Cincinnati Bengals: 5 Keys to a Bengals Postseason Appearance

In a surprising twist to the 2011 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals are actually relevant going into the final two games of the regular season.

With wins against the Arizona Cardinals and the Baltimore Ravens, and a Jets' loss in one of their final two games, the Cincinnati Bengals can earn the sixth seed in the AFC in the NFL playoffs.

While most people think that the Bengals making the playoffs is a farfetched scenario, I believe it is absolutely possible.  I know the Bengals play one of the NFL's hottest team in the Cardinals—who have won four straight—and one of the league's most dominant defensive teams in the Ravens, who rank third in overall defense.

While those matchups will be difficult, they are winnable as long as the Bengals focus on certain things. Here are five things the Bengals must focus to ensure wins in their final two regular season games and a spot in the NFL playoffs.   

Get Some Help from the Giants and Dolphins

Even if the Bengals end the season with wins against the Arizona Cardinals and the Baltimore Ravens, they still could miss the playoffs.  If the New York Jets also win out—against the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins—they would win the tie-breaker of strength of schedule against the Bengals, ultimately sending the Jets to the playoffs over the Bengals. 

The Bengals have to do their part by winning out, but they will also have to become Giants and Dolphins fans if they want to make the playoffs.  It isn't a far stretch to think that the Jets could lose one, if not both of their final games, and that is what the Bengals will be hoping for.

With two Jets' losses, the Bengals could sneak into the playoffs with only one win in their last two games, but the Bengals shouldn't rely on that to happen.  

Don't Overlook the Arizona Cardinals

The Cincinnati Bengals face AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season finale and that game could have serious playoff ramifications for the Bengals.  But their matchup with the Ravens isn't the most important game of their season.  

The most important game of the Bengals season is their matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve.  If the Bengals want their regular season finale to mean something, they have to take care of business against the Arizona Cardinals first.  While the Cardinals are a long shot for the playoffs, they still have an outside chance, and that makes them dangerous.

The Cardinals have the NFL's 20th ranked overall defense and the NFL's 23rd ranked passing defense, which the Bengals will need to exploit.  Getting the ball to recovers AJ Green and Jerome Simpson will be the key to victory in this game, and if the Bengals want to play past January 1st, they must beat the Cardinals.    

Establish the Rushing Attack in Their Final Two Games

The Bengals undoubtedly play their best football when they are able to establish a solid running game early on with Cedric Benson.  The reason for that is because when opposing defenses are forced to key in on the running game, it opens up the rest of the field for wide receivers AJ Green, Jerome Simpson and Andrew Hawkins.  

The Bengals real offensive threat lies in the rookie connection of quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver AJ Green, but that connection is difficult to establish without the presence of a solidified rushing attack.  

Two of Green's 100-plus yard receiving performances came when Cedric Benson also rushed for 100-plus yards—against the Bills and the Browns.  I highly doubt that that correlation is simply a coincidence.

While AJ Green has the ability to get open and get downfield even in the midst of a double team, the presence of a successful rushing attack in Cedric Benson sure helps make his job easier.  If the Bengals want to win—especially against the Raven—they must get AJ Green into single coverage situations that he can expose, and the best way to do that is by establishing the running game early on.  

Cut Down on the Turnovers

After the Bengals beat the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve, the hopes of their upstart season will come down to an AFC North divisional matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.  The Ravens won the previous meeting between the two teams, and they did so mainly because they were able to force late turnovers from quarterback Andy Dalton.

In a close 31-24 loss to the Ravens, Dalton threw three interceptions—two of those leading to critical Ravens' touchdowns.  If there is one thing the Ravens' defense knows how to do, it is how to force turnovers.

If the Bengals want a chance at making the playoffs, they can't let the Ravens do that.  In 2011 alone the Ravens have forced 14 interceptions and 10 fumbles, which averages out to around 1.7 forced turnovers per game.  

The Bengals will not win if they allow the Ravens' defense to live up to that average.

The Bengals have to minimize their turnovers in their final two games, especially against the Baltimore Ravens.  If they can manage to do that, they have a very good chance of making the playoffs.

And if they don't, well, then they will be watching the playoffs from home. 

Above All, Protect Andy Dalton

Yep, that's Bengal's quarterback Andy Dalton at the bottom of that Steelers pile up sack.  

The Bengals can't let that happen again in their final two games if they want any chance of being a playoff team.

The Bengals have given up 21 sacks—resulting in 141 lost yards—in the 2011 NFL season thus far.  While that number isn't atrocious, it does average out to giving up around 1.5 sacks and 10.6 yards per game.

That can't happen if the Bengals want to beat the Cardinals and the Ravens to finish the season.  

The Cardinals rank 12th in sacks with 36.0 and the Ravens rank second with 45.0 sacks on the year.  A Bengals win against both teams begins by protecting Andy Dalton at all costs, even if it means placing an extra tight end or fullback in the backfield.  

The Bengals can't afford to let Andy Dalton to get sacked or even consistently pressured, because when he does it more often than not results in poor passes and untimely turnovers.

If the Bengals want their playoff dreams to become a reality, they must make protecting quarterback Andy Dalton their first priority.  If they do that, beating the Cardinals and the Ravens is a realistic possibility.