Bengals believe they're among top-tier teams

Cincinnati wants -- and may get -- another shot at the Colts.
CINCINNATI (AP) -- A cheer went up from the crowd of 64,995 during the first quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals' game on Sunday, and it had nothing to do with Chad Johnson's sideline proposal.
The scoreboard showed that the Pittsburgh Steelers had just lost in overtime, giving the Bengals a chance to take control of the AFC Central.
They blew it, of course. They couldn't stop Peyton Manning, who kept the Colts unbeaten with a 45-37 victory. And they couldn't break that tie for first place with the Steelers in the AFC North, where both teams are 7-3.
A day later, it felt like a minor setback.
By playing the NFL's top team nearly even, the Bengals showed they deserved the attention they've gotten and confirmed in their own minds that they can indeed play with the best.
Carson confident
"We can beat that team, and I really hope we see them later on in the year," said Carson Palmer, who threw for 335 yards and a pair of touchdowns. "There's a good chance of that, and we're playing for that opportunity."
First, they have to make the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The next three games will go a long way toward deciding if that's realistic.
Indianapolis remains the NFL's only unbeaten team at 10-0, leaving the Colts in position for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Denver is second at 8-2, in line for the other first-round bye.
The Bengals are in the next group, tied with Jacksonville and Pittsburgh at 7-3. They've already lost to the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium, so the next three games on the schedule become pivotal.
They play Baltimore at home on Sunday, the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and Cleveland at home-- games against division rivals that could decide the championship.
Starts with Ravens
"We've got to have all three of them," offensive guard Bobbie Williams said Monday. "If we get these three right here, we pretty much settle our own destiny. These next three games are so big, but it starts with Baltimore. We've got to have it."
The Steelers play in Indianapolis next Monday night, so the Bengals are hoping to beat the Ravens and then watch the Colts stay unbeaten, giving them a one-game lead in the division.
The players are well aware of the importance of the next three games, even if their head coach refuses to even mention the word "playoffs." Marvin Lewis won't deviate from his one-week-at-a-time approach, not even in team meetings.
"He does put up there every week where we sit with the rest of the league, but he's never talked about the playoffs," offensive tackle Willie Anderson said Monday. "He may mention that these are some things that you have to do to get to the playoffs."
First on the list is for the offense to keep rolling. Johnson backed up his guarantee that he couldn't be covered by catching eight passes for a career-high 189 yards against the Colts. He also unveiled a new touchdown celebration, pretending to propose to a cheerleader on the sideline after his 68-yard score.
More yards, more mistakes
The Bengals gained more yards than the Colts -- 492 to 451 -- but made a few more mistakes that prevented them from keeping up with Manning's breakneck pace. They want a second chance in the playoffs.
"We are going to see them again, believe me," Johnson said after the game.
For that to happen, they've got to avoid a stumble in the next three games.
"This month is going to be a rough month, but it's a month we look forward to because it's going to have a chance to take us to a position we've never been in before," said Anderson, in his 10th season in Cincinnati. "It's a challenge to look forward to."