Yes, the Bengals still have a chance at making the playoffs.
It's a statement that would've been wild to say a few weeks ago. They started the season 1-4 and were 4-8 on Dec. 1.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have won three-straight games to get to 7-8 on the year. They still have a chance to make the postseason, even if the odds are slim.
Cincinnati has an 11% chance of making the playoffs according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, The Athletic has the Bengals at a 5% chance.
Multiple things have to happen if they're going to make the postseason. It starts with winning their final two games against the Broncos and Steelers. If they do that, their chances go up to 22% according to The New York Times.
The Bengals also need the Broncos to lose to the Chiefs in Week 18, the Colts (at NYG, Jax) to lose one of their final two games and the Dolphins (at CLE, at NYJ) to lose one of their final two games.
Cincinnati hosts Denver on Saturday, then they travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in the regular season finale. The Bengals are rooting for Pittsburgh this week because the Steelers play the Chiefs.
In an ideal world, the Chiefs would be playing for homefield advantage in Week 18 when they're in Denver. If they aren't, then they could rest their starters, which makes the Bengals' path to the postseason less likely.
