Bengals vs. Seahawks: Why a Win in Seattle Will Be Pivotal to Playoff Hopes

That's right, I said playoffs.

I'm not suggesting that the Bengals will make the playoffs, rather I am simply suggesting that if they want any hope of doing so, they must travel to Qwest Field and leave with a "W."

And here's why:

Pundits/experts/fans have been heaping praise on the 2011 Bengals following their win in Jacksonville and through the bye week too, mostly due to the perception that the Bengals were the worst team in the league following offseason changes being turned on its head by fairly simple, but solid game-winning football from every guy on the field.

Now, if you subscribe to the way of thinking that I do, the very notion of the Bengals being commended will make you shudder. Reason being (and I say this a lot), in the last five years or so they have been one of those football teams that thrives off of being told they aren't good enough.

So when the media starts to cheer for the Bengals, and even (God forbid) pick them to win games, that's when things start going south.

But, this is another year, and the team seems more focused than ever before. With the personalities long gone, and the younger "no-namers" making names for themselves, things certainly look a lot brighter. We won't really know how the Bengals will respond to going into a game with people actually tuning in and a winning streak to uphold, until Sunday is said and done.

The Seattle matchup has to be one of the Bengals' easier contests this year, however, that doesn't mean it will be a cakewalk for Cincy. Sentiment going into this one is eerily similar to the game against the 49ers earlier in the year.

Bengals fans expected a "W" over a team that wasn't particularly strong, and that complacency cost them the game. The worry is, Sunday's game may have a similar outcome.

So what does a victory mean in Seattle? More than you would think. 

Qwest Field is an intimidating place to play, and Andy Dalton will be experiencing that for the very first time. With a backup RB and young receivers prone to giving away silly penalties, communication could be difficult for Dalton in this one. 

If the Bengals can come away with a win against Seattle, not only will it reinforce feelings of progress for the 2011 team, but it will go a long way towards bringing the fans back to Paul Brown Stadium.

However, a loss would not only see the media write them off, but it could potentially be damaging to team morale, especially with their schedule only getting tougher.  

If you are a believer in momentum, you can see how pivotal getting off to a quick start will be following the bye week. With Tennessee following Seattle and then four back-to-back divisional games that see them take on Pittsburgh twice, the Bengals will want to roll into mid-November with as much chemistry and confidence as they can muster.

The AFC North remains wide open following the Baltimore Ravens' defeat on Monday Night Football against the Jags, and the Bengals' result against Seattle on Sunday will be a strong marker of whether this young team is a contender or pretender.