Joe Burrow update gives Bengals increased playoff chances more life

Despite the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals weren't playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 16, the team's slim hopes of making the NFL Playoffs became substantially less so. The Los Angeles Chargers beating the Denver Broncos was the absolute result that the Bengals needed given that the Bolts hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cincinnati, thus meaning they would have Joe Burrow and Co. blocked out in the postseason.

With LA capturing the in-division victory in primetime, though, the math is now working in the Bengals' favor. However, the most crucial thing that Cincinnati needs over the final three weeks of the regular season is to take care of the one thing in their control: their own games. The Bengals have to win out to keep their postseason dream alive.

The good news is that head coach Zac Taylor provided an update on their star quarterback, Burrow, and one of his top pass-catchers, Tee Higgins, on Friday that should make winning at least their next game, a Week 16 showdown with the in-state and division rival Cleveland Browns, a bit easier.

Despite the fact that Burrow has been limited in practice this week with listed wrist and knee injuries and while Higgins was held out of Thursday's practice with a knee issue and to get rest, Taylor confirmed that the pair of offensive stars will play on Sunday against the Browns.

Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins to play in Week 16, further improving Bengals playoff hopes

Obviously, the Bengals would stand little chance — even agains the Browns — without Burrow under center. Higgins, however, might be just a notch below in terms of importance. Cincinnati is 1-4 in the five games they've played this season without the pending free agent wide receiver on the field. His ability combined with the attention he takes away from Ja'Marr Chase can't be understated.

But with the duo set to go and help lead the charge for the offense against Cleveland, it's all in front of the Bengals. Cincinnati hosts the Browns before a crucial showdown with the aforementioned Broncos, also in the Queen City, and then finishing on the road against the rival Steelers. That's not an impossible stretch.

As for the Bengals' playoff chances, with Denver's loss to the Chargers this week, the path is actually quite simple for Cincinnati to make the playoffs. They need to win out, as mentioned, and then need the Broncos to lose their final two games of the regular season. That actually seems doable, especially since the Bengals could kill two birds with one stone in that path by beating Denver at home in Week 17. The Broncos then finish the season against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that could still be fighting for the No. 1 seed in the AFC in Week 18.

So it's not a formality for Cincinnati but the path to postseason football has now become far more realistic. That's enthusiastically more so the case now that we know they won't have to go forward in Week 16 without Burrow and Higgins.