The Cincinnati Bengals missed Joe Burrow, that’s for sure. Losing eight of nine games in his absence, the Bengals looked good in the Thanksgiving night game. The Bengals picked up a big upset win over their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, and kept their slim playoff hopes alive.
Can the Bengals Make the Playoffs?
The Bengals have a chance to make the playoffs. It’s not very high as they sit at just 5.50%, according to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. Cincinnati’s odds increased by four and a half percentage points after the victory, and their chances to win the division are now at 4.8%. These are long-shot odds, but never say never.
Bengals fans shouldn’t get too excited, as this is only their fourth victory of the season. At 4-8, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Cincinnati gets into the playoffs. But Bengals fans don’t have to look that far back.
The Bengals sat at 4-8 in 2024 before winning their final five games, giving themselves a chance to make the postseason with a 9-8 record. Unfortunately, the back door wasn’t open for them to sneak through, and their effort fell just short.
Maybe that dream can be a reality in 2025. With Burrow back and a tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the offense could drag them into contention. They can’t afford to lose any games, and a single loss would be the finishing blow to their season.
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Winning the division is likely the only way that Cincinnati can sneak into the playoffs. In a weak division, if the Pittsburgh Steelers also suffer a loss this week, the Bengals would sit just two games behind the Ravens and Steelers.
D Knight said he’ll take those leftovers
📺: #CINvsBAL on NBC pic.twitter.com/UcHeaygCob
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 28, 2025
The Bengals also have another game left against the Ravens. A win in that game and the division could get really dicey. It would be a miracle for Cincinnati to pull off, but after their win tonight, the path is now visible.
The Bengals’ defense has been atrocious all season, except for the last couple of weeks. They rank dead last in PFSN’s Defense Impact metric. Tonight, they were terrific. They made Lamar Jackson look human, which not many teams can do. The Ravens turned it over three times themselves, and Isaiah Likely coughed up a fumble for the Bengals’ fourth takeaway of the day.
If the offense can enter flow state and the defense can continue its momentum, the Bengals won’t be nearly as easy to defeat.
They have an easy three games to finish the season, and if they can upset the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, there is a real shot that the Bengals could win out to give themselves a chance at the AFC North title. The odds are stacked against them, but only time will tell if they can replicate their late-season magic from 2024.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.