It was easy to write off Cincinnati's playoff chances when Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending injury. It was even easier to eliminate the Bengals when the offense struggled in a loss to the Steelers, Cincinnati's fourth AFC North loss of the season.
All of a sudden, the Bengals are right back in the mix. Cincinnati took games from the Jaguars on "Monday Night Football," then another against the wild-card-contending Colts in Week 14 to move to 7-6, the team's first winning record since Week 10.
No one will mistake Browning for Burrow, but the backup quarterback has filled in more than admirably. He added to his standout season on Sunday by going 18 for 24 with 275 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception, adding another score on a third-quarter quarterback sneak.
MORE: What AFC South losses mean for divisional race
Beating the Colts helped their wild-card case. The Steelers inexplicably falling to the Patriots was huge. And the Texans falling to the Jets added another helpful loss to the ledger.
What do Cincinnati's playoff hopes look like after beating the Colts 34-14 on Sunday? Here's what you need to know.
Bengals playoff chances
Following the late afternoon window of games on Sunday, the Bengals find themselves in the 10th spot in the playoffs, though only because of tiebreakers.
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Ravens* | 10-3 |
| 2 | Dolphins* | 9-3 |
| 3 | Chiefs* | 8-5 |
| 4 | Jaguars* | 8-5 |
| 5 | Browns | 8-5 |
| 6 | Steelers | 7-6 |
| 7 | Colts | 7-6 |
| 8 | Texans | 7-6 |
| 9 | Broncos | 7-6 |
| 10 | Bengals | 7-6 |
| 11 | Bills | 7-6 |
* - Division leader
It won't help Cincinnati that the Bengals will lose tiebreakers against the Browns, Steelers and Texans. With an 0-4 divisional record, the Bengals have already ensured they will not be able to have a better AFC North record than the Steelers or Browns, even if they win both remaining head-to-head games. The Bengals also lost to the Texans earlier in the season.
The Bengals would have the edge over Indianapolis and Buffalo after winning against both wild-card foes.
Coming into the weekend, playoff odds for the Bengals were looking a bit long. Sporting News' projection model gave the Bengals just a 12.6 percent chance of reaching the postseason, below everyone in the AFC beyond the Patriots, Jets, Titans and Raiders.
| Team | xW-L | Div% | WC% | Playoff% | No. 1 seed% | AFC% | SB% |
| Ravens | 13-4 | 93.0% | 6.6% | 99.6% | 43.7% | 39.7% | 20.0% |
| Browns | 10-7 | 5.9% | 67.7% | 73.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Steelers | 9-8 | 1.0% | 26.7% | 27.8% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Bengals | 9-8 | 0.1% | 17.3% | 17.4% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
The AFC North, particularly after the Ravens' overtime win against the Rams is well out of reach for Cincinnati. The Bengals would have to win out and the Ravens would have to lose out. That's not going to happen.
The wild card, however, is looking much more attainable. They now have a 17.3 percent chance of making it to the playoffs as a wild card.
| Team | xW-L | Div% | WC% | Playoff% |
| Browns | 10-7 | 5.9% | 67.7% | 73.6% |
| Texans | 9-8 | 10.5% | 39.9% | 50.4% |
| Bills | 9-8 | 4.2% | 46.1% | 50.3% |
| Colts | 9-8 | 9.6% | 36.4% | 46.0% |
| Broncos | 9-8 | 2.3% | 35.7% | 38.0% |
| Steelers | 9-8 | 1.0% | 26.7% | 27.8% |
| Bengals | 9-8 | 0.1% | 17.3% | 17.4% |
The Bengals still have an uphill battle to reach the playoffs, in part because of their remaining schedule. Cincinnati still faces the Vikings, Steelers, Chiefs and Browns, all games that are likely to be considered toss-ups, at best.
The AFC South teams are still going to be tough contenders down the stretch, though C.J. Stroud's injury could make Houston's road to the postseason more challenging depending on the severity. The upcoming clash between the Bengals and Steelers could be a major one in deciding one of the wild cards.
The Bengals are very much in the race. But the density of the playoff picture and Cincinnati's dismal 0-4 start in divisional play still make the road to the postseason challenging.
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 14
Bengals remaining schedule
Cincinnati's games down the stretch won't be easy. Here's how the remainder of the season is shaking out for the Bengals:
| Week | Opponent | Bengals Win Odds |
| 15 | vs. Vikings | 58% |
| 16 | at Steelers | 52.7% |
| 17 | at Chiefs | 21.8% |
| 18 | vs. Browns | 56.9% |
The Bengals are currently favored in three of their four remaining games, but none by more than 58 percent. They're also expected to be heavy underdogs against the Chiefs in a game that looks incredibly challenging.
