The Bengals’ playoff hopes may be dashed after their devastating Week 13 loss to the Steelers

The Cincinnati Bengals’ playoff hopes are alive after the team’s crushing 35-28 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. Cincinnati’s postseason hopes depended almost entirely on the outcome of the contest, and unfortunately the Bengals were unable to take care of business. As a result, any remaining optimism about Cincinnati’s current campaign has all but disappeared.

According to the New York Times’ updated playoff simulator, which runs hundreds of thousands of simulations to determine the most likely playoff outcomes, the Bengals had about a 13 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason before the matchup. They also had their fate largely in their own hands, as they had a 94 percent chance of making the playoffs if they won, according to the team’s website. But that has all changed.

After the loss to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati’s playoff odds dropped dramatically to under two percent. So while the Bengals aren’t yet mathematically After being eliminated from playoff contention, their postseason hopes are dead for all intents and purposes. They are also no longer in control of their own destiny and will need serious outside help even if they win.

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The Bengals are currently 4-8 on the season and have five regular season games remaining. The remaining games will be played against the Dallas Cowboys (on Monday Night Football), the Tennessee Titans, the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos and, at the end of the season, again against the Steelers.

At best, the Bengals could finish the season with a 9-8 record, but that’s only if they don’t lose again by the end, and that seems pretty unlikely given how the season has gone so far. A score of .500 – or lower – is the more likely outcome

The Bengals have shown us time and time again this season that they are simply not a playoff football team. Many didn’t want to believe it because of Joe Burrow’s individual size, but a player can only do so much, and the Bengals have some big holes – like the offensive line and the entire defense.

With over a month left in the season, the Bengals aren’t going to give up and neither should fans, but it’s time for both sides to think about how the team can improve in the offseason.