As announced last week, the Cincinnati Bengals will play their 17th game against the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. The Bengals have a lot of history with the 49ers playing against San Francisco in their only two Superbowl appearances following the 1981 and 1988 NFL seasons.
The league formula mandates the added game to the NFL schedules each season match two inter-conference teams who played each other the two seasons prior and finished in the same place in their own divisions the previous season. Cincinnati will host San Francisco because AFC teams receive the extra home game in 2021.
San Francisco holds a 10-4 edge against Cincinnati all-time. The 49ers defeated the Bengals in the last meeting 41-17 during an NFC Championship season for San Francisco. Cincinnati last defeated San Francisco 24-14 during the 2015 season. AFC North teams will play the NFC North and AFC West in 2021
The Bengals also have the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets on their 2021 schedule. The NFL schedule is expected to be announced at an unspecified date later this spring. Cincinnati played in only two prime games during the 2020 season. The Bengals lost 35-30 to the Cleveland Browns in week two.
In week 15 Cincinnati had a surprising 27-17 upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers without star rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. San Francisco could be starting their own rookie QB this season. The 49ers moved up to the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins last month.
Cincinnati games against the Kansas City Chiefs and any of the AFC North battles with Baltimore, Cleveland, or Pittsburgh will be the Bengals games in 2021 as the most probable to be nationally televised. With the Bengals expected to improve in the second season with Burrow at QB prime time games should become more common.
Cincinnati has nine games against 2020 playoff teams. Six of those are against AFC North opponents. Chicago, Green Bay and Kansas City also made the playoffs in 2020. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Packers in the NFC Championship game and the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl last season.