NFL Insider Thinks Bengals Can Still Win AFC North Following Steelers Win

Cincinnati doubled its playoff odds over the past week.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) runs off the field as the Bengals prepare to kick a go-ahead field goal in the final minute of the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — ESPN's Dan Graziano thinks the Bengals still have a chance to win the AFC North despite a 2-4 start to the season. 

There is still a multi-game gap between Pittsburgh and the rest of the teams, but Cincinnati gave itself a newfound shot by beating the division leaders 33-31 on Thursday night. the Bengals are currently second in the North, two games back of Pittsburgh in the loss column.

"I still think this Steelers team has played way over its head. It should have lost to the Jets in Week 1, and it barely beat the Patriots in Week 3, when New England committed five turnovers. Pittsburgh's defense has been terrible outside of one game against the Browns," Graziano wrote. "Aaron Rodgers is playing fine, but the offense still feels like it has a ceiling and needs to be paired with an elite defense to be a real contender.

"That makes the Steelers vulnerable, which gives the rest of the division reason to hope, no matter how poorly things have gone so far. And if the Bengals think there's any chance of Burrow returning before the end of the season, then they have as much reason for hope as anyone. All Flacco must do is keep them afloat, and if Pittsburgh comes back to earth, this division could have a frantic finish."

If Joe Flacco keeps posting QBR outings around 70 overall, then Cincinnati will definitely make some noise down the stretch in the AFC North.

That's a big if for the 40-year-old, but crazier things have happened, and Cincinnati could get Burrow back to bring things home in late December.

ESPN's Football Power Index currently gives the Bengals a 19.1% chance to make the playoffs at 3-4 overall.

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