The Cincinnati Bengals’ first game without franchise quarterback Joe Burrow did not go well. The Jake Browning-led offense wasn’t able to do much against the Pittsburgh Steelers to instill confidence going forward.Regardless, the team still has six games to play, and as of now, the playoff hopes are still faintly alive.
They couldn’t beat Kenny Pickett, so who can they beat?
Starting with the next game, they travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are currently 8-3 and in control of the AFC South. Facing a division leader in primetime with your backup quarterback could prove to be a tough task.
Trevor Lawrence is healthy, and his team appears primed for playoff football.
After that, the Bengals face two backup quarterbacks in their next two opponents. The Indianapolis Colts and Gardner Minshew would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, so it appears they won’t be an easy out.
After that, the Minnesota Vikings come to town with Joshua Dobbs under center. While he struggled in Week 12, Dobbs has played admirably for Minnesota since being traded there at the deadline.
Week 16 brings the rematch with Pittsburgh. Will the offense be in a better position than the first meeting with Browning coming in with more starts under his belt?
A New Year’s Eve matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs seems like a tall task, especially in Arrowhead Stadium.
To close the season, they will see another backup quarterback against the Cleveland Browns. Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker will start that game. Despite a quarterback carousel this season, Cleveland currently sits at 7-4 in the playoff hunt thanks to a historically good defense.There are no easy wins without Burrow, but the Bengals can’t lose out, right? Which game is the most winnable in your eyes? Let us know in the poll below!
