pull out some upsets against KC, TEN, and/or BUF, and the chances of getting back to the playoffs become (much) higher.

[*bengalfan74*]

Yep

Every one of the remaining games is important, butt. We really, really, need this one!!! AFC game, div game, rivalry game, so on.

The Squeelers are going be pulling out all the stops. They know if they lose this one it's pretty much over for them this season. Not that they believe they're gonna be in the Super Bowl or nothing. But 3-7 is just to big a hole to maintain whatever hope is left.

And 6-4 for us means we're still in the hunt. 5-5 ummm........

[Sled21]

(11-18-2022, 12:49 PM)Trademark Wrote: If the Bengals lose this game they will fall to 0-4 in the division and 5-5 overall with a brutal stretch coming. This game this week is basically a must win, if they lose this the season is pretty much toast

It's really not. Sure, winning is better than losing, but if they lose then anything can happen down the road. Allen's elbow if definitely affecting him. Lamar is always one play away from injury or one breath away from covid. Anything can happen, it's the NFL. It ain't over till it's over. Of course, if they lose the season will be over for the wrist slitters, because they will bleed out and die before the big comeback. It's all moot anyway, we won't lose this game.

[*Go Cards*]

The season would not be over with a loss, but pert near.

Should be treated as a must win per the Bengals are going to have to string together wins the rest of the way to get to the playoffs.

The margin of error is slim right now and it's time to take care of business.

Starting with these punks, in their house.

[*Go Cards*]

Need to get up big early and make steelers try to play ketchup in old Heinz field

[*pally*]

Language alert.....

Think Pacman has some left over hostility?

Y’all no what week it is !!!! **** the @steelers and William Jackson lmao hello world !! pic.twitter.com/AcWfxFvqo8

— ADAm Pacman Jones (@REALPACMAN24) November 18, 2022

[*rfaulk34*]

(11-18-2022, 02:22 PM)Sled21 Wrote: It's really not. Sure, winning is better than losing, but if they lose then anything can happen down the road. Allen's elbow if definitely affecting him. Lamar is always one play away from injury or one breath away from covid. Anything can happen, it's the NFL. It ain't over till it's over. Of course, if they lose the season will be over for the wrist slitters, because they will bleed out and die before the big comeback. It's all moot anyway, we won't lose this game.

This. You can go 0-6 and as long as you win more games, division record doesn't matter. It hurts with other teams to have that many conference losses but the only thing that really matters is to win enough games to qualify for the playoffs. Doesn't matter how you get there. 

Every single game of every year is a "must win" so it's silly to constantly post "must win" later, as if it's any different than any other game. People have already pointed out how the 1st game of the year has put them in the pickle they are now but no one would have said week one was a must win. 

Every single game is important when you only have 17 to base playoffs on. 

[*ochocincos*]

(11-18-2022, 02:22 PM)Sled21 Wrote: It's really not. Sure, winning is better than losing, but if they lose then anything can happen down the road. Allen's elbow if definitely affecting him. Lamar is always one play away from injury or one breath away from covid. Anything can happen, it's the NFL. It ain't over till it's over. Of course, if they lose the season will be over for the wrist slitters, because they will bleed out and die before the big comeback. It's all moot anyway, we won't lose this game.

Last year, the Bengals did pull off some upsets.
KC (x2)
TEN (playoffs)
BAL (at least away)
PIT (at least away)

They also lost to two teams I thought they should have been able to (easily) beat - NYJ, CHI

So far this year, they haven't upset anyone yet in my eyes.
They have lost three games I thought they should have won going into though - PIT, CLE, and DAL (no Prescott).

I'm saying all that because if this team plays to their ceiling, they have the possibility of beating any of these really good teams left on the schedule. How probable is that though? I would say it's lower currently, but the TEN and KC games could change my perspective, for sure.

[XenoMorph]

(11-18-2022, 12:49 PM)Trademark Wrote: If the Bengals lose this game they will fall to 0-4 in the division and 5-5 overall with a brutal stretch coming. This game this week is basically a must win, if they lose this the season is pretty much toast

especially after a bye week they had plenty of time to get ready

[Sled21]

(11-18-2022, 03:56 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Last year, the Bengals did pull off some upsets.
KC (x2)
TEN (playoffs)
BAL (at least away)
PIT (at least away)

They also lost to two teams I thought they should have been able to (easily) beat - NYJ, CHI

So far this year, they haven't upset anyone yet in my eyes.
They have lost three games I thought they should have won going into though - PIT, CLE, and DAL (no Prescott).

