When the schedules first came out, it seemed like the Cincinnati Bengals had a bunch of easy games, but the schedule will be a big test for this team.
The Cincinnati Bengals, by virtue of finishing third in the division last season, should get an easier schedule. Aside from the division rivals (twice), an AFC division, and an NFC division, the Bengals get to play the third-place teams of the two other AFC divisions. In theory, this should make the Bengals’ schedule easier. When the NFL announced all the games, the team’s schedule actually ranked as the eighth easiest. On the surface, this is great, but a deeper dive reveals this schedule is actually pretty difficult.
The Bengals’ schedule lays out as follows. Of course, the team will play the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns twice each. The Bengals also play the entire AFC West – the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Oakland Raiders. In the NFC, the Bengals drew the NFC South – the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lastly, the Bengals play the third place teams from the AFC East and South – the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.
Even with the improvement, this schedule will be difficult for the Bengals. For starters, the division games will be tough as usual. Pittsburgh still projects to be one of the best team in the NFL with Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown manning the offense. The Bengals will likely not be favored to win either of those games. Baltimore isn’t quite as flashy, but the Ravens will also be solid this year. A serious contender for the playoffs, the Ravens will be no pushover next season. Two games against Cleveland is a respite, but the Browns should drastically improve this year. Especially if rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield surprises, the Browns could upset some teams this year, including the Bengals.
Looking at the divisions the Bengals drew, it seems like a tough slate. The AFC West doesn’t have any standout teams, but each franchise seems poised for an above average season. Kansas City, last year’s division winner, should absolutely explode on offense this year. The combination of Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, and Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce could be difficult to contain. Another talented team is Los Angeles, who should challenge for the division title. A vastly improved defense and a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback in Philip Rivers will likely carry the Chargers to the playoffs.
Also, Denver and Oakland, two subpar teams from last year, are poised for rebounds this year. Denver signed a legitimate veteran QB in Case Keenum, and Oakland brought in offensive guru Jon Gruden to right the ship. None of these games will be easy wins for the Bengals. Many will expect them to drop games to Kansas City and Los Angeles.
The NFC South could be even tougher than the AFC West. That division turned out three playoff teams last season, and none of them got worse in the offseason. The division winner, New Orleans, appears ready to defend their title. They have a dynamic offense led by Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas. Atlanta poses a serious threat to them, as their similarly talented offense hopes to revert to their 2016 success. Carolina, captained by Cam Newton, and Tampa Bay, led by Jameis Winston and Mike Evans, also have a lot of scoring firepower. All of these teams are offensive dynamos with enough defense to potentially win 10 or more games. Aside from maybe Tampa Bay, I don’t think the Bengals will be favored in any of these games.
The other third-place teams, Indianapolis and Miami, may be the Bengals’ only other breaks in what could be a grueling schedule. Indianapolis is a lock to improve, though, if Andrew Luck comes back healthy. Luck changes the equation for the Colts and automatically makes them a tough out if he’s on the field. Miami, on the other hand, notably deteriorated this offseason. The Dolphins could be the worst team in football next year, making it one of the easiest games the Bengals will play.
Next: Why did the Bengals overpay for Marvin Lewis?
Overall, the Bengals don’t play a ton of Super Bowl contenders, but there is a run of very strong teams on the schedule. Pittsburgh and New Orleans will be incredibly difficult matchups as both are among the favorites to win it all. Baltimore, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Oakland, Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Indianapolis are all playoff contenders this year, too. The Bengals should also be challenging for a playoff spot, but there will be plenty of roadblocks to that goal. The team will have to win multiple tough games to get to their first winning season since 2015.