COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s been a month and a half since the Bengals 2023 schedule dropped, and with OTA’s wrapping up recently what better time to share my thoughts on the Bengals and NFL schedule, what I think are the best Bengals and NFL games, Bengals road trips, game-by-game analysis and predicted finish for the Bengals and NFL.
Nine thoughts on the Bengals schedule
1. Playing two division games to start the season is not ideal, especially in the AFC North. Even though the Bengals have fared better in the AFC North the last two seasons, they have still had their struggles. In particular, they have lost their last five games at Cleveland. And Baltimore gave the Bengals offense a lot of trouble last year. The Bengals have opened the season with two straight division games twice since 2002, and both times they went 1-1. The first two games won’t define the season, but they could go a long way towards determining whether or not this team will win the division or have a shot at the number one seed in the AFC.
2. I know a lot of fans may be frustrated and upset at the league for only four prime time games. I understand that, but I look at the two 4:25 games as the Bengals are playing in the most opportune viewing window on a football Sunday. A majority of the big games Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger played in were in that 4:25 game on CBS. So I’m happy the Bengals get the game of the week on CBS with Jim Nantz on the call in two of their biggest games of the year.
3. That said, I think the Bengals prime time games are a good draw. Three out of the four they should win, and they can also beat Baltimore on the road. But outside of Baltimore on the road, do any of the prime time games scare you? Does Buffalo even scare you? Speaking of, finally a Sunday night home game for the first time since 2012! And only one of the four prime time games being a division game is a good thing.
4. The second half of the season is brutal. And not just weeks eight through 13. Even after week 13, the schedule has the Vikings, Steelers and Browns. It goes to show that every game is important and cannot be overlooked.
5. Another game included in the second half? Week 17 at the Chiefs. How can you not love where this game is scheduled? New Year’s Eve. End of the season. So much on the line. Every game this season will be a build-up to that game.
6. Even with two games on the West Coast, I think the Arizona and San Francisco road trips are in favorable spots on the schedule. Arizona is early in the season, and San Francisco is the week after the bye. After week eight, the Bengals will only play one game outside the eastern time zone, and that’s the game at Kansas City.
7. The Bengals will have three instances of back-to-back home games on the schedule. Two of those are after the bye week and could both include prime time games if the game against Minnesota week 15 is scheduled as such. The other instance is weeks two and three, which includes the Monday Night Football game against the Rams.
8. Don’t overlook games against Seattle, Houston and Indianapolis. The latter two teams have had eventful and promising offseasons and the Seahawks are coming off a playoff appearance that I don’t think will turn out to be a surprise.
9. That said, I think the Bengals are going to be playing with a giant chip on their shoulders this season. You heard Joe Burrow say there’s a great sense of urgency within the locker room. Given that, expect the Bengals to win nearly every game where Burrow is the better quarterback, and the only one he may not be the better quarterback is against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Nine thoughts on the NFL schedule
1. Let’s start with Opening Kickoff night. For the second straight year, the NFL did not go with the biggest market or biggest name-brand opponent to match up against the reigning Super Bowl champions. Instead, they went with the more compelling matchup. Last year it was Bills-Rams. This year, it’s Lions-Chiefs.
The last time we saw the Detroit Lions, they ended Aaron Rodgers’s tenure as Packers quarterback in the last game of the 2022 NFL regular season. Now, they’ll take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the 2023 regular season. And I don’t think the Chiefs are that much more talented than the Lions. I think the Lions will prove they belong in this game.
2. I like how the NFL spaced out the New York Jets prime time games this season. Last year, Russell Wilson signed with the Denver Broncos, and the NFL gave them four prime time games in the first six weeks of the season. The Jets have prime time games in weeks one and four, but then not again until week nine and future prime time games in weeks 10, 12 and 17.
3. The Chiefs are becoming the Notre Dame of the NFL. They’re on national TV essentially every week, and they only have three games in the early viewing windows. That’s amazing. What’s also amazing is Dallas has 14games scheduled at 4:25 or later, and another game that is to be determined.
4. I give the NFL a lot of credit for putting No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Panthers on Monday Night Football for their home opener. Letting the top pick in the draft debut at home on Monday Night Football is awesome, and it’s much better than just stuffing his home debut in the 1:00 slate on a Sunday.
