The Cincinnati Bengals’ path to the playoffs simply acquired steeper after a crushing 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Their floor sport struggled mightily, mustering solely 58 yards at a meager 2.9 yards per carry – a regarding sample that’s plagued them this season.
Regardless of the setback, Joe Burrow stays targeted on the larger image.
Chatting with reporters after the sport, the quarterback laid out the mathematics plainly:
“I feel 10 wins normally will get you in. We acquired to win seven out of 9. That’s doable. It’s doable, so we’ll go from there.”
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow on the 3-5 begin: “I feel 10 wins normally will get you in. We gotta win 7 out of 9. That is doable.”pic.twitter.com/z8vXz2E9Bv
Historical past backs up Burrow’s calculation. For the reason that NFL’s shift to a 17-game schedule in 2021, each crew that’s hit the 10-win mark – all 33 of them – has clinched a playoff berth.
Had the Bengals (3-5) pulled off a victory Sunday, they might’ve reached .500 with 9 video games remaining.
As a substitute, the Eagles (5-2) reworked a 10-10 halftime impasse right into a rout, scoring on each second-half possession whereas the Bengals’ offense stalled, failing to cross midfield of their remaining 4 drives.
The highway forward appears to be like daunting for Cincinnati. They’re nonetheless attempting to find their first residence win after dropping all 4 video games at Paycor Stadium this season.
This 20-point shellacking by the Eagles stands out amongst their losses – their earlier 4 defeats have been tight contests determined by six factors or fewer.
Not since Week 4 of final season, when the Tennessee Titans handed them a 27-3 defeat, has Burrow skilled such a lopsided loss.
Whereas Burrow sees the playoff path as achievable, the Bengals want to seek out one other gear to safe these seven essential wins. The margin for error has basically vanished.
