With the victory, the Patriots lost the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft. They currently own the No. 4 overall pick after finishing the season with a 4-13 record. Mayo was asked to give a response to Patriots fans who might have been upset by the team winning a game they would have greatly benefitted from losing.
As a result, it is officially the offseason in Cincinnati and a second straight season without a postseason appearance. The silver lining is the Bengals will pick near the middle of the draft as a result. The Bengals will pick one spot higher than they did in the last draft.
Brian Callahan and the Tennessee Titans secured the top pick with a 3-14 record. The New England Patriots held that spot prior to their regular-season finale, but a win over the Buffalo Bills dropped them to No. 4 at 4-13. The Cleveland Browns (3-14) finished with the No. 2 pick and the New York Giants (3-14) were slotted No. 3.
The Buffalo Bills will find out their opponent for the wild card round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday. Buffalo locked up the No. 2 seed in the AFC and there are three teams it could host at Highmark Stadium.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) is chased out of bounds by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai (58) during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) AP
The Bengals took care of their own business, winning five in a row to close out the season, but they were officially eliminated from playoff contention when the Broncos crushed the Chiefs.
Bills fans were holding their breaths after Buffalo's best wide receiver didn't get up after this stellar catch.
The Bills (13-4) and Broncos (10-7) will meet in the playoffs for the first time since the AFC title game in January 1992, a 10-7 Bills win.
For the Bengals to get into the playoffs, they need the Denver Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets to beat the Miami Dolphins. Both of the games will be played during the early afternoon 4:25 p.m. time slot. Cincinnati will know if their season will continue by 8 p.m. or so on Sunday night.
The Buffalo Bills have their first-round opponent. They will face off against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will not have a chance to make another run at a Super Bowl this year, missing the NFL Playoffs yet again. The 2024 season for the Bengals didn’t go exactly as planned,