The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t a bad team. Bad teams lose to good teams and other bad teams. The Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Dallas Cowboys are bad teams.

Heading into this stretch of the season, I would not have said the Bengals are a good team, either. Good teams beat bad teams, which the Bengals do, but they find ways to beat other good teams. The Bengals, when playing against good teams this season, have only found ways to beat themselves.

Are they a good team now?

They have to be.

In the next two weeks, the Bengals have to beat two teams with winning records: the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even if they win out, there’s no guarantee they play football beyond Week 18. They have to rely on the Colts and Dolphins to lose at least one more, and they need the Chiefs to beat the Broncos in Week 18. For the Chiefs to beat the Broncos in Week 18, the Bengals need to rely on the Steelers to beat the Chiefs in Week 17, forcing Patrick Mahomes and company into playing to win the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Bengals can only do what they can do, and if they do take care of business and the rest of the league doesn’t hop on board and they get shut out, that will be their punishment for not building a defense that could compete earlier in the season.

So, did the Bengals do enough against three bad teams to make you think they can pull off their part of this miracle ending?

Here’s why I say Yea:

• There are defensive contributors that are starting to flash. Jordan Battle has taken over for Vonn Bell and has played well, and in turn, Geno Stone has stepped up as well.
• Both rookie defensive tackles have stepped up in Sheldon Rankins’ absence, and each had a sack against the Browns.
• The secondary has played better.
• They’ve been more balanced on offense, as a run game is emerging, but Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level. The offense was never going to be the reason they missed the mark.
• There has been some pass-rush juice from sources other than Trey Hendrickson.
• They have momentum.

Here’s why I say Nay:

• They beat the Cowboys after a boneheaded special-teams play was committed by Dallas, giving the Bengals offense a chance to win the game, which they did.
• They beat the Titans despite the fact they turned the ball over several times and committed a ton of penalties. The Bengals won because the Titans made worse and more mistakes than they did.
• Of the three games, the Browns game was the best, but they still made some sloppy plays and were helped out by DTR having a terrible game.

As you can see, the Yae’s have it.

I do believe in this team, mainly because I believe in Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase and the offense’s ability to stay in any game regardless of how many points the opposing team has scored. I also, believe it or not, believe in Lou Anarumo. He’s helped the Bengals far more than he’s hurt him in his tenure as the team’s defensive coordinator. I do recognize that he will likely have to fall on the sword if things don’t go well over the next couple of weeks, but I do believe he can create a scheme to get the most out of who he has on the field.

Whether or not they get the help required is a whole different story. Can the Steelers beat the Chiefs at home this weekend? If not, what reason do the Chiefs have to play their starters in Week 18? Can the Colts shoot themselves in the foot against the Giants or Jaguars? Can the Dolphins do the same against the Browns or the Jets?

If not, the Bengals could finish with a 9-8 record and have nothing to show for the way they had to grow in the second half of the season. If that’s the case, they will have to take a long look in the mirror and decide if changes need to be made heading into the offseason.

Some thoughts on the game:

• After former Bearcat running back Jerome Ford broke off a 66-yard gain on the first play of the game, the Bengals only allowed him to gain 26 yards on 10 carries. I’ll take that.
• I really like what I’m seeing from Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson. In Rankins’ absence, their rotation has helped BJ Hill hold down the middle of the line, and it allows linebackers to play a little more freely.
• Mike Hilton is the best in-the-box corner in the NFL, and I will not listen to anyone say otherwise. He will be a free agent after the 2024 season, and I would love for the Bengals to keep him here for another couple of years. I know they typically don’t like to keep players once they hit 30 years old, but Hilton is so important to this defense.
• Joe Burrow is superhuman. His touchdown pass to Tee Higgins as he was falling to the ground is something maybe only a handful of people could do. His flip forward to Drew Sample as he was being tackled is just another reason. If the Bengals’ record was 8-6, he’d be leading the MVP conversation.
• The running game is finding its legs. Chase Brown was on the field for every offensive snap except for one. It’s clear he’s earned the trust of the coaches and of his quarterback.
• I don’t mind Amarius Mims showing frustration with offensive line coach Frank Pollack on the sidelines. It seems as if Mims wanted to go into the game and Pollack was trying to protect the rookie from himself. I’m good with a guy who shows he wants to be on the field.

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I am very fortunate and privileged to be able to celebrate the holidays with the people I love the most, and I know many cannot. Remember what’s important, be kind, be present, and spread love where you can.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, warmth and maybe—just maybe—a little Bengals magic will be under the tree.

Relative Song Lyrics:

So won’t you tell me you’ll never more roam?
Christmas and New Year’s will find you home
There’ll be no more sorrow, no grief and pain
And I’ll be happy, happy once again.