At 4-5, Bengals believe they are still a playoff team as stretch run starts against the Ravens

CINCINNATI (AP) — With a healthy Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals were expected to be contenders in the AFC North.

Instead, they've been disappointing, clawing and scratching just to get to 4-5 at the halfway point. Their four victories have all come against sub-.500 teams that have a current combined record of 8-28.

Cincinnati has played two divisional games, losing to the Ravens by three points and beating the Cleveland Browns by a touchdown. The Bengals still have to play the Ravens (6-3) on Thursday, the Browns (2-7) again the week before Christmas and the division-leading Steelers (6-2) twice.

In other words, winning the AFC North or even backing into the playoffs as a wild card is going to be a lot tougher than outplaying some of the league's weaker teams. Of Cincinnati's remaining eight games, five are against teams with winning records.

Burrow firmly believes the Bengals can still win enough games to get into the playoffs. He figures it will take 10 wins to do that, so Cincinnati has to win six of the last eight.

“I’m going to be hard on myself,” he said. “I’m going to be hard on us to execute the way that I feel like we need to.”

Cincinnati ended the first half of the season on a high note. The offense and defense were both dominant in Sunday's 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Burrow tied a career high with five touchdown passes, defensive end Trey Hendrickson had four sacks, tight end Mike Gesicki caught two touchdown passes and Cincinnati finally got its running game out of the mud, with Chase Brown rushing for a career-high 120 yards. ... Star WR Ja'Marr Chase has been as reliable as ever. He leads the NFL with seven touchdown catches, is second with 717 receiving yards and is tied for third with 55 catches.

The Raiders are among the worst in the league at stopping the run, and it remains to be seen whether the Bengals can sustain Sunday's effort against better teams, especially with starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. out with an injury. Cincinnati came into the Raiders game averaging just under 90 yards per game on the ground. Only four NFL teams were worse. Chase Brown got to be the No. 1 guy Sunday with his backfield partner Zack Moss out with a neck injury.

With Hendrickson's four sacks, he became the NFL leader with 11, two more than Dexter Lawrence of the Giants. Hendrickson also was credited with seven QB hurries against Las Vegas.

“You know, if they gave out midseason awards, that would be something you could get excited about. But they don’t, so it’s on to the next challenge, and that’s the Ravens,” Hendrickson said.

Gesicki caught his first touchdown pass as a Bengal and the first since last Christmas Eve, when he played for the Patriots. He has become an important target for Burrow with receiver Tee Higgins sidelined. Gesicki has 30 catches for 353 yards and caught Burrow's last two TD passes Sunday.

“He makes contested catches, and he continues to show why I have so much trust in him,” Burrow said. “He continues to make plays for us. So, his role is going to continue to increase.”

Rookie WR Jermaine Burton somehow got himself on coach Zac Taylor's naughty list. Expected to be part of the game plan Sunday in place of Higgins, Burton instead was a healthy scratch. Taylor didn't provide details, but said benching him was “absolutely the right decision.”

Higgins missed his second game with a quad injury after missing two earlier in the year with a hamstring issue. ... Orlando Brown has a right knee injury. ... TE Erick All Jr. suffered a knee injury Sunday, and DT B.J. Hill left with a hip injury. None of them practiced Monday.

20 — TD passes for Burrow, tied for second best in the NFL with the Ravens' Lamar Jackson. They are one behind the Bucs' Baker Mayfield.

Thursday's divisional matchup with the host Ravens (6-3) is as close to a must-win as the Bengals have had. They've already lost to the Ravens once, a 41-38 shootout in overtime on Oct. 6. A win over Baltimore would be a supreme confidence builder, especially since the Bengals finished 1-5 against divisional opponents last season.

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Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki, left, runs against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0) during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) celebrates with defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow laughs during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bobby McMann scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal late in the third period, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Thursday night.

Joseph Woll stopped 32 shots as the Maple Leafs topped the Islanders for the second time this week and won for the third time in four games.

Scott Mayfield scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves in the Islanders' third straight loss.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech was called for a tripping penalty which set up the power play that McMann and Toronto capitalized on to get the winning goal with 2:59 remaining.

The Islanders poured on the pressure in the final minutes but Woll preserved the Maple Leafs' win.

McMann opened the scoring at 10:43 of the second, and Mayfield tied it with 1:45 remaining in the period.

Islanders: Twenty-year-old Islanders defenseman Isaiah George left the game in the second period when he caught an elbow from Max Domi and did not return.

Maple Leafs: Toronto assistant coach Lane Lambert returned to UBS arena for the first time since being fired by the Islanders on Jan. 20, 2024. Lambert originally came to New York with Barry Trotz in 2018 and then took over behind the bench when Trotz was fired in 2022.

Mitch Marner gave his right-handed stick to left-handed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson after his stick broke, but the Maple Leafs' defenseman was unable to clear the puck out of the defensive zone on his off hand. That turnover led to the Islanders scoring the tying goal late in the second period.

The Islanders allowed the opening goal for the 12th time in 14 games and are 5-8-1 in that span.

Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Domi (11) fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Bo Horvat (14) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Pierre Engvall (18) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) celebrates with teammates after an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty (67) and Mitch Marner (16) celebrate with teammates after a goal by Bobby McMann during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) protects the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)