5. That said, the NFL is spoiling the Giants and Jets. They have them on Sunday and Monday nights in both weeks one and four to start the season, both home games in both of those weeks no less. The Giants are coming off a 9-7-1 season, and they have five prime time games this season. Last year, they only had two. As for the Jets, signing Aaron Rodgers took them from one prime time last year to six this year.
6. I’m not a fan of the multiple Monday night games in a particular week. I think it diminishes the meaning of playing on Monday Night Football, which was once the premiere prime time game of the week.
7. I get it, some teams will always get their moments in the sun regardless of how bad they are. But that said, how in the world do the Bears get three prime time games? And how did the Raiders get five?
8. Christmas weekend is going to be ruled by the NFL. There are three unbelievable matchups on Christmas Day alone. Divisional rivalries in the Raiders-Chiefs and Giants-Eagles and a great Monday night finale between two really interesting teams in the Ravens and the 49ers. Good luck NBA. Plus, Bengals-Steelers in a stand-alone game on Saturday followed by Bills-Chargers on an exclusive streaming service in Peacock. Sunday night features the Patriots and Broncos on NFL Network, which makes for a great Christmas weekend viewing window..
In addition, the NFL nailed the Thanksgiving night game. It’s not an afterthought. The 49ers and the Seahawks could have a lot at stake in this game, and the 12th Man should be out in full force. It could be a rekindling of what was the best rivalry in the NFL a decade ago.
9. With Monday Night Football ending two weeks before the season ends, the NFL made a genius move with their Saturday night week 17 ESPN/ABC game. Lions-Cowboys. Two franchises, with very much different histories, and both haven’t done much since the 90’s. Can you imagine the postgame narrative if the Lions pull out a win here?
Top Four Bengals Games of 2023
4. Week 16 – @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Sat. 12/23, 4:30 p.m. on NBC)
I can’t wait for this game. On the road. Stand-alone game. In the division. Who knows what the weather is going to be. There could be a lot on the line in the division and AFC when these two teams get together two days before Christmas.
3. Week 2 – vs. Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. on CBS)
Right out of the gate, you get a huge rematch from last year’s playoffs. I’m someone who’s more concerned about the rest of the AFC than the AFC North. But what Pittsburgh did to the Bengals in week one last year was a wake-up call that division games carry a lot of weight. Drop this game, and you’re already 0-1 against the Ravens and at best 1-1 in the division through two weeks. That would not be an ideal situation.
2. Week 9 – vs. Buffalo Bills (8:20 p.m. on NBC)
Personally, this is my favorite game of the season. Home game on Sunday Night Football. November weather. Buffalo coming to town. SIGN. ME. UP. The Bengals took it to the Bills in last year’s playoffs, but the Bills are still a team to be reckoned with. The winner of this game will have the inside track to run down the Chiefs in the AFC, and I can’t wait to see what the reception will be for Damar Hamlin.
1. Week 17 – @ Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
No words needed here. This game could be for A LOT when it comes to the AFC playoffs. And the umber one seed in this AFC is astronomically important. The fact that the NFL waited until the second-to-last week of the regular season for this game is genius. Let this game simmer and boil all regular season and then crescendo on New Year’s Eve.
Best Road Trip: Nashville
Perfect time to go to the Music City. Beginning of October. Weather is still going to be nice. Bengals fans will make the drive down I-71 and I-65, pack the bars and take over Nissan Stadium. Also, Thomas Rhett is performing at Bridgestone Arena the night before the game.
Top 10 NFL Games in 2023
10. San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks (Thanksgiving Night on NBC)
A decade ago, this was the premiere rivalry in the NFL. Now, this is not an afterthought of a game on Thanksgiving night. The 49ers may be the best team in the NFC West, but they’re not going to blow by Seattle the way they did last season. Seattle has a really good team, and they can give the 49ers a really good challenge this season. This will be the first time these two teams will meet in 2023, and it could set the tone for the remainder of the race to the NFC West title.
9. Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys (Sat.12/30 on ESPN/ABC)
I really like this matchup at the end of the season. Both teams could be fighting for a lot when it comes to a wild card or a division title, and there are so many postgame narratives that could be written. Detroit may not be ready for playoff football just yet, Dallas once again comes up short (and this time against the Lions), Detroit gets its signature win, Dallas holds serve at home. Man, this is a juicy matchup with so many possible outcomes.
8. Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals (Week 2 – 1 p.m. on CBS)
These two teams played three competitive games last year. Two of those came without Lamar Jackson. Now, we get Jackson vs. Joe Burrow early in the season in a game that will set the tone for the rest of the season in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL in the AFC North.
7. Eagles-Cowboys (Week 9 – 4:25 p.m. on FOX, Week 14 – 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
It’s always exciting when these two teams get together. You don’t have to be a fan of either team to feel that excitement. I feel it, as a football fan. The best regular-season game last year was when these two teams collided on Christmas Eve. Both games this year will carry a lot of weight. And this is amazing: Every year since 2004, at least one game between these two teams has been played in the 4:25 or prime time viewing windows.
6. Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals (Week 9 – 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
This game was going to be the game of the year last year. It became something bigger than football. Once again, this year, both teams enter the season with massive expectations. This game being right in the middle of the season is perfect with the massive weight it carries.
5. Los Angeles Chargers @ New York Jets (Week 9 – 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
For as much as we are excited to see Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes duel for the first time, Rodgers vs. Justin Herbert will also be fun to see, especially under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. And like Bills-Bengals the night before, this game could go a long way towards the AFC wild card race and the races in both the AFC West and East.
4. Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets (Week 1 – 8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC)
I love how this game is in week one. Give these two teams the opportunity to set the tone for the AFC East race.
3. Philadelphia Eagles @ Kansas City Chiefs (Week 11 – 8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC)
I think it’s great how the Super Bowl LVII rematch isn’t until this late in the season. The most interesting aspect to this matchup is Philly entering 2023 with new offensive and defensive coordinators. Does that make them struggle at the start of the season, or are they able to whether the storm and stay afloat in the NFC race?
2. Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs (Week 17 – 4:25 p.m. on CBS)
This has become the NFL’s premiere rivalry, and the fact that the entire season could be a build-up to this game is awesome. Let’s hope both teams are as advertised by the time this late-season matchup rolls around.
1. Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Jets (Week 4 – 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
For the first time, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers will oppose each other as quarterbacks. But there’s so much more to this matchup. This will be Mahomes’s first time playing in New York. There are so many stars in this game, including former Cincinnati Bearcats in Travis Kelce and Sauce Gardner.
Bengals Game-by-Game Predictions
Week 1: @ Cleveland Browns (1 p.m. on CBS)
The question that comes to mind with the Bengals opening at Cleveland is which of the two storylines becomes more prevalent: the Bengals revamped offensive line vs. the Browns defensive line or how rusty, if at all, does Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson look?
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., signed by the Bengals in free agency, will be up against Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Brown Jr. is an upgrade for the Bengals at left tackle, but Myles Garrett OWNS Cincinnati.
In six games last year, following an 11-game suspension, Watson threw for seven touchdowns against five interceptions, completing less than 60 percent of his passes for 1,102 yards. Those numbers don’t amount to great stats over a 17-game season, not nearly the numbers Watson put up at Houston.
I think it’s good the Bengals are getting Cleveland early. Or is it? The Bengals haven’t won in Cleveland since 2017, so it’s good to get this game out of the way early. But then again, you never know what you’re going to get in week one (Remember last year against Pittsburgh?)
This game will be close (It can’t possibly like Monday Night Football last year.) And given all the questions surrounding Watson and the Browns and the Bengals having fewer questions, I’ll take the Bengals to make a late defensive stand and come away with the win.
Game pick: Bengals 23 Browns 17
Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. on CBS)
Since the NFL went to eight divisions in 2002, the Bengals have opened the season with two straight division games twice, in 2007 and 2012. Both featured the Browns and Ravens, and both featured the Bengals splitting the two contests.
My point: it’s not going to be easy to sweep the first two games. Even if the Bengals get out of Cleveland with the win, this game against Baltimore will be even more physical. And the Ravens will come ready to play. They feel like they should have won that playoff game last year.
The Ravens made a huge addition in the offseason signing free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and he torched the Bengals secondary in Super Bowl LVI. And not to mention, barring an injury or something, Lamar Jackson will be starting at quarterback for Baltimore. Say what you will about the Bengals being 4-1 in the last five meetings between the two teams, Jackson is 6-1 against the Bengals in his career including 2-0 in Cincinnati.
