Cincinnati Bengals 2-Point Conversion: Just Keep Climbing

The Cincinnati Bengals need to avoid a huge letdown against their in-state rival following a huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

It's one of the most gripping matchups in the NFL and now it's a contest that's been one-sided through three games. Joe Burrow is only the second quarterback in the NFL to ever get three wins against Patrick Mahomes, joining Tom Brady, and he's the only one to do it with one team.

Now, it's about keeping the foot on the gas and not suffering a major letdown against a team that has had Burrow's number.

Keeping Pace In The North...

As the Bengals continue their climb and quest for the AFC North crown, the biggest obstacle in their way is the Cleveland Browns—a team that Burrow still hasn't gotten a win against. With the return of Mixon and the offensive line clicking as of late, they could change that on Sunday.

The offensive line has received quite a bit of criticism—and mostly deserved—for their performances early on. In the first two weeks of the season, Burrow was sacked 13 times and was on pace to shatter the NFL record held by David Carr. In fact, in the Bengals' four losses, Burrow has been sacked 20 times (five per game). In their eight wins, Burrow has been sacked 14 times (1.75 per game). 

Over the Bengals' four-game win streak, Burrow has ten total touchdowns, has been sacked five times, and has just two turnovers. In week eight against the Browns, he had two touchdowns, was sacked five times, and turned the ball over twice. Obviously, a big part of that was the play of Myles Garrett.

This is the ultimate test for an offensive line that has given Burrow the time he's needed to push this offense to the levels that it's capable of and what allows it to keep pace with any one in the league. And we haven't even talked about their dominance in the run game without Mixon.

Since the win over the Steelers when Samaje Perine took over for an injured Mixon, he has 330 total yards (including a 100 yard rushing performance against the Chiefs) and four touchdowns. Again, this is a result of how good the offensive line has been, opening up lanes for Perine and allowing him to keep the Bengals two-dimensional.

Now they have to be their best against a Browns team that has 17 sacks in four games against Burrow.

...But Keep Your Eye On The Prize

First and foremost, I will start with a disclaimer—don't ever be that person to celebrate an injury. Any injury you see, regardless of how much you hate the team that person plays for, could just as easily have happened to one of your favorite players. 

Now that that's out of the way, it's time to talk about the reality of the situation. With Lamar Jackson injured and unlikely to play this weekend, Bengals fans need to be cheering real hard for the Steelers. Yes, I know you just threw up in your mouth a little, but it's all for the greater good.

When I wrote out the Bengals' path to winning the AFC North, I was left thinking to myself it was an impossible task. Now, tied with the Ravens at 8-4, the Bengals can put themselves in the driver's seat for a home playoff game. 

There's no question, from a competition standpoint, the Ravens have a much easier path than the Bengals, but Cincinnati is red hot while the Ravens are essentially the Minnesota Vikings of the AFC. They barely get by and escape with a win. Now, with Tyler Huntley under center they will have a tougher road ahead to keep pace with the Bengals.

Just because I told you not to celebrate injuries, which I firmly believe and karma is a real thing, that doesn't mean you can't be happy or optimistic that your team takes advantage of a situation.

With a win on Sunday and a Ravens loss, the Bengals move from the fifth seed to the third seed. That would mean they would host those very same Ravens at Paycor Stadium, rather than traveling to the Titans. You may think "the Titans are the easier matchup," and while that's true, it also means the Bengals are on the road throughout the entire postseason rather than getting at least one home game, and likely two.

It all starts with that win on Sunday. They have to find a way to finally get the monkey off their backs and beat the Cleveland Browns. If they don't, not only will they hurt their chances for the North crown, they'll also drop to the sixth seed, which could mean playing in Baltimore in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Extra Point

Deshaun Watson is 1-1 against Cincinnati. He led the Texans past the Bengals (13-9) as a rookie in 2017. Cincinnati beat Houston 37-31 in 2020. 

Cincinnati's next clash is against Cleveland at 1 p.m ET this Sunday on CBS. Fans can watch on fuboTV—start your free trial here.

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