Cincinnati Bengals 2012 Schedule: What Games Must They Win to Reach Playoffs?

There is one sure-fire way for the Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs this season—win every game. While that's certainly the intention of every squad in the NFL, the reality is that this is highly improbable.

But, aside from going 16-0, the Bengals clearly have ways to reach the postseason for the second year in a row.

Let's take a look at some games on their upcoming regular season schedule that, should they win, will help them in that effort.

Week 1: at Baltimore Ravens

The Bengals' playoff chances will take a huge step forward or backward early in the season, when they travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the first Monday night game of the year.

If the Bengals can have a strong showing against last year's AFC North champions, that's some serious setting-of-the-tone right there—the kind of early win that can help with team morale and momentum.

There's nothing worse than an otherwise strong team dropping their first three games in a row and then finding themselves with quite the mountain to climb if they want to be considered playoff contenders. 

The key to beating the Ravens is to not allow them many opportunities to move the ball in chunks down the field on offense and not being afraid of them when their defense is on the field.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton didn't fare too well against that strong Baltimore defense last year, but with the experience of playing them twice under his belt, he should be far more prepared in his sophomore season. Getting a leg up on last year's divisional champs is one step closer to the playoffs for Cincy.

Weeks 6 and 7: at Cleveland Browns and vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Near midseason, the Bengals have two back-to-back divisional games, one easier to win than the other. With this in mind, I don't think it's necessary for Cincinnati to win both contests in order to get closer to a playoff berth, though it would, of course, help.

Divisional wins aren't the only way the Bengals can make the playoffs, but they do represent their best chance of getting in as AFC North champions.

Weeks 9, 11-13: The AFC West Teams

In the span of five weeks, the Bengals play all four AFC West teams (Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers). The AFC West was a wide-open division last year that could have sent two teams to the playoffs, and it basically came down to Week 17 to determine who the divisional champion would be.

A strong showing against this division helps the Bengals in any tiebreaker situations as well as improves their chances to earn a Wild Card berth if they fall short in winning the division.

All AFC North teams play their counterparts in the West, so much about the AFC's overall playoff picture will be determined by what these eight teams do, primarily against one another.

I think the Bengals shouldn't have much trouble defeating three of these four teams, if they look anything like they did last season.

Weeks 16 and 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers and vs. Baltimore Ravens

To reach the playoffs this season, the Bengals will have to finish strong against their two toughest opponents in the AFC North.

In Week 16, they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers and then follow it up with a season-ending home stand against the Ravens, with whom they opened the season.

With three clearly strong teams in the division, much of the AFC North's playoff picture will likely be determined in these last two games. Back-to-back victories for Cincinnati nearly assures them the divisional title, but just one win out of the two could propel them into a Wild Card berth.

Ultimately, the Bengals' goal should be to have full control over their playoff destiny and not have to rely on another team or teams to win or lose in the final weeks of the season in order to make it in.

Wins in the division combined with a convincing tear through the AFC West in the middle of the season would all but assure them to see playoff action for the second consecutive season.

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