This game will be physical, and it will be close. I think the Bengals win in their home-opener, but it will come after a physical war between AFC North heavyweights.
Game pick: Bengals 27 Ravens 20
Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams – Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
I’m excited for this game because it’s a rematch of Super Bowl LVI. Any Bengals fan should feel that way.
That said, this is not the same Rams team from that Super Bowl. Think of the guys no longer with them: Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Andrew Whitworth, Robert Woods, Odell Beckham Jr., Austin Corbett, etc.
Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and Sean McVay are all still there, and that was enough to warrant a prime time game against the Bengals. But the talent disparity is clear. The Bengals should wallop the Rams.
Game pick: Bengals 38 Rams 21
Week 4: @ Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. on FOX)
This game will be competitive. I don’t care how bad Tennessee’s roster is; there are still some really good players. These two teams have played some really close games over the years, especially in Nashville.
The biggest compliment I can pay Tennessee is that they know who they are. They know the type of team they are. That compliment echoes something The Athletic Titans and Nashville sports beat writer Joe Rexrode echoed leading up to the week 12 matchup last year, saying they roll out of bed knowing exactly who they are. They will play physical on both sides of the ball.
The Bengals have done a great job against Titans running back Derrick Henry in the last two matchups against the Titans. Henry is the key for Tennessee. If he gets going, it’s going to be a long day, potentially, for the Bengals defense. It’s easy to say he could or won’t get going, for the Bengals have shut him down the last two matchups. One of those two things will happen. It’s also easy for me to say Joe Burrow is the better quarterback in this matchup, and he’ll make enough throws to win the Bengals their fourth straight game over the Titans.
Game pick: Bengals 28 Titans 21
Week 5: @ Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m. on FOX)
Arizona is terrible. Who do they have, besides Kyler Murray, who makes you nervous as a Bengals fan? And Murray may not even play in this game if he’s not healthy coming back from a torn ACL suffered in December of 2022.
Game pick: Bengals 34 Cardinals 10
Week 6: vs. Seattle Seahawks (1 p.m. on CBS)
This is a game the Bengals cannot overlook. Seattle may have had a surprising season last year, but I wasn’t surprised. They had the playmakers on offense and a head coach who is as consistent as any in the NFL. Say what you want about Pete Carroll, but 10 playoff appearances in 13 seasons is remarkable. Only Bill Belichick has more plyaoff appearances with 11.
The Seahawks will bring with them their big wideout tandem of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Can Bengals cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Cam Taylor-Britt match up against them?
Seattle’s defense isn’t problematic, but they have some playmakers. I like the Bengals offense to have a good day against them, and a Burrow-to-Chase touchdown sounds ripe for the win. But this game won’t be a cakewalk.
Game pick: Bengals 31 Seahawks 27
Week 7: BYE
Great time for a bye. Especially with a gauntlet of a schedule in the second half of the season.
Week 8: @ San Francisco 49ers (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
Besides Kansas City, there is no tougher team to start the second half gauntlet than the San Francisco 49ers. They might have the most talented roster in the league, and there’s a big worry about their defensive line overpowering the Bengals offensive line.
The 49ers would be the outright most talented team in the league if they had their quarterback. I say that knowing what Brock Purdy did last year, but can he do what he last year for the next however many years?
This game is the only game I’m truly worried about on the schedule. It goes back to the 49ers defensive line, which was already great before they went out and got Javon Hargrave in free agency. This game could be a potential Super Bowl preview. I said at the top that the Bengals should win every game where Joe Burrow is the better quarterback, but this game is an exception.
Game pick: 49ers 31 Bengals 28 (Robbie Gould hits from 39 yards as time expires)
Week 9: vs. Buffalo Bills – Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. on NBC)
This is the game I’m most looking forward to this season. Sunday night. Early November. The Jungle alive and rocking. And the Buffalo Bills coming to town.
The Bengals win over the Bills in the playoffs last year was a statement. Bills running back Isaiah MacKenzie can think all he wants the game would have played out differently had it been played in a dome, but let’s not forget that the Bengals offense was in serious rhythm in the regular-season game last year.
Which leads me to this: I’m almost more excited to see the reception Damar Hamlin gets when he runs out onto the field before the game. This is a man whose life was revived on the Paycor Stadium field, and now he is going to play football again.
