CINCINNATI — Opening Thoughts: I don’t love it. The biggest reason why is that they only have one scheduled prime time game, and it’s a Thursday night game. I think this team is deserving of more than one prime time game. Maybe not a Sunday night game, but a Monday night game seemed feasible. I just don’t get why the schedule makers don’t think the Bengals are worthy of being on Monday Night Football and more than one prime time game. Yes there are a lot of questions surrounding this team, most notably Joe Burrow coming off a major injury and if the offensive line can do a better job protecting them. But Joe Burrow should be enough to warrant the Bengals more than a single game on national television.
Another reason I don’t love the schedule; the heavy dose of road games in the first half of the schedule. Six of the first ten games are on the road, and if this team is going to set itself up to be a contender heading into the second half of the season, they’re going to have to win some games early. The thing is, there are a lot of winnable games on the schedule early on, but most of those games are on the road. Fun fact: the Bengals are 1-19-1 in their last 21 games away from Paul Brown Stadium.
And even with five of the last seven games at home, none of those games are foregone wins. Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco, Baltimore and Kansas City; those are the final five opponents at home for the Bengals. Good luck.
But aside from what I don’t love about the schedule, below is a rundown of every game on the schedule with my thoughts on them as well as my score predictions for each game. Consider this my Bengals schedule prediction 1.0.
Week 1 – vs. Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. on FOX)
This game to me is a toss-up. The Vikings still have a good quarterback in Kirk Cousins and good skill players in running back Dalvin Cook and wide receivers Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Defensively is more of a question mark, after they ranked in the bottom quarter in both points and yard allowed last season.
But considering the Bengals defense also struggled limiting opponents moving the ball down the field and scoring, this game has the potential to be a shootout. But playing at home with the lord and savior of this city’s sports landscape back under center- Burrow is reportedly “all systems go” for week one- I think the Bengals unleash their talented offense and outscore the Vikings for a season-opening win, their first time winning a home season-opener since 2007.
Game Pick: Bengals 31 Vikings 28
Week 2 – @ Chicago Bears (1 p.m. on FOX)
Another toss-up game. I think the Bengals can win this game, but Burrow cannot throw the ball more than 40 times in this game. Looking at their stats from last year, the Bengals could have success running the football against this Bears defense. Chicago allowed 100 or more rushing yards in 11 of their 17 games played, and a healthy Joe Mixon could be in for a productive day on the ground. Where I worry, though, is the Bengals offensive line’s ability to block the Bears front seven, which recorded 35 sacks last season.
This game could also be the second time the Bengals face former quarterback Andy Dalton, after the nine-year Bengals quarterback signed a one-year deal with the Bears in the offseason. Dalton won’t have a lethal group of weapons to work with, but head coach Matt Nagy has proven he doesn’t need the best players at every skill position to creatively call plays, especially in September. In three seasons as head coach of the Bears, Nagy has led Chicago to a combined 9-2 record.
With a new quarterback under center- whether it be Dalton or rookie Justin Fields- there’s a good chance Nagy’s creativity could catch opposing defenses off guard, especially those that aren’t fundamentally sound like the Bengals. This game will be really close, but I got to go with my gut and pick against the Bengals on this one.
Game Pick: Bears 34 Bengals 27
Week 3 – @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. on CBS)
I like that the first Bengals-Steelers game is early in the season. This will be an early-season measuring stick game for the Bengals, but it’s also a different feel seeing the Steelers on the schedule this season. The Steelers are one of the two biggest wild cards in the NFL going into this season- the Saints are the other big wild card in my opinion- and I really don’t know what to expect from them this season.
Big Ben is back- that’s actually a good thing if you hope for the Bengals to beat the Steelers this season- but this won’t be the same Steelers team we’ve seen for the last decade. Gone is center Markuice Pouncey, as is 80 percent of what was once one of the stronger offensive lines in the league. David DeCastro is the only offensive lineman that remains, and considering Big Ben is 39 years old and doesn’t move like he used to, that could spring another performance from the Bengals defensive front reminiscent of the one they put up on Monday Night Football last year.
Even with the losses of Bud DuPree and Mike Hilton to free agency, there is talent on all levels of the Steelers ferocious defense, including T.J. Watt. And this Steelers defense will bring the physicality they always bring against the Bengals because they know they can.
