Fansided

Cincinnati Bengals win AFC North title for first time since 2009

By Josh Hill

Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) is met by his teammates after running in a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) is met by his teammates after running in a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) is met by his teammates after running in a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) is met by his teammates after running in a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cincinnati Bengals needed two things to happen in order to win the AFC North this week and they only had direct control over one. The Bengals needed the beat the Minnesota Vikings, a task that proved to be easier than anyone thought, but the also needed the New England Patriots to beat the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore was still fighting for a playoff spot, and were still in the running to win the division when they ran into a Patriots team still seething after their loss to the Dolphins last week. Needless to say, the Ravens stood no chance against the Patriots who beat up on them 41-7, something that helped secure a division title for the Bengals.

Cincinnati took home their tenth win of the season when they topped the Vikings on Sunday making it the second straight season where that has happened. In all three years that Andy Dalton has been quarterback, the Bengals have made the postseason and they continue to improve each year, as they can finish 11-5 this season after a 10-6 season last year and a 9-7 finish in Dalton’s rookie season.

The bottom line is the Bengals keep getting better each year despite being written off most of the time, but their playoff ticket it punched and the AFC North belongs to Cincinnati.

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