Distribution: The Enquirer There are two possibilities for the Bengals to advance to the No.1 seed and secure postseason home-field advantage. Both outcomes need a Bengals victory (at Cleveland), a Titans defeat (at Houston), and a Chiefs defeat (at Denver).
In addition, the Bengals would need either a Bills victory (against the New York Jets) or a Patriots defeat (at Miami). Essentially, they must hope that the teams ahead of them lose and that Buffalo wins the AFC East. They would finish first in a four-way tie with CIN/TEN/KC/BUF, but second in a three-way tie with NE/CIN/TEN/KC.
With a 9-3 conference record, the Bengals would win a tie including the Bills (or a three-way tie between CIN, TEN, and KC). Syndication The Public Enquirer The possibility of the Bengals receiving the No.2 seed was briefly mentioned under the scenario in which the Patriots receive the No.1 seed.
A Bengals victory, a Titans loss, a Chiefs loss, a Bills loss, and a Patriots victory would place Cincinnati in the No.2 position, granting them home-field advantage in the Divisional Round if they move through the Wild Card round. The Patriots would receive the top seed based on their shared opponents with the Bengals (Tennessee and Kansas City would drop out with inferior conference records, 7-5 and 6-6, respectively).
In this scenario, the Patriots are 5-0 versus the Jets, Chargers, Browns, and Jaguars, while the Bengals are 2-3. If they win, the Bills win or the Patriots lose, and one of the Chiefs or Titans loses while the other wins, they would also get the No.2 seed.
- Distribution: The Enquirer The Bengals are presently the third seed.
- But a victory alone would not guarantee their continued presence.
- A Buffalo victory or a Patriots loss, though, would.
- Even if New England wins the AFC East, they would still have the No.3 seed if either Tennessee or Kansas City loses.
Even with a defeat, the Bengals could still earn the No.3 seed if Buffalo and New England both lose and the Bills win the AFC East with a 10-7 record. (Photo by AP/Jeff Dean) Cincinnati receives the No.4 seed if the Bengals, Titans, Chiefs, and Patriots all win and the Bills lose.
- If the Bengals lose, they cannot be ranked higher than third, and a Bills victory or a Patriots victory and a Bills defeat would drop them to fourth.
- In essence, the Bengals win every tiebreaker save against the Patriots.
- In Week 18, Tennessee, Kansas City, and Buffalo are each predicted to win, making it likely that Cincinnati will land at No.3.
However, this is the NFL, where anything may occur. Houston has previously defeated Tennessee this season and would want nothing more than to derail Tennessee’s chances of earning the top seed. Who will the Bengals face in the playoffs? There is a universe of possibilities that we may explore at another time. 
Have the Bengals a shot to earn the top seed in the AFC?
CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The AFC North Champion Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) have an opportunity to secure the AFC’s No.1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The road to the postseason through Paul Brown Stadium will need the support of other clubs.
Here are the two Week 18 situations the Bengals would need: 1) Bengals victory + Tennessee Titans loss + Kansas City Chiefs loss + New England Patriots loss or tie OR 2) Bengals victory + Titans loss + Chiefs loss + Buffalo Bills win Sunday at 1 p.m., the Bengals will face the Cleveland Browns (7-9) on the road.
Bengals playoff tickets This week, Kansas City (11-5) travels to Denver to play the Broncos (7-9) on Saturday. The Chiefs are coming off a setback to the Bengals. If the Chiefs win on Saturday, there would be no incentive for the Bengals to play their starters on Sunday, as they would have no shot at the top spot.
On Monday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was asked if Joe Burrow, who was hurt late in Sunday’s game, will play in Week 18. Taylor answered, “At this time, I am unable to address that question on any athlete.” On Sunday, the Bengals will be without Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mixon was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday and is out for Week 18.
This week, six Bengals have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Find a spelling or grammatical mistake in our narrative? Please add the title when you click here to report it. Copyright protected by 2022 WXIX; all rights reserved.
The Bengals will likely be the third seed if they defeat the Browns, or the fourth seed if they lose. Go here to tamper with ESPN’s playoff machine and forecast potential Bengals results heading into the postseason.
How likely are the Bengals to win the Super Bowl this year?
Bookmakers do not consider the Bengals to be one of the leading Super Bowl candidates in 2022. Cincinnati is not even among the top ten. Currently, the Bengals have +2200 odds to win the Super Bowl, which is tied for the 11th highest chances in the NFL with the Ravens and Colts and behind three other teams who missed the playoffs (Chargers, +1600; Broncos, +1600; Browns, +1900).
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bills | +650 |
| Buccaneers | +750 |
| Chiefs | +950 |
| Rams | +1100 |
| Packers | +1100 |
| Chargers | +1600 |
| 49ers | +1600 |
| Broncos | +1600 |
| Cowboys | +1700 |
| Browns | +1900 |
| Bengals | +2200 |
| Ravens | +2200 |
| Colts | +2200 |
The Bengals’ +2200 odds are the worst odds for a reigning conference champion since the 2016 Broncos (+2500), who won the Super Bowl in 2015 behind Peyton Manning, but saw the Hall of Fame quarterback retire at the beginning of the following season. If the Bengals’ odds do not drop below +2000 before the start of the season, they will be just the sixth club in history to have odds at or over +2000 after having played in the Super Bowl the previous year.
| Year | Team | Previous Super Bowl | Preseason odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Cardinals | Lost Super Bowl 43 | +2800 |
| 2016 | Broncos | Won Super Bowl 50 | +2500 |
| 2013 | Ravens | Won Super Bowl 47 | +2500 |
| 2008 | Giants | Won Super Bowl 42 | +2000 |
| 2002 | Patriots | Won Super Bowl 36 | +2000 |
The section contains a variety of potential explanations for why the odds were low. The Cardinals reached the Super Bowl despite Kurt Warner’s advanced age. The Broncos saw Peyton Manning’s retirement. On offense, the Ravens lacked elite talent. The Giants were already a significant underdog for Super Bowl 42.
Bettors did not know what to anticipate from Tom Brady following the Patriots’ 20-17 walkoff victory against the Rams. Examine the history of preseason odds for the defending conference champions. Typically, the odds for the reigning Super Bowl champion have been less than +1000. The average odds for the defending Super Bowl champion are +727, while the average odds for the loser are +900.
The Bengals’ odds are not only high in general. They are also exceptionally tall for the 2022 field. These +2200 odds place them as the eleventh-best team in the NFL. The 2009 Cardinals (15th) and 2016 Broncos (14th) were the only teams rated lower. And just four teams have ever been placed behind at least ten teams in preseason Super Bowl odds.
| Year | Team | Previous Super Bowl | Preseason rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Cardinals | Lost Super Bowl 43 | 15th |
| 2016 | Broncos | Won Super Bowl 50 | 14th |
| 2013 | Ravens | Won Super Bowl 47 | 11th |
| 2004 | Panthers | Lost Super Bowl 38 | 11th |
Bookmakers have numerous reasons for avoiding setting high odds on Super Bowl participants. In the history of the NFL, 22 teams have participated in consecutive Super Bowls. However, just three teams — the 1971 Cowboys, 1972 Dolphins, and 2018 Patriots — have won a Super Bowl after losing the previous season: the 1971 Cowboys, 1972 Dolphins, and 2018 Patriots.
