NFL Insider Dan Graziano: 'Not An Overreaction' Bengals AFC's Most Dangerous Team

Cincinnati is now back in the playoff standings at 6-4.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Nov 22, 2022 1:03 PM EST
Original:
Nov 22, 2022

CINCINNATI — The NFL is on notice after the Bengals moved to 6-4 this season. Editors asked ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano if Cincinnati is still the AFC's most dangerous team, and he said it's not an overreaction.

Cincinnati is back in the playoff standings for the second time this season and could have Ja'Marr Chase back for Sunday's game against Tennessee.

"They still have Burrow," Graziano wrote. "They still have the memory of last January/February. They still have Chase coming back at some point soon. Cincinnati still has an uphill climb as a result of heartbreaking early-season losses to Pittsburgh, Dallas, and Baltimore, but they have the ability and the self-belief to do the climbing. They might not catch the Ravens in the division. They might not have enough to go to Kansas City and win in the playoffs again this season. But no one's going to be comfortable having the Bengals in contention until someone knocks them out.

"And Sunday's victory over an admittedly substandard Pittsburgh team showed that. You can laugh all you want about the Steelers, but the history between these two teams is real, and it's painful for Cincinnati. It doesn't matter how tough it might be -- beating the Steelers tells you things are good right now with the Bengals."

Burrow channeled his inner-Aaron Rodgers after the 0-2 start and told everyone things will be OK. It hasn't been smooth, but the Bengals are hitting a nice stride as they face a gauntlet of AFC playoff teams.

The positive of a hard schedule? Direct chances to own tiebreakers and battle-tested confidence heading into the postseason (if the Bengals punch a ticket).

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Bengals now have a 59% chance to make the playoffs.

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