I'm saying all that because if this team plays to their ceiling, they have the possibility of beating any of these really good teams left on the schedule. How probable is that though? I would say it's lower currently, but the TEN and KC games could change my perspective, for sure.

Same record as this time last year, and just like last year this team is ascending while other teams are descending.

[XenoMorph]

(11-18-2022, 12:49 PM)Trademark Wrote: If the Bengals lose this game they will fall to 0-4 in the division and 5-5 overall with a brutal stretch coming. This game this week is basically a must win, if they lose this the season is pretty much toast

has anyone ever won their division while being 0-6 in it?

[KillerGoose]

(11-18-2022, 04:42 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: has anyone ever won their division while being 0-6 in it?

No, it has never happened. Divisional records go back to 1967, the worst a division winner has gone is 2-4. 

[*bengalfan74*]

(11-18-2022, 03:56 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Last year, the Bengals did pull off some upsets.
KC (x2)
TEN (playoffs)
BAL (at least away)
PIT (at least away)

They also lost to two teams I thought they should have been able to (easily) beat - NYJ, CHI

So far this year, they haven't upset anyone yet in my eyes.
They have lost three games I thought they should have won going into though - PIT, CLE, and DAL (no Prescott).

I'm saying all that because if this team plays to their ceiling, they have the possibility of beating any of these really good teams left on the schedule. How probable is that though? I would say it's lower currently, but the TEN and KC games could change my perspective, for sure.

Oh I don't think there's any doubt if the "A" team shows up they can beat every team in the NFL. Trouble is the "B" team rears it's ugly head from time to time.

I believe they'll make a run. Can they recapture last years magic and take it all the way ?

[*ochocincos*]

(11-18-2022, 04:05 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Same record as this time last year, and just like last year this team is ascending while other teams are descending.

Yep, I get it.


But last year, the only game they won out of the ones remaining that I thought was an upset was KC.
They didn't play TEN or BUF in the regular season.
So they didn't really have as difficult of a schedule second half of last season as they do this year.

Therefore, I think it's going to be more difficult to end up with 10 wins this year compared to last year.
In my opinion, having one or two wins earlier in the season would have been very valuable to achieve double-digits wins due to the difficulty of the second half.

We'll see, but I'm just as permitted to be less optimistic due to how they've not played consistently this first half as you are to be more optimistic they'll play more to their ceiling than their floor.

[BFritz21]

It's not necessarily a must-win, but it's pretty important and would leave little room for error in a pretty rough stretch of games for the rest of the year.

I will say, however, that we could be getting lucky if Allen's injury really is getting worse and is will cause him to miss time or not be at 100% because they play the Browns this week, which the Bills are favored by 8, so let's hope that the Browns can get to Allen and pull out a win. I think Allen aggravates his elbow more and is either out of struggling by the time they play us. I don't wish for injury on any player, but if he's going to play on it while it's injured, that's on him, and he seems to be struggling with his play.

That matters because the Bills already beat the Ravens and Steelers, meaning that it would help give us a needed win and also help with tiebreakers, but we'd also need to get this win since it's in the division.

Like I said, it's not a "must-win," but it's important because we won't have much wiggle room for the rest of the year without it, which is especially worrisome since we play the Titans and Chiefs next.

[XenoMorph]

(11-18-2022, 05:13 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: It's not necessarily a must-win, but it's pretty important and would leave little room for error in a pretty rough stretch of games for the rest of the year.

I will say, however, that we could be getting lucky if Allen's injury really is getting worse and is will cause him to miss time or not be at 100% because they play the Browns this week, which the Bills are favored by 8, so let's hope that the Browns can get to Allen and pull out a win. I think Allen aggravates his elbow more and is either out of struggling by the time they play us. I don't wish for injury on any player, but if he's going to play on it while it's injured, that's on him, and he seems to be struggling with his play.

That matters because the Bills already beat the Ravens and Steelers, meaning that it would help give us a needed win and also help with tiebreakers, but we'd also need to get this win since it's in the division.

Like I said, it's not a "must-win," but it's important because we won't have much wiggle room for the rest of the year without it, which is especially worrisome since we play the Titans and Chiefs next.

not a must win to get a wildcard spot but every lose to an AFC team hurts  division more so