NFL Playoff Picture: Week 9

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals (8-0)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
3. Baltimore Ravens (2-6)
4. Cleveland Browns (2-6)

Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals aren’t fighting for the division lead anymore, that’s theirs for the taking unless a huge collapse happens with them up four games up in the loss column with eight to go.

Their real race is with the Patriots for first place in the AFC and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Don’t kid yourself, a ticket to the Super Bowl in Foxborogh is much harder to get than in Cincinnati for a team that hasn’t even won a postseason game since 1991, the longest such drought in the NFL.

Their toughest games remaining are at Arizona in Week 11, at home against Pittsburgh in Week 14 and at Denver in Week 16. The other five are all against teams at or below .500.

The Steelers are tougher to read since Roethlisberger’s foot sprain puts Landry Jones back in the spotlight as a starting quarterback, and you never know whether Pittsburgh is going to get Good Landry (8-of-12, 168 yards, 2 TD passe in relief vs. Cardinals) or Bad Landry (16-of-29, 209 yards, 1 TD pass, 2 INTs vs. Chiefs).

However, if there is an ideal opponent for him to regain his footing that is the Cleveland Browns after the upcoming bye this week.

After that come the Seahawks in Seattle, the Colts in Pittsburgh and the Bengals in Cincy. Exponentially harder stuff.

The Ravens and Browns are essentially done for. They would need to go 7-1 the rest of the way to even dream about earning a Wild Card spot. That is highly unlikely for Baltimore, and if Cleveland does it then that means every other opposing starting quarterback besides Big Ben went down as well. Even then, that would be an iffy proposition.

Next: AFC South