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muskiesfan
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As most know, I am a Bengals fan. Being a Bengals fan, I follow the AFC North because you have to keep an eye on your division foes. So while digging through numbers and looking at remaining schedules, it hit me that the AFC North could have 3 teams finish the year with 9 or more wins. This is a division where the teams beat each other up and I think it would be pretty impressive to see how this happen. So I went through the remaining schedules and made lists to see how each team could get there.
Cincinnati
Should win: Houston, @ Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City
Could lose: @ Pittsburgh, @ Minnesota, @ San Diego, @ New York Jets
Toss Ups: Baltimore, Chicago
Pittsburgh
Should win: Cleveland, Cincinnati, @ Kansas City, Oakland, @ Cleveland, @ Miami
Could lose: Minnesota, @ Denver
Toss Ups: Baltimore, @ Baltimore, Green Bay
Baltimore
Should win: @ Cleveland, Detroit, @ Oakland
Could lose: @ Minnesota, Denver, Indianapolis
Toss Ups: @ Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, @ Green Bay, Chicago, @ Pittsburgh
Baltimore has toughest remaining schedule.
Each team could lose a should win and each team could win a could lose. So to make it simple all should wins count as wins, all could lose count as losses.
That makes:
Cincinnati: 9-5 (2 toss ups)
Pittsburgh: 9-4 (3 toss ups)
Baltimore: 6-5 (5 toss ups)
For the toss ups, I went with Pittsburgh and Baltimore splitting. I think Pittsburgh gets the edge on Green Bay since they are playing at home. Baltimore is playing at Lambeau, so I gave the edge to Green Bay. For Cincinnati, both toss ups are home games, so I just split them. Now we look like this:
Pittsburgh: 11-5
Cincinnati: 10-6
Baltimore: 7-7
So that still leaves 2 toss up games for Baltimore. I gave them the edge on Chicago because they are home and gave them the edge on Cincinnati on the road. Which finishes like this:
Pittsburgh: 11-5
Cincinnati: 10-6
Baltimore: 9-7
You never know what’s going to happen though. Key injuries or a couple of bad breaks could seriously change the way things go. I think Baltimore could still win 10 games, but they do have the hardest remaining schedule of these three teams. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
I am sure Pittsburgh and Baltimore fans will be pissed and say that I am giving the Bengals too much credit, but looking at the teams I gave them credit for beating, I don’t think it’s that big of a stretch.
Cincinnati
Should win: Houston, @ Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City
Could lose: @ Pittsburgh, @ Minnesota, @ San Diego, @ New York Jets
Toss Ups: Baltimore, Chicago
Pittsburgh
Should win: Cleveland, Cincinnati, @ Kansas City, Oakland, @ Cleveland, @ Miami
Could lose: Minnesota, @ Denver
Toss Ups: Baltimore, @ Baltimore, Green Bay
Baltimore
Should win: @ Cleveland, Detroit, @ Oakland
Could lose: @ Minnesota, Denver, Indianapolis
Toss Ups: @ Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, @ Green Bay, Chicago, @ Pittsburgh
Baltimore has toughest remaining schedule.
Each team could lose a should win and each team could win a could lose. So to make it simple all should wins count as wins, all could lose count as losses.
That makes:
Cincinnati: 9-5 (2 toss ups)
Pittsburgh: 9-4 (3 toss ups)
Baltimore: 6-5 (5 toss ups)
For the toss ups, I went with Pittsburgh and Baltimore splitting. I think Pittsburgh gets the edge on Green Bay since they are playing at home. Baltimore is playing at Lambeau, so I gave the edge to Green Bay. For Cincinnati, both toss ups are home games, so I just split them. Now we look like this:
Pittsburgh: 11-5
Cincinnati: 10-6
Baltimore: 7-7
So that still leaves 2 toss up games for Baltimore. I gave them the edge on Chicago because they are home and gave them the edge on Cincinnati on the road. Which finishes like this:
Pittsburgh: 11-5
Cincinnati: 10-6
Baltimore: 9-7
You never know what’s going to happen though. Key injuries or a couple of bad breaks could seriously change the way things go. I think Baltimore could still win 10 games, but they do have the hardest remaining schedule of these three teams. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
I am sure Pittsburgh and Baltimore fans will be pissed and say that I am giving the Bengals too much credit, but looking at the teams I gave them credit for beating, I don’t think it’s that big of a stretch.
