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re the Cincinnati Bengals back? Starting the season off at 3-8, the team played most of this season’s games without star quarterback Joe Burrow, who suffered a toe injury in week two and was placed on the injured reserve. But after a good couple weeks of practice, Burrow returned to the field on Thanksgiving night and helped the Bengals pull away with a 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Despite being 4-8 and having a long way to go, the Bengals could still comeback and win their division and with Burrow back, that is exactly what they will have their sights set on.
Next up for the Bengals is a big road game against the Buffalo Bills— a team that is considered a major Super Bowl contender. The game will certainly be a tough test for the Bengals as they look to keep it rolling and ahead of the pivotal week 14 matchup, the team announced that they made a pair of roster moves on Monday, Dec. 1– placing linebacker Brian Asamoah II on the injured reserve and signing cornerback Jalen Davis off of the practice squad.
What the Move Does
With Asamoah on the IR, it opened up a roster spot on the defensive side of the ball. Needing some help in the defensive back room, the Bengals opted to bring up Davis– an eight year NFL veteran. Joining the league as an undrafted free agent out of Utah State in 2018, Davis brings a lot of experience and could be very vital for the Bengals as they look to earn a playoff berth. Spending the 2018 season with the Miami Dolphins before playing the 2019 and part of the 2020 season with the Arizona Cardinals, Davis joined the Bengals midway through the 2020 season– and has been with the team ever since. Now, he will look to provide a spark to a defense that has been one of, if not the worst, in the entire league.
Asamoah, a third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, is in his first season with the Bengals after signing with the team on Oct. 30. Before that, he was on the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders‘ practice squads, signing with the Titans in August before being waived during final roster cuts. He then joined the Raiders in September but was released near the end of October. Asamoah started his career with the Minnesota Vikings, playing for them from 2022 until his release on August 12 of this season.
Can the Bengals Make the Playoffs?
Despite their record, the Bengals can still make the playoff and actually win their division. Currently in third place in the AFC North with a 4-8 record, the franchise is only two games out of first place, with the current division leaders, the Baltimore Ravens, possessing a 6-6 record and tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers in terms of record. If the Bengals can keep winning, they could find themselves right in the thick of things near the end of the regular season.
The next two games are tough for the Bengals, who face the Buffalo Bills and Ravens in week 14 and 15 but after that, the Bengals final three games consist of teams that are either out or nearly out of playoff contention. Starting with a week 16 matchup against the Dolphins, the Bengals end their regular season with a week 17 game against the Arizona Cardinals and a week 18 game against the Cleveland Browns.
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