Bengals’ playoff desperation is comedy gold for Chiefs fans

While the Kansas City Chiefs have given up fighting to secure a postseason spot long ago after adding Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in a spot where they need to win out to stay alive for a wild card spot.

The Bengals’ thrilling, chaotic overtime win against the Denver Broncos put them in a spot where a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 and Denver losing to Kansas City in Week 18 could be all Cincinnati needs to sneak into the playoffs once more.

The problem with the Bengals’ best-laid plan that will invariably lead them astray is the fact it is next to a certainty that Mahomes is not going to finish this game, and it’s more likely than not he doesn’t play at all. This leaves Carson Wentz standing in the way of their playoff dream.

Wentz may be one of the finer backup quarterbacks in the league, but it might be tough to see him lighting up the scoreboard against a defense that even gave Mahomes problems. In a delicious twist of fate, Bengals fans need the Chiefs to win just as much as they need to take care of business against the Steelers.

Bengals’ postseason hopes depending on Chiefs’ backups is comedy gold

Not only do the Bengals need a victory and a Denver loss to even think about making it to the postseason, but they also need Indianapolis and Miami to pick up a loss or two to eliminate them from the equation as well. Kansas City, meanwhile, can kick up their feet and smoke a cigar in Week 18.

The Bengals have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Burrow and perhaps the best 1-2 punch in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Kansas City’s loudmouthed rival lacks the overall defensive depth and situational excellence needed to mount a serious challenge to the AFC throne.

To make matters worse, Cincinnati may be in for another tough season in 2025. Baltimore and Pittsburgh aren’t going anywhere, Higgins could leave for the biggest paycheck in free agency, and this defense needs multiple years of new talent infusions before they end up getting good once again.

While Cincinnati’s loud, unsubstantiated bloviations of “Burrowhead Stadium” have left them clinging to the Chiefs to save their bacon in the postseason in the most ironic way possible, the Chiefs couldn’t be less concerned about their old rivals’ postseason fate.