Bengals' Rooting Guide for 2021 NFL Draft Implications of Week 13

At 2-8-1, the Cincinnati Bengals are simply riding out the rest of the 2020 NFL season. They're not making the playoffs, and with rookie sensation Joe Burrow out for the year, there's little for the Bengals to play for other than draft positioning.

While it's counterintuitive for fans to root against their favorite team, Cincinnati fans should hope to see the Bengals lose the remainder of their games. Why? Because right now, the Bengals are in line for the third overall pick in the draft, which could be extremely valuable for a variety of reasons.

For one, Cincinnati could use the selection on a player who can help Burrow, such as Oregon tackle Penei Sewell or LSU wideout Ja'Marr Chase. Secondly—and this is the big one—if the Bengals can move into one of the top two draft slots, they could potentially flip the pick for a treasure trove of assets.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State signal-caller Justin Fields have a good chance of being the first two players off the board next spring. As we've seen in the past, an elite quarterback prospect can bring a substantial return in a predraft or draft-day trade.

When the Philadelphia Eagles traded to second overall to grab Carson Wentz back in 2016, they surrendered the eighth, 77th and 100th picks in that draft, a first-rounder in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018. That's five top-100 selections. In Cincinnati's case, such a haul could yield five new starters around Burrow.

Losing out is the first piece of the equation for the Bengals, but fans should be hoping to see other teams pick up wins along the way. Here's a look at who to root for in Week 13, but first, let's examine the current order at the top of Round 1.

Projected Top 10 (via Tankathon)

1. New York Jets (0-11)

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10)

3. Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1)

4. Dallas Cowboys (3-8)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (3-8)

6. Philadelphia Eagles 3-7-1

7. Carolina Panthers (4-8)

8. Washington Football Team (4-7)

9. Detroit Lions (4-7)

10. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)

Only two teams currently have a worse record than the Bengals, and catching either of them could be tricky. While Cincinnati has just one more win than the Jacksonville Jaguars, they own a tie that would keep them in the No. 3 slot even if Jacksonville picks up a victory. The winless New York Jets would have to win three of their last five games to fall below Cincinnati, which seems unlikely but not entirely impossible.

      

Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, CBS)

This incarnation of the Jets is bad. It's really bad, and it hasn't shown any real signs of improvement this season. Third-year quarterback Sam Darnold returned to the starting lineup in Week 12, but he is largely hamstrung by bad coaching and questionable play-calling.

"I came here to help him, help him develop his career, and we haven't been able to do that," head coach Adam Gase said, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Still, there's reason enough to believe that the Jets can upset the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Las Vegas just got blown out by the Atlanta Falcons, will be traveling east to play an early game and may be without starting running back Josh Jacobs.

At 6-5, Las Vegas is a potential playoff team, but it is far from unbeatable. There's a chance that the Jets can pull off the upset before entering a brutal three-game stretch against the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns. Bengals fans should hope for a win here and a shocker within the next couple of weeks.

New York finishes its season against the New England Patriots. The last time the two AFC East rivals met, New England escaped with a three-point victory.

   

Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Getting an upset from the Jaguars is feasible, especially given the up-and-down nature of the Minnesota Vikings this season. However, the 5-6 Vikings are still pushing for a playoff spot and should approach this game as a must-win.

Since the Vikings have weapons like Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson at their disposal, this is a game they should win.

It's a tricky matchup for Jacksonville, who is expected to start Mike Glennon at quarterback once again. The Jaguars' biggest offensive asset is rookie running back James Robinson. Minnesota ranks 19th against the run and 25th against the pass.

Still, if Glennon can get going—he had 235 yards and two touchdowns in Week 12—the Jags can take advantage of Minnesota's sagging pass defense. That could open up running room for Robinson and help give Jacksonville a legitimate chance.

If the Jaguars win here, they'll be tied with Cincinnati in terms of wins. The Bengals will need just one more Jacksonville upset to leap into the No. 2 spot.

While losing the rest of their games would ensure that the Bengals get the No. 3 pick, one win could drop them out of the top five entirely. Cincinnati has a half-game lead in draft positioning over the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers and a full-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fans should hope that all three teams lose in Week 13 to help provide a cushion for the final month.

      

New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)

While it's hard to see either the Jets or Jaguars winning in Week 13, this one is entirely plausible. The New England Patriots are far from the powerhouse they once were, and the Chargers have a budding star in rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.

L.A. also has the benefit of bringing New England to the West Coast.

The key to this game will be the play of Herbert against Bill Belichick's defense. He'll be helped tremendously by running back Austin Ekeler, who made his return in Week 12 and racked up 129 scrimmage yards and 11 receptions. He could show out against a Patriots defense ranked just 21st against the run.

Bengals fans should be cheering on both Ekeler and Herbert in this one.

   

Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers (Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)

In the late afternoon, Cincinnati fans should be following both the Chargers and the Eagles. However, rooting on Philadelphia may prove to be a fruitless endeavor. They're facing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau and have looked like one of the worst teams in football over the last month.

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has been playing so poorly that Philadelphia may secretly hope that it gets a crack at a prospect like Justin Fields in the draft.

Yet, any game is winnable, and the Packers haven't exactly been an ironclad 8-3 squad. They had a close call against the Jaguars a few weeks ago and have lost to the Vikings.

It's highly unlikely that Green Bay will take the Eagles lightly after underestimating and narrowly escaping Jacksonville, but Bengals fans can hope.

   

Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens (Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. ET, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon)

Tuesday night's game could prove doubly sweet for Bengals fans. They could potentially see the Cowboys surrender valuable draft positioning while also watching the rival Baltimore Ravens lose.

The chances of a Dallas win here are very real. There's no telling which Baltimore players will be available following last week's COVID-19 outbreak, and the Ravens will be playing on a short week—while Dallas will have 12 days of preparation.

And while Dallas has been mostly awful this season since losing quarterback Dak Prescott, it did nearly upset the Pittsburgh Steelers back in Week 9. The Cowboys will also have Andy Dalton under center, and he has plenty of experience playing the Ravens from his time in Cincinnati.

While Bengals fans have moved on from Dalton, they should be cheering him on again this Tuesday.