This game will be close- most games between these two teams are that way. But again, until I see this team win a game on the road, especially against Pittsburgh, I can’t pick the Bengals to win this game.
Game Pick: Steelers 24 Bengals 17
Week 4 – vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (8:20 p.m. on NFL Network)
Speaking of the lone prime time game on the schedule, this is it. This should be an exciting matchup between the last two No. 1 overall draft picks in Burrow and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It might be easy for Bengals fans to dismiss Jacksonville as a tough opponent, but they will be just that. It’s easy to forget, but running back James Robinson was a 1,000-yard rusher last season, and he now gets help in the backfield with rookie Travis Etienne. They’re unproven in the passing game, but the Jaguars have potential in wide receivers DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault and newly-acquired, plus former Bengal, Marvin Jones Jr..
If this game didn’t need anything more interesting, Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer makes his return to the Buckeye State. I’m skeptical about Meyer’s chances of succeeding in this league as a head coach, but it will still be interesting to see what his young but improved team will look like.
The Jaguars have always given the Bengals some competitive games in the past, and I don’t think this game will be different. In the end, though, I’m confident in Burrow being the better quarterback and the Bengals being the better team and coming out with a win in front of a national audience.
Game Pick: Bengals 34 Jaguars 21
Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers (1 p.m. on FOX)
This game is the most unknown on the schedule. For one, who is going to be Green Bay’s quarterback? If it’s Aaron Rodgers, does that automatically make the Packers heavy favorites in this game? Considering Rodgers is 1-2 lifetime against the Bengals- he should be 0-3- I wouldn’t chalk the Packers up as heavy favorites.
Yes the Packers, when they’re clicking, have a lethal offensive attack with multiple game-breaking weapons. The key question: can the, once again, revamped Bengals defense limit Packers running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Davante Adams? Spoiler alert: it won’t be easy.
Green Bay’s defense has enjoyed a renaissance the last two years, at least up front. But considering that’s where the Bengals weakness on offense lies, how they fare against Green Bay in the trenches will have a critical impact on the game.
Given the last three times these two teams have played, the Bengals have been the better team across those three games- they led 21-7 at one point in the one game they lost against the Packers. Even if Rodgers plays, the Bengals will make this a game. But in the end, Rodgers will do just enough to eke out a win for the Packers.
Game Pick: Packers 37 Bengals 34
Week 6 – @ Detroit Lions (1 p.m. on FOX)
My hope is by the end of this game that every Bengals fan, or at least most of them, will be happy the organization drafted Ja’Marr Chase instead of Penei Sewell. Sewell will likely be going up against defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson, who both have a knack for creating a pass rush towards opposing quarterbacks.
In this case, the Lions will showcase a new quarterback in Jared Goff. Goff is somebody I have always been in on, and still believe in. I think the Rams treated him poorly. And now Goff is in a situation where he doesn’t have much around him. None of the Lions skill players stand out to me, except for T.J. Hockenson.
This is a game the Bengals should be able to move the ball well offensively and put up some points. Detroit has some talented players on defense, but none that have me concerned for the Bengals talented offense in this game.
Game Pick: Bengals 33 Lions 21
Week 7 – @ Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. on CBS)
The last three games between these two teams have featured three Ravens blowout wins. In fact, the Bengals haven’t scored a touchdown in each of their last two meetings against Baltimore. Given, Joe Burrow didn’t play in the second meeting last season and neither did Joe Mixon. But they did play in the first meeting, a game where Joe Burrow was sacked seven times.
The Bengals did address their offensive line issues in the offseason by signing free agent tackle Riley Rieff and selecting three offensive lineman in last month’s draft. But will what they did in the offseason be enough? This game will tell us a lot if it is or not. Think the Steelers have a good pass rush? Well, Baltimore is no different. And not only that, but when they rush the quarterback they’re also looking to take the ball away. The Ravens defense forced 22 turnovers last year, including 12 fumbles.
Offensively, it’s no secret who the Ravens are. Lamar Jackson is their offense, and the Ravens go as he goes. They live on their running game, whether it be from Jackson or second-year running back J.K. Dobbins, the latter of whom had a spectacular rookie season. The Ravens will look to build off their ground game against a Bengals defense that was putrid against it last season- remember when the Ravens for 404 yards on them in the season finale? The Ravens strong favor of their running game makes it simpler for Jackson by taking the pressure off his shoulders. But if the Bengals defense can remain stout against the Ravens whole-width-of-the-field rushing attack, that will give them a better chance of pulling an upset.
