by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – The Bengals took care of business this past Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. It certainly wasn’t easy, but Joe Burrow once again led Cincinnati to victory in a must win game. Burrow paced the Bengals with 252 yards and three more passing touchdowns.

His superhuman efforts are almost the sole reason that Cincinnati has any chance to make the playoffs this year, and his touchdown pass against the Browns was just more proof of how tough he’s been this year.

The game against Cleveland marked the seventh consecutive game in which Joe Cool has had more than 250 pass yards and three or more touchdown passes.

That being said Cincinnati still has plenty of work to do to make the playoffs. WLWT summarized the Bengals’ odds to make the playoffs at about eight percent. The Bengals have to win out, and get some help from the Broncos, Dolphins and Colts.

The Bengals must take care of business this week against Bo Nix and the Broncos or else it is all over. Denver is coming off a tough loss against the Chargers. But they boast one of the league’s premiere corners in Pat Surtain II who will look to lock down Ja’Marr Chase. And Nix is a solid quarterback who could punish Cincinnati’s secondary. Although Geno Stone and company have played better of late, Nix will be a true test of how just how much that secondary can step up.

As for the other teams the Bengals need to lose at least one game, it’s a situation outside of their control. Indianapolis plays two awful teams in the Giants and Jaguars. Miami has the Browns and Jets. And even if Cincinnati beats the Broncos this week they need Denver to lose to the Chiefs the following week.

Even though the Bengals playoff hopes are slim, and a lot depends on several other teams, there is still plenty of hope. And with Joe Burrow anything is possible.

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Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

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