I will say this: this is a very important game. The winner of this game has the inside track as the second best team in the AFC and the best chance to run down the Chiefs in the AFC. We think the Bengals are that much better than the Bills, and I do think they’re the better team.
But two things I don’t like about this game: it’s the game after the Bengals play the 49ers, and teams last year never won the following week after playing the 49ers. And the Bills will have one player who could be a difference maker in this game, just as he was in Super Bowl LVI: Von Miller. Miller missed both games against the Bengals last year after tearing his ACL in November.
This game will be close. The Bills, as much as they can be viewed as fraudulent, are still a really good team. So in this game, the team with the better quarterback, and the one who makes the most mistakes, will win. That’s Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
Game pick: Bengals 34 Bills 31 (Evan McPherson hits from 42 yards as time expires)
Week 10: vs. Houston Texans (1 p.m. on CBS)
This is the epitome of a trap game. I don’t know about you, but I was put on high alert after what the Texans did in the first round of the NFL Draft. It’s one thing that they took C.J. Stroud, but then they traded up to the NEXT pick to draft Will Anderson.
Joe Burrow has broken a lot of trends and waterloos that plagued the Bengals franchise for so long. Another waterloo can be put to bed in this game, and any Bengals fan should know where I’m going with this.
The Texans are a thorn in the Bengals side. Consider: the Texans have won FOUR straight games in Cincinnati. And the last two games in the Jungle, played on national television, the Bengals have not scored a touchdown. The final scores of those two games: 10-6 and 13-9. And I don’t need to mention the two playoff games in 2011 and 2012, or that the Bengals are 2-8 in their last 10 games overall against the Texans.
One more thing: this game will be played on my birthday. The Bengals have played three times on my birthday, and have lost all three games. Maybe that’s another trend that Joe Burrow will break.
Game pick: Bengals 27 Texans 20
Week 11: @ Baltimore Ravens – Thursday Night Football (8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video)
Going on the road on the road, on a short week, for a prime time game, against a division opponent; that’s a tall order. Bengals-Ravens games are always physical. This one will be no different.
I have heard and read how tough the Ravens are at home in prime time. Sure enough, since moving to Baltimore in 1996 the Ravens are 26-8 in prime time home games. That’s pretty good. That includes a 2-0 record against the Bengals in prime time home games.
But those games were early in the season, when the Ravens, of late, have always played well. This game is in week 11. You don’t know what the Ravens are going to look like at this point in the season. I’ll give a slight advantage to the Bengals because of that.
Game pick: Bengals 27 Ravens 24 (Tee Higgins touchdown to win it)
Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. on CBS)
The Bengals will have the advantage of rest in this game, given that they will have played on Thursday night the week before.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m not worried about this game against Pittsburgh. The Bengals have shown over the last two-plus seasons that they are not scared of Pittsburgh anymore. Their only loss, last year in week one, was a fluke. I’ll take the Bengals to blast Pittsburgh at home.
Game pick: Bengals 41 Steelers 24
Week 13: @ Jacksonville Jaguars – Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
Here’s what I think about when it comes to this game. Can the Bengals be like the Brady-led Patriots teams in this game? Let me explain.
This is Jacksonville’s first Monday night home game since 2011, so the crowd will be raucous. How many times, when Brady was with the Patriots, did they walk into a raucous environment, a team hosting a big home game for the first time in a long time, and just take care of business and sucking the life out of the crowd while doing so? The 2018 AFC Championship in Kansas City, the 2004 AFC Championship on Pittsburgh, the 2006 AFC Divisional in San Diego. Those were impressive rad wins by Brady and the Patriots, when they weren’t even the better team. And how many times did they walk into Buffalo, with the Bills poised to take the next step, and the Patriots squashed all those hopes. That’s what I want the Bengals to do in this game. Take the raucous crowd out of it early by showing who’s the more superior team.
This game scares me. Jacksonville is a good team. Lawrence is not at Burrow’s level, yet. He is rising fast, though, and he’s got a good team around him. I’ll roll the dice with the better quarterback in Burrow, but this game will be a three-hour root canal.
Game pick: Bengals 31 Jaguars 28 (Burrow to Chase in the last minute to win the game)
Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. on CBS)
I’m not sure what the Colts are going to be at this point in the season. Who is going to be their quarterback? Will they still be in contention?
