CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals went into Thursday night’s game in first place in the AFC North and within reach of the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed.

But with a 24-3 dismantling by the Cleveland Browns, the Bengals plummeted to third place in the division and ninth in the conference. And judging by the team’s recent play and the upcoming schedule, the climb to contention might be too steep.

The Bengals were blown out by at least 20 points in three of their last five games, and their next three games are on the road, where they are 4-7 in their last 11.

Even if they’re able to win two of three at New Orleans (4-4), Houston (4-5) and Tampa Bay (1-7), the final month of the season features two games against red-hot Pittsburgh (6-3), a rematch at Cleveland (6-3) and a return to prime time, where the Bengals have lost 13 of their last 15, for a Monday night home game against Denver (6-2).

It’s hard to see them winning five of the final seven to get to 10 wins, which is what it likely will take to win the division. And even four of seven for a shot at a wild card seems like a stretch.

So what will it take to turn this thing around?

“We don’t have to turn anything, but turn ourselves, and right the ship, and go get ready to play in New Orleans this next coming Sunday,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve got to go back and play football our way. We lost the football game. We didn’t fall off a cliff. We’re all right there.

“It was an important football game, one we know that was important. I would say the same thing to our football team come Monday — win or lose — that it makes the next one up that much more important.”