Week 17

Well, for a Bungals fan, these are fun times. Usually, the last week of the season is a merciful end to a miserable year. When it's over, you can at least begin looking forward to the draft in April. But this year, the Bengals are on a roll and wrapped up the AFC North last week.

Tonight, do they try to beat the Jets and secure the third spot in the AFC or just try to get out of there healthy? I say try and win and go into the playoffs with some momentum.

Now that the Pats lost to the Texans, the third seed is there for them.

If I were insane, I'd be concocting this scenario - the Bengals draw the third seed. That means they draw the lowest seed of the two wild cards. So Cincy gets a rematch at home against the hated Steelers. They get revenge for '05's loss and beat the Steelers. With any luck, the Pats can get past Baltimore.

This allows the Bengals to travel to San Diego while NE travels to Indy. The Bengals had the Chargers on the ropes but lost on a last second field goal. We all know that NE should have beaten Indy if not for their ridiculous fourth down call.

Again, with any luck the Bengals get revenge against the Chargers and NE gets revenge against Indy.

That means that the home field advantage for the AFC Championship runs through Cincy. There we beat the Pats and head to the Super Bowl.

Again, if I were insane.

Being a complete pessimist when it comes to the Bengals - here is how it will go.

The Bengals will sit a majority of their starters and lose to the Jets. Then they will draw Baltimore, who, despite losing to Cincy twice in the regular season, will play very well while the Bengals offense sputters all day and the Bengals lose 17-24.

Let's hope I'm insane. But I've been through enough miserable times to know better.

Still, going from 4-11-1 to 10-6 is progress. And there's always the draft to look forward too (I already have their first three rounds decided upon - Carlos Dunlap (DE from Florida) in the first round. Golden Tate (WR from Notre Dame) in the second round. They should have two third round selections with a compensatory pick coming from losing TJ and Stacy Adams in free agency. In the third round they'll take Danario Alexander (WR from Missouri) with their first pick and then they'll take a flyer on the Rhodes Scholar and stellar Myron Rolle (SS from Florida State) with their compensatory pick at the end of the round).

Can't wait for April.