NFL Playoff Picture: Cincinnati Bengals Bound for Postseason Even in Defeat

The Cincinnati Bengals will be hard-pressed to end the regular season on a winning note against the Baltimore Ravens, though that shouldn't keep Andy Dalton and company out of the final AFC playoff spot.

They'll have the Houston Texans and the Miami Dolphins to thank for that.

It just so happens that all three teams still in the mix for the sixth seed in the AFC will have to overcome tough opponents on Sunday of Week 17. The Tennessee Titans will hit the road to take on the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium as will the New York Jets, when they close out the schedule against the Miami Dolphins.

Neither the Titans nor the Texans have played particularly well of late.

Tennessee eked out a 23-17 win over the 4-11 Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, one week after handing the Indianapolis Colts their first win of the season by a full two touchdowns.

The Texans were kind enough to allow the Colts to extend their winning streak to two games by dropping their second game in a row, but a week removed from getting their business handed to them by Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

Surely, these two teams would both lose if they could, though Houston has the upper hand here thanks to one of the NFL's stingiest defenses, the return of Andre Johnson and a 41-7 win in Tennessee in Week 7. Matt Schaub won't be on the field this time around, though that won't matter too much, so long as Houston's D is half as good as it was last time, when it limited the Titans to 148 yards of offense.

The Jets should have a better chance to beat the Dolphins on their end, shouldn't they? After all, Gang Green ground up the Fins for a 24-6 victory in Week 6.

Trouble is, the Miami squad of today is far different than the one that took the field at MetLife Stadium two months ago. Since then, Matt Moore has come on like the second coming of Dan Marino (not really) while Reggie Bush has discovered that he can, indeed, be an every-down running back in the NFL.

And a darn good one at that.

The Jets, meanwhile, have endured their usual roller coaster through the season, Rex Ryan soundbites included. They now find themselves coming off getting manhandled by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Giants in back-to-back games.

And wouldn't you know it? Gang Green, 2-5 on the road this season, will be playing in Miami on Sunday.

In other words, don't expect the Jets to play their way into the postseason, unless Mark Sanchez miraculously remembers how to be an NFL quarterback (assuming he ever knew how in the first place).

So, don't fret, Cincy fans. Your beloved Bengals may be up against it when Baltimore comes to town, but luckily, your chief playoff competitors are screwed, too.

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