Bengals edge Steelers to keep playoff hopes alive as Ravens clinch AFC North
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Joe Burrow passed for 277 yards and a touchdown, Cade York kicked four field goals and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 19-17 win over the floundering Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. Burrow also threw an interception and his NFL record streak of consecutive games with at least 250 yards passing and three touchdowns came to an end. But he did enough to propel the Bengals (9-8) to their fifth straight win and keep them in the mix until the season’s final day.
![[Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson smiles following Saturday’s win over the Cleveland Browns.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/08595cfe833594c34bf981bfa16ed4a10b817980/0_0_5764_3843/master/5764.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Cincinnati will earn the seventh seed in the AFC if Denver lose to Kansas City and Miami either lose to or tie the New York Jets on Sunday. 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.
The Bengals’ late run began after a 44-38 loss to the Steelers on 1 December 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. 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 three and a half times to boost his season total to an NFL-leading 17 and a half on a night the Bengals never let the playoff-bound Steelers get on track.
