The Cincinnati Bengals tied a franchise record with their 12th win, closing out the regular season with a 24-16 victory over the 5-11 Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals will enter the postseason as the AFC's No. 3 seed. Here's what you need to know:
- The left wrist sprain sustained by AJ McCarron in Week 16 didn't hinder the Cincy quarterback. McCarron was a caretaker on Sunday, avoiding back-breaking mistakes. The flip side of that, though, is that the Bengals didn't convert a single third down all day. McCarron will have to find receivers after the play breaks down if he's going to trade blows with Ben Roethlisberger and the dynamic Steelers offense next week.
- Tyler Eifert, A.J. Green and Jeremy Hill each scored versus Baltimore, leaving Cincinnati as the only NFL team with three skill-position players to score at least 10 touchdowns. The trio has accounted for 68 percent of Cincinnati's 50 touchdowns this season. Eifert's return is huge after missing three of the past four games with injuries. He has been one of the league's most reliable red-zone threats in a breakout campaign.
- That trio is complemented by a defensive threesome of Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap and Vontaze Burfict. Houston's J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus (28) are the only tandem with more sacks than the 24.5 generated by Atkins and Dunlap. Burfict turned in his best game of the season, racking up 12 tackles, an interception, two passes defensed and two quarterback hits. He hasn't lost a step after undergoing microfracture knee surgery in the offseason.
- The Bengals have to be kicking themselves for blowing the opportunity at the AFC's top seed following the Patriots' surprising loss in the regular-season finale. Had Marvin Lewis' squad not blown a 14-0 lead to the Broncos last week, they would have a bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
- Cincinnati will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs.
