Bengals hosting Chargers with playoff implications on the line

The Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) take on the Los Angeles Chargers (6-5) in what Bengals coach Zac Taylor called the biggest game of the season to date because of its playoff implications.

If the postseason started today, the Bengals would be the No. 5 seed and the Chargers would be the No. 7 seed in the AFC.

“We’re only as good as our next game,” said Taylor. “So we’ve got to put our best foot forward against the Chargers here and really keep this momentum going.”

The Chargers have the worst run defense in the AFC, giving up 145.3 rushing yards per game, while Cincinnati has been running particularly well recently with Joe Mixon. Mixon has recorded back-to-back 100-plus yard rushing performances the last two weeks.

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

TV: Ch. 10 (CBS)

Los Angeles also has an effective running back.

Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert likes to hit Austin Ekkler out of the backfield and has targeted him 66 times this season. Ekkler has 51 catches for 473 yards this year.

When Cincinnati lost to New York back in October, Jets’ quarterback Mike White carved the Bengals up at the second level with Michael Carter, New York’s running back who caught nine passes for 95 yards.

Besides shutting down Ekkler, the Bengals defense will hope to create turnovers. Cincinnati cornerback Eli Apples’ two interceptions over the past two weeks have been a key reason the Bengals won those games.

KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER Last week, Bengals running back Joe Mixon rushed for a career-high 165 yards, the most-ever by a Bengal against the Steelers. He also scored two touchdowns to run his streak of games with multiple TDS to four.