Joe Burrow playing in this game should mean the Bengals put up points- maybe even a touchdown. But the defense has to slow down Baltimore’s lethally athletic offense, and given their recent attempt to do so, I’m not confident in them doing that.
Game Pick: Ravens 34 Bengals 14
Week 8 – @ New York Jets (1 p.m. on CBS)
This shouldn’t be a difficult game for the Bengals, but it is their final of three straight road games. Luckily for them, the Jets are not a very good team. Yes they have a new head coach, which creates some unfamiliarity. New York does have some talented players on their defense in C.J. Mosley, Sheldon Rankins and former Bengals edge rusher Carl Lawson, who was signed by the Jets in free agency.
Offensively, there’s some unfamiliarity with rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. The signings of wide receiver Corey Davis and running back Tevin Coleman give Wilson some household names to work with, but this is still very much an unproven offense.
This is a game the Bengals should win, but it will likely be a lot closer than perhaps it should be.
Game Pick: Bengals 31 Jets 21
Week 9 – vs. Cleveland Browns (1 p.m. on CBS)
If Joe Burrow can stay healthy and Baker Mayfield continues to improve towards getting a long-term deal with the Browns, these two teams could play in a lot of great games for a lot of years. The two games last year between these two teams were both really entertaining, unfortunately with the Browns winning both.
Some of Baker Mayfield’s best games in his three years in the NFL have come against Cincinnati, including last year when he threw for five touchdowns in the second game between the two teams. It’s simple adjustments, though, that the Bengals need to make on defense: they need to cover Cleveland’s playmakers better. That challenge rests on the Bengals new-look and revamped secondary.
Cleveland spent money on upgrading their defense this offseason, and I have to give them credit for doing so. Those additions now join Myles Garrett, a freak of a pass rusher, and Denzel Ward, the anchor of the Browns secondary that was badly in need of help to complement Ward. Free safety Johnnie Johnson II was that addition in the secondary, and Jadeveon Clowney and Malik Jackson join a defensive line that outside of Myles Garrett drops off in terms of talent and notoriety.
I think the Bengals will be able to gel offensively in this game, and my gut tells me this is a game the Bengals will win. I don’t see them losing at home to the Browns for a second straight year.
Game Pick: Bengals 35 Browns 28
Week 10 – BYE
Week 11 – @ Las Vegas Raiders (4:05 p.m. on CBS)
This is an interesting game. The one question I have is if this will be the point in the season where the Raiders start to fall off a cliff. Jon Gruden’s teams have started off well each of the last two seasons, but as soon as the push to the playoffs arrives, they get pushed out of contention.
There is talent on this Raiders team, but if their new-look offensive line can’t protect Derek Carr there won’t be much production from that talent.
In fact, most of what the Raiders did in the offseason was focused on the defense. Quinton Jefferson and Yannick Ngakoue join to bolster the defensive line, so this will again be a test for the Bengals revamped offensive line. But a big element to Joe Burrow is his ability to not need a perfect offensive line to function, and he can make plays off-script.
This game is a toss-up, but something just tells me the Bengals will win this game. Burrow may not have been able to walk the stage in Vegas for the draft in 2020- thanks, COVID- but his first appearance in Vegas won’t disappoint.
Game Pick: Bengals 27 Raiders 24
Week 12 – vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. on CBS)
Last year the Bengals beat the Steelers at home with a third-string quarterback, in addition to the handful of other players who were out that night. Like I mentioned earlier, Big Ben coming back is good for the Bengals trying to beat the Steelers. The question will once again be can the Bengals match the Steelers physicality, particularly their offensive line against Pittsburgh’s defensive line. But this game being at home, I think the Bengals come through with their fourth straight win.
Game Pick: Bengals 31 Steelers 24
Week 13 – vs. Los Angeles Chargers (1 p.m. on FOX)
I can’t wait for this game. This game will feature both Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, last year’s AP Rookie of the Year. Had Burrow not gotten injured and played a full rookie season, that would have caused a great debate as to whether he or Herbert deserved Rookie of the Year honors.
