The Cincinnati Bengals can clinch the AFC North with a win Sunday against the conference-leading Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs have won eight straight games, clinched their sixth straight AFC West title, gone to the conference championship each of the past three years and back-to-back Super Bowls.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow knows Sunday's bout will be the biggest challenge thus far for his club.
"This is a big opportunity, whether it's the Chiefs or whoever they throw out there against us," Burrow said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "We've got an opportunity to go out there and win and win our division and make the playoffs. We're playing a really good team that's been in the Super Bowl the last two years, so it's a big opportunity in that sense."
Cincy hasn't won the AFC North or made the postseason since 2015. They've finished with a losing record and placed no higher than third in the division in each of the past five seasons.
A division-clinching victory would make the Bengals the seventh team in NFL history to win their division after finishing in last place for at least three consecutive years.
While the Chiefs offense hasn't been consistent this season, Patrick Mahomes and Co. have started to find their groove, with K.C. averaging 39.3 points per game over the past three weeks.
The Bengals' explosive offense -- averaging 27.3 PPG (seventh in NFL) and 365.9 total YPG this season (12th) -- is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. We could be in for a shootout Sunday.
Burrow knows to be considered among the best, he'll have to stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Mahomes.
"They've been one of the best offenses in the league since he has been the starting quarterback," Burrow said of Mahomes. "We're going in expecting to have to score a lot of points, and we'll adapt accordingly."
