PITTSBURGH — Joe Burrow will head to Cincinnati’s training facility on Sunday. He’ll lift weights. He might watch some video. And then he’ll join the rest of his teammates and hope.
It’s not much. But it’s the only thing left for Burrow and a Bengals team that certainly looks playoff-worthy everywhere but the standings after a 19-17 victory at Pittsburgh late Saturday night kept Cincinnati’s slim postseason hopes flickering into the season’s final day.
“It’s not ideal,” Burrow said after throwing for 277 yards and a touchdown. “But we put ourselves in this position.”
In multiple ways. The Bengals were floundering at 4-8 a month ago, with seven of the losses coming by eight points or less. They responded by ripping off five straight to wrap up the regular season, including a win over the reeling Steelers.
For the Bengals to grab the final playoff spot in the AFC, they need Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City to beat Denver and the New York Jets to summon the energy at the end of a chaotic season to topple Miami.
Yeah, it’ll be weird rooting for the Chiefs. It beats having nothing to root for at all, which is certainly where Cincinnati seemed headed a month ago.
“I don’t know how many guys will be playing for (Kansas City),” Burrow said with a small laugh. “Hopefully some.”
While Burrow threw an interception and had his NFL-record streak of consecutive games with at least 250 yards passing and three touchdowns come to an end, he did enough to send the Steelers (10-7) reeling into the playoffs with a four-game losing streak.
Pittsburgh will be the fifth seed and travel to AFC South champion Houston if the Los Angeles Chargers lose at Las Vegas. If the Chargers win, the Steelers will be the sixth seed and visit AFC North rival Baltimore next weekend.
“We’re in a single-elimination tournament now, so we better turn our attention toward playing good football and better than we have particularly in recent weeks,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said.
If Tomlin wants a lesson on how to get it together under challenging circumstances, Cincinnati’s play over the last month has provided it.
The Bengals’ late run began after a 44-38 loss to the Steelers on Dec. 1 dropped them to 4-8. They haven’t lost since, with Burrow playing at an MVP level and their once porous defense playing its best football of the season.
Burrow completed 37 of 46 passes, including a 12-yard touchdown to Ja’Marr Chase on Cincinnati’s first possession that gave the Bengals a lead they never gave up. Chase finished with 10 receptions for 96 yards to put the NFL’s “Triple Crown” for receivers (catches, yards and touchdowns) within reach.
Cincinnati held reeling Pittsburgh (10-7) to 193 yards — more than 300 less than the 520 the Steelers rolled up in the first meeting — and turned aside a late rally. Trey Hendrickson sacked Russell Wilson 3 1/2 times to boost his season total to an NFL-leading 17 1/2 on a night the Bengals never let the playoff-bound Steelers get on track.
“Obviously, our season hasn’t gone the way we wanted, but we like how we closed out to get over .500 and give ourselves a chance,” Cincinnati cornerback Mike Hilton said.
Wilson passed for 148 yards and a touchdown, both the score and the vast majority of the yards coming during the fourth quarter when the Steelers were desperately playing catchup. Wilson hit Pat Freiermuth for a 19-yard touchdown pass and Chris Boswell hit a 54-yard field goal to get Pittsburgh within two.
The Steelers got the ball back just after the 2-minute warning but never made it to Cincinnati territory. Wilson threw incomplete to Freiermuth on fourth down and Burrow came out for a kneeldown that extended the Bengals’ season to the final day.
Whether Burrow and his teammates head to work on Monday to prepare for a trip to Buffalo or to clean out their lockers and turn their attention to what could be an eventful offseason is uncertain. Considering where his team was a month ago, Burrow will take it.
“I know that if we get in, we can make some noise with the players and coaches that we have in this building,” he said. “We’ve just got to hope for some help tomorrow and sit back and watch it.”
Injuries
Bengals: Burrow was tended to by trainers on the field after taking a sack in the third quarter. He was evaluated in the medical tent for a concussion but did not miss an offense snap. … WR Tee Higgins exited with a left ankle injury in the second half and did not return to what could be his final game with Cincinnati. … Guard Cody Ford sustained a chest injury in the third quarter but stayed in the game.
Steelers: Running back Najee Harris exited in the fourth quarter with a head injury following a 12-yard reception but was on the field for Pittsburgh’s final drive.
Up next
Bengals: Hope for some help on Sunday.
Steelers: At either Houston or Baltimore next week.
