Bengals' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Bracket Implications of Week 17
The Cincinnati Bengals have an opportunity in front of them on Saturday to pull closer to the final AFC wild-card spot.
Cincinnati will move within one game of the Denver Broncos if it beats the AFC West side inside Paycor Stadium.
Joe Burrow and Co. still need help from across the NFL to climb into a wild-card position with two straight wins.
The Bengals are behind the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins on the conference record tiebreaker. Both of those teams must lose once in the next two weeks for Cincinnati to have a shot at clinching a playoff berth.
Browns over Dolphins
Cincinnati needs help from one of its divisional rivals to take care of the Dolphins.
The Cleveland Browns are at home against Miami in a game that could potentially benefit the Bengals.
Miami is tied on overall record with the Bengals, but it is one game better when it comes to conference record.
A loss to the Browns would clear the Dolphins out of the picture for the Bengals, who must Denver to stay alive in the postseason mix.
Any of Cincinnati's potential clinching scenarios involve a win over Denver on Saturday plus losses by Miami and Indianapolis.
Miami visits the New York Jets next week, so there is some hope for the Bengals that if the Browns can't get the job done, Aaron Rodgers and Co. can.
Giants over Colts
The last thing the New York Giants want to do right now is win a football game.
However, that's exactly what the Bengals need so that the Colts can drop beneath them in the AFC standings.
Indianapolis finishes with the Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, so the Bengals might be doomed in their quest to reach the top seven in the AFC.
But this is the NFL and anything can happen. Maybe the Giants players want to show some pride and win a game instead of tanking for the No. 1 overall pick.
A Giants win would be surprising, but that's unfortunately the spot the Bengals are in with their rooting interests at the moment.
Patriots over Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have not clinched a playoff berth yet.
The Bengals would love to see two vulnerable 9-7 teams in the No. 6 and No. 7 spots in the AFC standings going into Week 18.
Los Angeles needs one win its final two games to clinch a playoff berth. That one victory will likely come on Saturday against the New England Patriots.
A Chargers loss just opens up the potential for more chaos across the AFC as a whole.
The Bengals can't jump the Chargers due to a head-to-head loss from Week 11.
If the Chargers are upset on Saturday, there's the potential for five teams to be separated by one game in the AFC wild-card standings going into Week 18.