CINCINNATI (AP) - The Bengals flat-out flubbed a chance to put themselves in better shape for a playoff berth.

A 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday left them tied with Pittsburgh at 7-6 for the second AFC wild card. The Steelers and the AFC North-leading Ravens (9-4) both lost on Sunday, giving Cincinnati an opening to improve its chances.

Instead, the Bengals gave up 10 points in the closing minutes, ending their four-game winning streak.

They play in Philadelphia (4-9) on Thursday night. Their season is likely to come down the following week, when they play at Pittsburgh. The Steelers won their game earlier this season in Cincinnati. If the Steelers sweep the series, they'd have the head-to-head tiebreaker for the wild card berth.

---

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL