The Cincinnati Bengals didn't look ready for prime time, much less the playoffs, on Thursday night. And it really didn't matter during a 34-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Folks who just wake up to see the final score won't realize how misleading that is.
Trailing 13-10 late in the third quarter, the Bengals scored 24 points in a dizzying stretch that lasted just three and a half minutes yet included three lost fumbles by the Eagles. Philadelphia allowed one Cincinnati drive to continue after an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for making "disconcerting signals" before a field-goal attempt.
Andy Dalton missed a ton of throws and did not handle pressure well, completing less than half of his passes for just 127 yards. The offensive line gave up six sacks and six more quarterback hits. The Bengals also had a number of drops.
The defense certainly played well overall, forcing five turnovers, but this was a fortunate game against a struggling opponent. At one point, the Eagles punted the ball into the back of their own player.
The Bengals, now 8-6, have 10 days to prepare for a massive game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That matchup should wind up deciding the AFC's No. 6 playoff seed.
The Bengals need to play better than they did Thursday night or they won't win against the Steelers or when they line up against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.