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The Cincinnati Bengals locked up their playoff spot weeks ago, but there is still uncertainty in the air. Cincinnati can clinch either the second or third seeds in the AFC, and could face a wide range of opponents. Additionally, with Damar Hamlin's horrifying injury on Monday night (which he is thankfully recovering well from), and the subsequent cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game, things just got even weirder.
Cincinnati clinched the AFC North with the game's cancellation, but there's a catch. With the Bills and Bengals playing one less game than every other team, the process of determining where the AFC Championship Game will take place changed dramatically. Additionally, the Bengals may not even get to host in the Wild Card Round despite winning their division.
The whole situation is a mess, and there's still a ton to sort out in Week 18. However, we know enough to determine who would be the Bengals' best and worst matchups in the Wild Card Round. With that said, here are those exact matchups.
Best-Case Scenario: New England Patriots
For this matchup to occur, the Bengals would have to clinch the second seed. To do that, they would have to win and the Bills would have to lose in Week 18. Conveniently enough, the Bills are playing the New England Patriots, who would clinch the seventh seed and face Cincinnati if they can upset Buffalo.
This potential playoff matchup would be a rematch of a Week 16 game in New England. The Bengals defeated the Patriots 22-18, although that score is a bit deceiving. Cincinnati jumped out to a 22-0 lead at halftime and completely dominated on offense, but some miscues allowed New England to get back in the game.
While Cincinnati ended up surviving a bit of a scare, this matchup would still be very favorable. The Bengals just outplayed the Patriots on their home field a few weeks earlier, and the game being in Cincinnati this time would only further tip the scales.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would also be a favorable matchup for Cincinnati on paper. However, the hatred and familiarity between the teams, plus Pittsburgh's recent hot streak, make it a bit more difficult for Cincinnati. The Patriots would be a much better matchup, and the best one possible, for the Bengals.
Worst-Case Scenario: Baltimore Ravens
This situation is a weird one, and unlike anything we've seen before. On paper, Baltimore has been playing very poorly lately without Lamar Jackson and should be easy pickings for Cincinnati. In fact, the Los Angeles Chargers are likely the tougher opponent, but one caveat gives the Ravens this spot instead.
If the Ravens beat the Bengals and the Chargers win on Sunday, the Ravens and Bengals will play each other in the Wild Card Round. Baltimore would have swept Cincinnati in the regular season, but would not win the division as its win percentage is worse due to the Bills-Bengals cancellation. In this scenario, the NFL will use a coin toss to decide where this game will take place.
A neutral AFC Championship Game site now is possible, per the NFL: pic.twitter.com/5gmd0drq7q
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2023
Forget the fact that Baltimore hasn't been playing well and looks very vulnerable. Not hosting a playoff game as a division winner is an unprecedented scenario and would be a blow to Cincinnati. The Bengals already lost in Baltimore earlier this season, and they'd like to avoid going there again.
Fortunately, the Bengals can avoid this possibility just by beating the Jackson-less Ravens at home on Sunday. However, the fact that this scenario is even a possibility makes Baltimore the worst possible matchup in the Wild Card Round.
