Are the Cincinnati Bengals' Playoff Hopes Dead After Heartbreaking 20-19 Loss?

Prior to Sunday's clash with the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called the game the biggest and most important he has coached up to this point in his career—a substantial statement to make considering he has taken the Bengals to the playoffs in years past.

So, with an opportunity to take a firmer grasp of the sixth seed gone, the Bengals will have to win every one of their remaining games, which includes the visiting Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, and hope the teams around them stumble.

The Bengals put in a confidence-inspiring showing following last week's 35-7 debacle in Pittsburgh, and with a halftime score of 16-3 it seemed like they would walk over Houston. While it wouldn't be strange for fans to sit back and relax after such a strong first-half showing, it seems the Bengals were in very much the same mindset and that is what crippled them in the second half.

Complacency has always been an issue during Lewis' time in Cincinnati, and it continued to be on Sunday. This team is so accustomed to playing from behind that when it establishes a significant lead it gets lazy, misses tackles, misses catches and ends up getting embarrassed.

So, with a loss in heartbreaking fashion and a visibly devastated locker room, the question is: Can the Bengals bounce back and win their next three? It may not be enough, but it will be vital for Cincy if it wants any hope of making the playoffs.

First up is a trip to the banged-up St. Louis Rams, who could well see Sam Bradford return in time for the Bengals' visit. Despite what has been an abysmal year for St. Louis, the 31-21 beating they put on New Orleans early in the year proves they could be a real danger at home, especially if the Bengals play with complacency.

This is followed by a meeting with the Arizona Cardinals in their penultimate game, a team that is enjoying its role as a spoiler in December and is looking red hot right now after a 21-19 win over the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers. Larry Fitzgerald had more than 100 yards receiving on Sunday, and with the Bengals secondary being exploited fairly regularly now, it is a worrying predicament. You might suggest Baltimore will be the toughest of the remaining games, but Arizona could well be the nail in the coffin.

The Baltimore Ravens visit PBS to conclude the year, and it will be a monumentally important game for Cincy if it is still afloat at this point. The hope is Baltimore will have a well-established place in the postseason at this point and will therefore rest some of its starters, with health being more important than a win. While no coach would admit to going into a game with the win not being No. 1 on the agenda, its understandable this game might mean very little to Baltimore by then.

It will be an exciting matchup to watch, and the Bengals will come out all guns blazing if they are still in playoff contention. Gut feeling is, if Baltimore come in with its playoff spot locked down, Cincy come away with the win.

The Bengals were a pleasant surprise early this year, but as the season progresses into its latter stages, Andy Dalton & Co. are falling back down to the initially predicted level of play. With three hefty obstacles in the way of a playoff game, they will need to retrieve their winning formula from back in October if they want to stay in the race.

Aside from the pressure these next three games will bring, the biggest obstacle for the 2011 Bengals might well be picking themselves up after such a debilitating loss.