The Chargers have had a very productive offseason, hiring former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Stanley to be their new head coach and bolstering their offensive line with pro bowl center Cory Linsley and first round draft pick Rashawn Slater.
Los Angeles’s defense is one of the best in the league, on paper. There is talent on all three levels, and the Bengals offensive line will have to hold the Chargers ferocious pass rush in check if they’re going to have success offensively in this game.
I think this game will be really close between two teams that could be dark-horse playoff contenders. But playing against a team from California in December, I like the Bengals to edge out a crucial win.
Game Pick: Bengals 31 Chargers 24
Week 14 – vs. San Francisco 49ers (1 p.m. on CBS)
If I had to name a third wild card team in the NFL this season, it would be the 49ers. This is a talented roster, and you can’t deny that Kyle Shanahan is a brilliant play-caller. That said, the uncertainty at the quarterback position does cast a large shadow over a season that should be a bounce-back for the 49ers. If they can stay healthy, this is a playoff team.
Nick Bosa returns this season after tearing his ACL in week two last season, but he’ll have to shoulder a heavy load with lesser depth than when he anchored an uberly-talented defensive line on the 49ers Super Bowl team. The linebackers behind him, though, will help with their ability to tackle.
The last time these two teams met, the Bengals had no answer for the 49ers creative, balanced offensive attack. It was a total mismatch. But as Zac Taylor has improved as a play-caller through last year and has a solid arsenal of personnel to use on offense, this game will be closer. In fact, playing another California team in December, I think the Bengals win this game.
Game Pick: Bengals 37 49ers 27
Week 15 – @ Denver Broncos (4:05 p.m. on CBS)
The final four games of the regular-season are no joke. And it starts with one of the toughest places to play in Denver.
I don’t trust Denver is doing what they need to do to get back to their winning ways, which is, and always has been, puzzling because John Elway is running the day-to-day football operations of this team. That said, though, this team does compete and they will play hard.
Denver traded for Teddy Bridgewater this offseason, and that is an upgrade from their current situation at quarterback in Drew Locke. Whoever is starting at quarterback will actually have a decent skill group to work with. Again, it’s puzzling how Denver has hit on skill players through the draft and free agency, yet they haven’t been able to hit on the quarterback.
Defensively, there is talent, but Von Miller is not what he used to be. Shelby Harris and Bradley Chubb are now the anchors of this pass rush, and both have shown the ability to generate pass rush. That will create another challenge for the Bengals pass rush. Denver also has a strong secondary with Kareem Jackson, Kyle Fuller and Justin Simmons.
On paper, this is a game the Bengals should win. But considering that Burrow has never played in Denver, I have a feeling this will result in an upset.
Game Pick: Broncos 27 Bengals 24
Week 16 – vs. Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. on CBS)
This game has the potential to have a lot of major implications. But as I mentioned in the first game against the Ravens, until I see this team really give the Ravens a run for their money, I think Baltimore comes in and handles their business.
Game Pick: Ravens 35 Bengals 21
Week 17 – vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1 p.m. on CBS)
The scheduling gods sure weren’t guide to the Bengals with their final two home games being against Baltimore and Kansas City. Remember the last time the Bengals played the Chiefs? Sheesh! And that was with Marvin Lewis on the coaching staff, who had a defensive background. Now the Bengals will face Kansas City with a defense that has no identity and a head coach who is very unproven, and unproven is a generous word to use here.
It’s no secret who the Chiefs are. Their offense is loaded, and they upgraded their offensive line in the offseason. Their defense isn’t as loaded as their offense, but they’re effective ranking 10th in points allowed and 16th in yards.
Unlike the Ravens, the Chiefs defense will give the Bengals opportunities to put up points. That could make this game competitive, but I still think the Chiefs will outgun the Bengals.
Game Pick: Chiefs 41 Bengals 27
Week 18 – @ Cleveland Browns (1 p.m. on CBS)
This isn’t an ideal game to end the season, especially if the Browns are in line to clinch a playoff berth.
Things haven’t gone well for the Bengals in Cleveland the last three years, but those games have all been decided by eight points or less. I think this will be too, but the Browns will find a way to pull it out when push comes to shove.
Game Pick: Browns 34 Bengals 28
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 