Bengals turn to ping pong in hopes of playoff push

Ping pong is back on the menu, boys!

In need of a shock to their system amid a two-game skid, ping-pong tables are in the Cincinnati Bengals' locker room for the first time this season, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

The Bengals, losers of three of their last four, and head coach Zac Taylor are under pressure. With a 4-7 record, they are the No. 10 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Cincinnati has a 14% chance to make the postseason.

The Bengals, losers of three of their last four, and head coach Zac Taylor are under pressure. With a 4-7 record, they are the No. 10 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Cincinnati has a 14% chance to make the postseason.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' first loss since Week 5 helps Cincinnati tremendously. It would be even more beneficial if the Baltimore Ravens dropped their Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kicker Evan McPherson discussed how the whole team is excited to have the tables back, via ESPN's Ben Baby.

“We've got the ping pong tables back in the locker room,” McPherson said. “Everybody's excited about that, just to get to compete and not just [in] football. I feel like it just rejuvenated everybody's spirit. We're excited, and we're treating this like a whole new season.”

Taylor explained what the tables symbolize to the Bengals.

“It's December football now,” Taylor said, “and [we] need everyone to be at their best. Need everyone to have energy when they walk in the building. [Table tennis] creates some competitiveness. That's about all there is to it.”

Bengals in desperate need of a shake-up

In Mike Johrendt's latest NFL Power Rankings, Cincinnati held steady at No. 22 during their bye.

“It is now or never for the Cincinnati Bengals in their playoff chase, as their 4-7 record leaves no room for error across the rest of the season. Facing Pittsburgh, Dallas, Tennessee, Cleveland, Denver, and Pittsburgh again, the Bengals will need to tighten up any holes if they want any shot at being a Wild Card team.”

Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is doing well to get the passing game going. Cincinnati leads the league in passing yards per game (262.7) and is sixth in points scored per game (27). The problems are in the run game (91.5 ypg, 27th) and points allowed per game (26.9, 28th). Pitcher spoke about his approach to getting the most out of his offense.

“I will say it until I am blue in the face,” Pitcher said. “We are player-centric. Everything we do is going to be about our players and accentuating strengths. Minimizing their weaknesses. They are our two best players.

“When you have two players like that who can change a game at any moment, if you are doing something other than giving them a chance to do that, that's in some ways an opportunity lost. You can't go too far in the other direction because you have to be balanced. We have a lot of other players who can change a game too so that all goes into the chemistry of a game plan, calling a game, and all of those things.”

The Bengals host the Steelers in Week 13 on Sunday, December 1, at 1:00 p.m. EST.