The Bengals were expected to be a contender in the AFC this season and were picked by many to win the AFC North. Despite the offense firing on all cylinders with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the defense has fallen apart late in games.
Cincinnati faced Tennessee in Week 15, entering with a 5-8 record and in third place in the AFC North. The Bengals cannot win the division, but they still have an outside shot of making the AFC playoff field with a wild card bid. Cincinnati made the playoffs in 2021 and 2022, but if it misses it in 2024, that will mean back-to-back years without a postseason berth.
In Week 15, the Bengals’ defense finally stepped up and took advantage of bad quarterback play from the Titans. Cincinnati won 37-27, but Tennessee scored as time expired to make this game seem closer than it actually was.
With three games to go, here is Cincinnati’s playoff picture after a Week 15 win over Tennessee.
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Bengals playoff picture
| AFC Rank | Team | Record |
| 1. | Chiefs | 13-1 |
| 2. | Bills | 11-3 |
| 3. | Steelers | 10-4 |
| 4. | Texans | 9-5 |
| 5. | Ravens | 9-5 |
| 6. | Broncos | 9-5 |
| 7. | Chargers | 8-6 |
| 8. | Colts | 6-8 |
| 9. | Dolphins | 6-8 |
| 10. | Bengals | 6-8 |
The first four seeds represent the AFC’s current division leaders, and they each will get an automatic bid into the playoffs. Given that there are three games left in the regular season, Cincinnati cannot win the AFC North this year. The Steelers and Ravens both sit ahead of the Bengals. Pittsburgh will remain on top of Cincinnati in the rankings this year, but the Bengals could pass the Ravens if they win out and Baltimore loses its final three games.
Denver currently holds the No. 7 seed and final wild card slot, but the bottom three seeds all have eight wins. Cincinnati would need to win out and have several teams go through bad slumps to end the year to make the postseason, but it isn’t impossible.
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 15
Bengals remaining schedule
| Week | Opponent |
| 16 | vs. Browns |
| 17 | vs. Broncos |
| 18 | vs. Steelers |
The Bengals will face the 3-11 Browns in Week 16. Cincinnati’s postseason chances could be a Week 17 matchup against Denver. Despite the rivalry, the Bengals may benefit from playing the Steelers in the final week of the regular season. If Pittsburgh is already locked into its playoff spot and cannot go up or down depending on the Week 18 result, it could rest its players, giving the Bengals an easier matchup.
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Bengals updated playoff chances
Heading into Week 15, ESPN’s projections gave Cincinnati a 2.8% chance to make the playoffs. With a win, the Bengals improve to 3.1%. This number can vary throughout the weekend, depending on the results of the other games around the league.