Exclusive: Ryan Fitzpatrick's bold Bengals playoff prediction before Ravens showdown
The Cincinnati Bengals may be 4-5, but their former quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick , believes they'll make it to the playoffs. It's been an up-and-down season for the Bengals, who started out 0-3. Of their four victories, none of them have come against teams with winning records.
However, the Bengals are still in a good position to clinch a postseason berth , being just one game behind the Denver Broncos for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. With a big game against their division rivals, the 6-3 Baltimore Ravens, on Thursday Night Football, Fitzpatrick "is not betting against" his former team.
"It's been the same story year after year with them with a really slow start and then they start to get it going," Fitzpatrick said in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his new show, Fitz & Whit, a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original. "Joe Burrow convinces me every year. Watching him in that last game, no smiles, he's on the bench and he throws five touchdowns. Zac Taylor comes by and daps him up and he's almost perturbed by the fact that people on the sideline would be smiling. Because yes, we did win the game, but we've got bigger goals than that.
"I think his focus and determination, those are things that set him apart, that make him really special," Fitzpatrick continued. "I'm not going to bet against them, I think the Bengals will make the playoffs."
Fitzpatrick isn't the only former notable Bengals player that is predicting his former team will make it to the playoffs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – who was named to the Pro Bowl and co-led the NFL in receptions during the 2007 season – also believes Cincinnati will make it to the playoffs despite a slow start.
Bengals preparing for Ravens battle
The Bengals lost their previous game against the Ravens , 41-38, in overtime after blowing a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter in Week 5. Although the game will take place in Baltimore, where the Ravens are 3-1 this season, Fitzpatrick expects the game to be a "shootout" like the previous contest.
"I expect to see a lot of points, because on the other end of that, Baltimore's defense has really struggled against the pass," says Fitzpatrick. "And that's something that Cincinnati does well. I think this is going to be a shootout, the first one was a shootout. There's going to be points all over the board.
"Sometimes you'll see that as well in those Thursday night games, as the game plan shrinks and things get a little more simple, you have less time to prepare," Fitzpatrick continues. "It's just about going out there and making plays, so we're expecting fireworks on Thursday night."
Fitzpatrick — a Thursday Night Football analyst – isn't exaggerating as three of the past five games on Thursday night have seen the teams combine for at least 60 points. The former Bengals quarterback, he played for the team in 2007 and 2008 and started during his final season there, expects it to be the "game of the week."
"We've been blessed so far and for the rest of this year with such a great schedule and this Thursday night is no different." Fitzpatrick said. "We probably get the game of the week with Cincinnati going against Baltimore and us being able to go to Baltimore in that atmosphere and to be live in that. It's going to be incredible for us."
