Despite losing back-to-back games to Miami and Cleveland teams that were a combined 1-8 at the time they played them, the 3-3 Cincinnati Bengals are maintaining a sense of confidence and optimism.

And they are pointing at the parity in the standings as a reason.

Entering the Monday night game between Denver and San Diego, only three teams in the AFC had winning records. And a Broncos win would reduce that number to two, leaving only Houston (5-1) and Baltimore (5-1) above .500.

“The good teams and bad teams are actually really close to each other,” Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “This is a situation where, if you look at it, the entire AFC really has an opportunity if San Diego loses to be 3-3 other than two teams. It’s still anybody’s season. It’s basically like we’re starting the season from scratch.”

Last year there were three teams that started 3-3 or worse and made the playoffs – Houston (3-3), Atlanta (3-3) and Denver (2-4). Two years ago the Green Bay Packers started 3-3 and won the Super Bowl.

Since 2007, a total of 15 teams have started 3-3 or worse and managed to turn things around over the final 10 games to get into the postseason.

“We know we have a lot of football left to play,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. “We have to just focus on ourselves, and I think that’s important. It’s probably a good week for that. We have to go and just focus on ourselves and get better ourselves internally, both as coaches and players.”

Their next opponent finds itself in a similar situation. Pittsburgh will bring a 2-3 record to Paul Brown Stadium for a Sunday Night Football tilt that, for all intents and purposes, will be an elimination game in terms of playing for an AFC North Division title

“Nobody around here is pressing the panic button or anything like that,” defensive back Nate Clements said. “We just have to go in and prepare ourselves for this week, practice hard and make the necessary corrections.”

When the schedule was released last spring, it appeared Sunday’s game against the Steelers would mark the beginning of a difficult stretch. And that still may be the case, but as of Monday afternoon only three of the remaining 10 games are against teams with winning records (New York Giants 4-2; San Diego 3-2; Baltimore 5-1).

The combined record of the Bengals’ remaining 10 opponents is 25-29.

“At the end of the day it’s not about wins and losses, it’s about who makes the playoffs,” Whitworth said. “That’s what you’re playing football for. Our goals are all still right there in front of us. Somebody that’s 3-3 has to go win some games and get in the playoffs. Why not be us?”