CINCINNATI— The Bengals have a must-win game against the Raiders on Sunday. They will have to win without some key pieces.

Here are three thoughts on the state of the team, Sunday’s game and the five-day stretch that will define their season:

Five days to make or break the 2024 Bengals

The Bengals have underperformed so far this season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t turn things around.

Their backs are against the wall. They can change that by winning two games in five days. They play the Raiders on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET. They then head to Baltimore on Wednesday for a Thursday night showdown against the Ravens.

They can go from 3-5 to 5-5 in the span of 106 hours, picking up two AFC wins and a win over one of the best teams in football (Ravens).

It’s a BIG task. There’s no doubt about it. But that has to be their mentality. A five-day window to save the season.

Two games in a span of 106 hours will determine the Bengals of 2024. Sometimes it’s complicated, but it’s really that simple.

Lose either game and their playoff hopes are all but over. Win them both and they’ll get right back into the playoff mix ahead of the mini-bye and a Week 11 showdown with the Chargers.

Injury situation

Tee Higgins (quad) and Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula) are officially questionable and neither will play this week. That’s not shocking.

Higgins was out last week and Brown did not complete the game against the Eagles after being injured in a Week 7 win over Cleveland.

Zack Moss’ neck injury is a surprise. How serious is it? Will he miss a lot of time? Who will block their pass back?

Look for Trayveon Williams to step into that role on Sunday against the Raiders. It’s a tall order, especially now that Brown Jr. is out and Maxx Crosby hopes to destroy the Bengals’ season.

It’s reasonable to expect rookie running back Kendall Milton to be taken off the practice squad.

Trade term

Dianna Russini reports that the Bengals are hoping to strengthen their pass rush before the trade deadline.

Most people will dismiss the idea because Cincinnati doesn’t make any trades during the season, but the Bengals’ front office knows they are a flawed football team. They know they have to add talent if they want to make a real run.

Any time you have Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, you have a chance. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t aggressively pursue Giants passer Azeez Ojulari. The 24-year-old has six sacks this season and will be a free agent in March.

If Moss’ injury is serious, the Bengals should absolutely look to add a running back before the deadline. Moss is an important part of the offense. They need a reliable pass blocking back who can also be a threat when he has the ball in his hands, both as a runner and in the passing game.

Their plan should be simple. Beat the Raiders and then complete a trade for a pass rusher, running back or another potential target on Sunday night. That should be the mentality of the Bengals. That way, the player(s) they trade for can enter the building on Monday, pass on their physical and dive into the playbook for another must-win against the Ravens on Thursday Night Football.

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