COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) –The postseason comes early for the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Browns go toe-to-toe with a defensive juggernaut . Here are the keys to Week 13 games.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)

Sunday, Dec. 1 at Paycor Stadium, 1 p.m.

Last chance: The Bengals have yet to beat a team with a winning record. No matter how impressive QB Joe Burrow, dishing out MVP quality numbers, or NFL leading receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been, the losses keep mounting. While Cincinnati has been excruciatingly close to banking a big win (Chiefs, Commanders, Ravens twice, Chargers), each game has slipped through the defense’s fingers, despite the team scoring 31.4 points per game in those losses.

And therein lies the issue. The Bengals defense ranks in the bottom ten of the league in total yards allowed per game, as well as first downs allowed, third-down conversion rate, fourth-down conversion rate, and takeaways. Over the last three weeks it has gotten worse. The Bengals D has allowed 31 points per game, second worst in the league.

What’s a Burrow to do, get better? Believe it or not, it’s possible thanks in part to the return of Tee Higgins in Week 11. On weeks Higgins suits up, the Bengals are 3-3. He returned in Week 10 in impressive fashion with nine receptions, 148 yards and a touchdown. Given a full season, his numbers extrapolate towards having the third most receiving yards in the league, behind Chase and Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. After two soft-tissue injuries kept him off the field for five games, a healthy Higgins goes a long way towards giving the Bengals a shot.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, right, celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

The Pittsburgh Steelers may also lend a helping hand in Cincinnati’s endeavor. Among the league’s worst red-zone teams, ranked 30th at 44.7 percent, the Steelers are trending downward, sitting at 40 percent over their last three games. Not cracking 20 points against a porous Ravens secondary and the downtrodden Browns over the last two weeks also should give the Bengals confidence heading into a must-win situation.

Stat to watch: Evan McPherson’s struggles continue after missing a pair of field goals against the Chargers. He is 3-7 from beyond 50 yards and hasn’t converted from long-range since Sept. 29, missing his last four attempts.

Line: Bengals 2 ½. O/U: 47 ½.

Prediction: Backs against the wall, the team is all-but mathematically eliminated with another loss. Bengals, 24-23.

Cleveland Browns (3-8) at Denver Broncos (7-5)

Monday, Dec. 2 at Empower Field at Mile High, 8:15 p.m.

The Snow: In a long list of traumatic, bitter, and just plain sad moments in Cleveland sports – The Drive, Fumble, Decision, Shot, Shot II, Walk Off… etc. – the Browns prevailed in a season-saving moment for both the team and QB Jameis Winston, who won his first game playing in a game with temperatures under 40 degrees, in a second-half blizzard to boot. While the Browns are a far cry from a playoff team, beating the Steelers, three weeks after toppling the Ravens, gives Cleveland hope that the team may not be as far away from the 2023 post-season squad as originally thought.

Winston and WR Jerry Jeudy have formed a solid connection over the last four weeks, averaging six completions for nearly 95 yards per game in that span. Jeudy’s yardage output over the past four games is over half his season total over 11 games. Likewise, TE David Njoku has 75 percent of his total receptions (40) over the past five games, catching 30 balls for 256 yards. The duo has certainly made up for the loss of Amari Cooper, but they run into a pair of players that help make the Broncos one of the best pass defenses in the league.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. The Browns won 24-19. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Corner Patrick Surtain II has allowed less than 25 yards in seven of 10 games played this season, according to Pro Football Focus, making it perhaps Jeudy’s biggest challenge this season. And LB Nik Bonitto is one of four players in the league with at least 10 sacks this season (tied with Myles Garrett). His knack for sacks may keep Njoku in tight to help chip or double team the edge rusher, limiting his targets against the Broncos, who allow the second fewest points per game (16.8) in the NFL.

Line: Broncos 5 ½. O/U: 41 ½.

Prediction: No frills or thrills in this game, which will simply be titled, A Loss. Broncos win ugly, 19-16.