Bengals have shot to earn stripes
Believe it or not, the Cincinnati Bengals — who fired their offensive co-ordinator before the season was seven days old, who stumbled to an 0-3 start and who were 3-6 just two weeks ago — aren’t out of the playoff hunt.
At 5-6, the Bengals can pull themselves up to .500 for the first time during the season with a home-field win Monday night against their arch-nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With the lowest AFC wild card placeholders — the Baltimore Ravens at 7-5 and Buffalo Bills at 6-6 — within sight, the Bengals have about as much of a chance as any of the riff-raff hovering just above or below .500 entering December.
The teams Cincinnati has defeated this season aren’t exactly world beaters: 0-11 Cleveland (twice), 3-9 Denver, 3-9 Indianapolis and Buffalo. More than just shining their resume, defeating the 9-2 Steelers might give the Bengals legit momentum heading into the final quarter of the season, which features one powerhouse and three beatables: 3-9 Chicago, 10-2 Minnesota, 6-6 Detroit, and Baltimore.
Cincinnati’s late November defeats of the Browns and Broncos featured the continued improved play from veteran starting quarterback Andy Dalton. He hasn’t been intercepted in six games, since the Bengals’ 29-14 loss at Pittsburgh on Oct. 22.
When head coach Marv Lewis fired offensive coordinator Ken Zampese after Cincinnati’s 0-2 start and replaced him with Bill Lazor, the intention was to ditch the failing dink-anddunk passing approach and take more downfield shots. That has worked.
“We’ve got to continually push the ball vertically,” Lewis said of Dalton. “Him not risking the football (has helped).”
Better news for the Bengals’ playoff chances is they had their first good rushing output of the season last week against the Browns, getting 114 yards from rookie Joe Mixon.
“We’ve got to keep building on that for the rest of the season,” Lewis said.
Meanwhile, the Steelers might have to play without Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown. He has a toe injury that kept him from practising either Friday or Saturday, and is listed as questionable to play. NFL Network, however, described the toe injury as minor and said Brown is expected to play.
At 29, Brown tops the league in yards receiving and is on pace for his fifth straight season of 100-plus receptions, something that’s never been done before in the NFL.