Analysis: Breaking down the Bengals' road to the playoffs after home loss to Texans

The road to the playoffs just got that much harder for the Cincinnati Bengals after losing 30-27 to the Houston Texans at Paycor Stadium on Sunday.

If the playoffs started, the Bengals would be on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.Here is a look at the AFC standings:

1. Kansas City (7-2)

2. Baltimore (7-3)

3. Jacksonville (6-3)

4. Miami (6-3)

5. Pittsburgh (6-3)

6. Cleveland (6-3)

7. Houston (5-4)

Cincinnati is in eighth place with Buffalo (5-4) and Indianapolis (5-5) right behind them. Right now, the Bengals would be the only AFC North team to not make the playoffs. Even though it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, the difference between being 6-3 compared to 5-4 is drastic this year.

Even quarterback Joe Burrow admitted it following the game. The main difference this year is that Pittsburgh and Cleveland are both in the thick of the playoff race, making division wins that much more important. Cincinnati is 0-2 in the AFC North and 1-4 in the AFC.

“We would have liked to win this one, that’s for sure,” Burrow said after sitting at his locker in silence for more than five minutes after the locker room opened to the media.

There’s a reason why head coach Zac Taylor scoffed at questions about his team overlooking the Texans with a Thursday night showdown with the Ravens up next. He knew the importance of this particular game and emphasized it all week. Ultimately, the Bengals came up short. Sometimes that’s how it goes.

Here's a look at the Bengals' remaining schedule:

Week 11: @ Baltimore (7-3)

Week 12: Pittsburgh (6-3)

Week 13: @ Jacksonsville (6-3)

Week 14: Indianapolis (5-5)

Week 15: Minnesota (6-4)

Week 16: @ Pittsburgh (6-3)

Week 17: @ Kansas City (7-2)

Week 18: Cleveland (6-3)

The good news is that the season doesn’t end today and the Bengals have plenty of time to stack some wins. They’ve been in this situation before. But they can’t play like they did against the Texans and expect it will happen.

“We got to step it up … We got to be better,” Burrow said. “Today wasn’t good enough; it’s as simple as that.”

Several factors went into the loss to the Texans. The Bengals allowed far too many explosive plays on defense against the Texans. Rookie phenom quarterback C.J. Stroud's scrambling caused issues all game with his ability to escape the pocket and extend plays.

Stroud finished the day completing 23 of 39 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown. And when Stroud got out of the pocket, the Bengals struggled in coverage with wide receiver Noah Brown stealing the show, catching seven passes for 172 yards.

The Bengals also allowed 150 yards on the ground to running back Devin Singletary by not tackling well enough. All together it was a tough day at the office for the entire defense.

On offense, the Bengals stalled out after scoring a touchdown on the opening drive. Cincinnati’s offense stalled and had five straight punts following the first touchdown of the game. After a two-game stretch in which Cincinnati’s offense looked like one of the best units in the NFL, it reverted to the inconsistent group we saw through the first six games of the season.

One of the most shocking parts of the Bengals’ performance on offense was the way Houston’s defensive line disrupted Burrow. The Texans hit Burrow nine times and sacked him on four occasions.

“Not our best game up front by any stretch of the imagination,” center Ted Karras said following the game.  “Overall, too much pressure on Joe. When he’s uncomfortable, that affects the whole offense. This organization runs through No. 9 and we did not have his back good enough today.”

The Bengals were unable to get into a rhythm on offense after the first drive. For the most part it came down to a lack of productivity on first and second down. Houston outgained the Bengals 28-20 in total first downs. Without Tee Higgins and Chase nursing a back injury, the Bengals were going to have to rely on others to step up and carry the offense.

Cincinnati also didn’t get enough from its run game. The Bengals finished with 66 yards on the ground compared to Houston’s 188.

Even without playing their best game, the Bengals still had a chance to win the game in the final two minutes thanks to an interception by cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt with 3:41 to play in the game. Burrow found a wide-open Tyler Boyd in the end zone and the eight-year veteran dropped the pass after it hit his hands.

That play would have won the game for the Bengals but instead, Cincinnati had to kick a field goal and ultimately let the Texans get in field goal range to win the game with five seconds to go.

The loss on Sunday will be a tough one to swallow, specifically because Pittsburgh and Cleveland both won. Now, Thursday’s game against the Ravens becomes that much more important to win and the whole team knows it.

“Every game counts, especially now in November,” cornerback Mike Hilton said. “We’ve got to find ways to close thing out when we’ve got the opportunity.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Breaking down Bengals' path to playoffs after loss to Texans