Regardless, this is a game the Bengals should win. Joe Burrow will play on his birthday for the first time in his career, and I think he will be in for a big day.
Game pick: Bengals 45 Colts 17
Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings (TBD)
This is the Bengals bonus 17th game, given that both teams won their respective divisions in 2022 and the AFC North played the NFC North two years ago.
This game could also be a prime time game, given that it’s one of five games that’s TBD for week 15. The other four game that are TBD that week: Falcons-Panthers, Bears-Browns, Broncos-Lions and Steelers-Colts. At the very least, this should be a stand-alone game on Saturday.
Minnesota has lost three valuable weapons from last year in Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen and Irv Smith Jr., and Smith Jr. signed with the Bengals this offseason. Defensively, they still have some players. Can new defensive coordinator Brian Flores get this defense to be more aggressive?
It will be cool to watch Ja’Marr Chase and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson on the same field in this game. But given how uncertain Minnesota’s offense is, I think the Bengals win and win easily.
Game pick: Bengals 34 Vikings 17
Week 16: @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Sat. 12/23 – 4:30 p.m. on NBC)
This game scares me. On the road. Prime time. At Pittsburgh. And who knows what the weather will be like in this game.
This is not a trap game. It may be the game right before Kansas City, but Pittsburgh is going to be a tough team to beat. Last year, the Steelers finished the regular season 7-2. One of those losses was at home against the Bengals, but they gave the Bengals all they could handle in a 37-30 Bengals win. The point: you don’t want to play Pittsburgh late in the season, especially at home in prime time.
I think the Bengals win this game because they have Joe Burrow, and he is the better quarterback in this matchup. But the Steelers are going to give the Bengals all they can handle in this game.
Game pick: Bengals 24 Steelers 21
Week 17: @ Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m. on CBS)
The game of the year. The entire season will be a build-up to this game. This is the premiere rivalry in the NFL, and this may not be the first time we see this matchup this season.
How can you ask for anything more as a Bengals fan? New Year’s Eve. Bengals-Chiefs. 4:25 on CBS.
I’m so confident in the Bengals this season that the only games I think they’ll lose is the one where the other team has the better quarterback. The 49ers are the exception because their roster is so talented, but outside of that game, I don’t see the Bengals losing another game unless the other team has the better quarterback.
Unfortunately, this game features just that. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL, and there’s no denying it. That’s why the Chiefs will win this regular-season meeting.
Game pick: Chiefs 34 Bengals 31 (Mahomes to Kelce touchdown for the win)
Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns (TBD)
There could be a lot up in the air in this game. Will the Bengals still have a chance at the number one seed? Will the Browns be playing for a playoff berth?
Game pick: Bengals 27 Browns 17
NFL Season Picks
AFC North Standings
1. Cincinnati Bengals (15-2)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6)
3. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
4. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
AFC Playoff Standings
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (15-2)
3. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-5)
5. New York Jets (12-5)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6)
7. Miami Dolphins (11-6)
NFC Playoff Standings
1. San Francisco 49ers (16-1)
2. New Orleans Saints (13-4)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)
4. Detroit Lions (9-8)
5. Seattle Seahawks (12-5)
6. Dallas Cowboys (11-6)
7. Atlanta Falcons (9-8)
Wild Card Round
5. Jets over 4. Jaguars (31-28)
3. Bills over 6. Steelers (34-20)
2. Bengals over 7. Dolphins (41-21)
5. Seahawks over 4. Lions (38-35)
3. Eagles over 6. Cowboys (27-24)
2. Saints over 7. Falcons (31-17)
Divisional Round
1. Chiefs vs. 5 Jets (38-31)
2. Bengals over 3. Bills (34-31, Burrow to Chase for the win)
1. 49ers over 5. Seahawks (37-24)
3. Eagles over 2. Saints (31-28)
Championship Sunday
2. Bengals over 1. Chiefs (37-34, Evan McPherson hits from 42 yards as time expires)
1. 49ers over 3. Eagles (31-27)
Super Bowl LVIII: Bengals 31 49ers 28 (Evan McPherson hits from 49 yards as time expires)
I believe this is the Bengals year. When Joe Burrow says there is a sense of urgency in the locker room, that sets the tone for this season.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 