Bengals can quickly reverse their fortune after helplessly falling behind rivals during bye week
The Cincinnati Bengals spent their bye week watching the rest of the AFC North passing them in the standings, but everything can change thanks to the outcome of the latest division rivalry matchup.
The Cincinnati Bengals got some rest on their bye week, and the rest of the AFC North refused to sit still.
The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Cleveland Browns in a division battle, and the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime. All three teams are now 4-2, while Cincinnati remains at 3-2.
The Bengals never left the couch, and they now sit at the bottom of the AFC North standings.
Not great on paper.
It’s also still the middle of October, with plenty of time left in the regular season. More importantly, Cincinnati can flip the standings next weekend because of how one of those games played out.
Ravens’ loss to the Browns was more important than anything
Baltimore falling to Cleveland left them only half a game ahead of the Bengals with both teams set to meet Sunday in Baltimore. A Bengals win would push them past the Ravens and get them to four wins, matching the Steelers and Browns. Pittsburgh and Cleveland have their own Week 7 games to play, and neither one is a guaranteed win.
If Cincinnati beats Baltimore, the Bengals have a real chance to exit Week 7 in first place in the AFC North. That scenario wouldn’t exist if the Ravens had beaten the Browns.
The Steelers winning in Tampa is what has Cincy in last place after six weeks. It’s not ideal, but it’s mostly a product of timing. The Bengals are there because they dropped two games before getting a win under their belt heading into the bye. Still, everything can be reshuffled in just one week.
Lamar Jackson and Trey Hendrickson injuries loom over Week 7
The other major storyline this week is who Baltimore will have available. Two of the Ravens’ best players are in question.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson has missed two consecutive games with an ankle injury. Former Bengals Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson was spotted waiting his turn to get an X-ray on his finger. Hendrickson missed the previous two games after having surgery.
It’s unclear whether either player will be on the field Sunday.
Baltimore has proven it can win without Jackson, but it goes without saying he’s far more dangerous as a thrower and runner than backup Tyler Huntley. Hendrickson has the highest pressure rate among edge defenders with at least 25 pressures this season. Cincinnati knows better than anyone what he can do to an opposing quarterback, and keeping him off Joe Burrow’s back would be a major win for the Bengals’ offensive line.
Those are two critical injury situations for the Bengals to watch throughout the week. If even one of those players is out, the matchup changes drastically in Cincinnati’s favor.
The Bengals control their own path in the AFC North
The Bengals are in last place right now, but they hold the most direct path to the top of the division of any team in the AFC North.
Beat the Ravens on the road, and Cincinnati will have climbed from the bottom to the top half of the division without needing a single favor. Get help from Pittsburgh or Cleveland stumbling in Week 7, and the Bengals could sit alone atop the AFC North.
Baltimore falling to its own division rival handed the Bengals that opportunity. Whether they take advantage of it will be decided Sunday in Baltimore.
