It wasn’t just about a dominant win for the Cincinnati Bengals this Thanksgiving. The team also did something they hadn’t done all season. After the game, head coach Zac Taylor went on to address this monumental feat.

 “Really happy…that was the first all-around game we’ve played all season,” Taylor revealed to the press. “Wasn’t perfect by any means, but road divisional wins on Thursday nights never come easy.”

After 4 losses, the Bengals stepped it up a notch as Taylor acknowledged this revelation of an all-around performance. The Week 13 victory also clipped the Ravens’ five-game streak with a sharp 32 to 14 final score. The fumble-prone Ravens kept giving chances, and the Bengals kept taking them.

On the offense, Joe Burrow returned from a long absence after his Week 2 turf toe injury. Though the climb might not save the playoff hunt, he looked alive again. Burrow went 24 of 46 for 261 yards in the game. In his post-game comments, he also acknowledged the play on offense as well as defense.

“I thought the O-line did great,” Burrow said while addressing his return to action. “We ran it well. Obviously, the defense played great. I’m just going to keep getting better.”

In an all-around effort, the Bengals defense also capitalized on Baltimore, who coughed up three fumbles before halftime and five turnovers overall. All of them came on passing plays. Lamar Jackson fumbled two, Isaiah Likely fumbled a would-be touchdown, and Zay Flowers put one on the turf.

Acting on his damning revelation, Zac Taylor carried that energy into the locker room. He reminded his players that this was a new beginning.

“It’s never too late to get going,” the coach said.

Taylor’s recent comments send a clear request to the locker room to stay locked in and refuse to give up just yet. However, the bigger question now hangs over Cincinnati. With the season slipping away, is the playoff picture even remotely possible for them, or are they already out of time?

Can Zac Taylor’s Bengals still reach the playoffs?

While a loss would have almost certainly put an end to their playoff chances, a win keeps the Bengals’ playoff hopes barely afloat. Joe Burrow came back from injury and changed everything. He threw two touchdowns and looked sharp from the start. But it could be a little too late.

Another loss would have pushed the team to 3-9 and almost out of the playoff picture. Instead, they sit at 4-8 and stay within reach, but at about 5.5% according to Pro Football Network’s playoff predictor.

Cincinnati must win out all its remaining games at least to keep the AFC North dream alive. And that path includes a tough visit to the Bills and a massive rematch with the Ravens up next.

For now, the all-around Bengals must stack wins. They would also need the Steelers and Ravens to slip. If those pieces fall into place, then a playoff spot remains possible. Even chasing a wild card remains far more difficult than the win-the-division route.