NFL Playoff Picture: Cincinnati Bengals Have Strong Shot at Postseason

Who would have ever guessed that the Cincinnati Bengals would be playing meaningful football late into December?

Despite starting a rookie at quarterback after a lockout-shortened offseason, the Bengals are 8-6 and right in the middle of the AFC playoff hunt.

They are in a tie with the 8-6 New York Jets at the moment, but the Jets hold the tiebreaker, which is opponent’s win-percentage.

That all changes if the Jets lose to their in-state rival Giants on Saturday. A Bengals win over the Arizona Cardinals coupled with a Jets loss puts Cincinnati in the driver’s seat for the sixth seed.

The Bengals have the benefit of playing a West Coast team that will be traveling across the country on a short week.

Much has been said about the Cards' red-hot 6-1 run, but that doesn’t disguise the fact they’ve gone 2-5 on the road and one of those wins was against the horrific Rams. In other words, the six-game losing streak they suffered earlier this season was no fluke.

The Bengals' sixth-ranked defense shouldn’t have a problem with John Skelton, who has been downright horrific until coming alive in the fourth quarter in a Tebow-esque sort of way every week. But all of his comebacks have come against bad teams and the Cowboys, who can never seem to win in the desert. I expect lots of exotic blitzes from defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer that throw off Skelton and the 22nd-ranked Cardinals offense.

The Bengals play well against bigger backs like Beanie Wells, and that should severely limit what the Cardinals can do.

The Bengals are 5-1 at home in the history of this matchup and expect that trend to continue.

Prediction: Bengals 23 Cardinals 14

That leaves a home game with the Baltimore Ravens the only thing standing in their way. The Bengals lost by a touchdown in the first matchup (31-24), and that was without AJ Green. Cincinnati has won five-of-six home games in the series and will be the far more desperate team.

Call me crazy, but I think the Bengals are playoff bound.

Raise your hand if you would have believed that back in August.