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Cincinnati Bengals: 4 must-win games on 2021 schedule

By Leigh Oleszczak

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 4: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after the defense makes a stop during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paul Brown Stadium on October 4, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Jacksonville 33-25. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 4: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after the defense makes a stop during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paul Brown Stadium on October 4, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Jacksonville 33-25. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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Giovani Bernard #25 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs the football into the endzone against Tahir Whitehead #59 of the Detroit Lions (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
Giovani Bernard #25 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs the football into the endzone against Tahir Whitehead #59 of the Detroit Lions (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images) /

The Cincinnati Bengals have a brutally tough schedule in 2021 and that’s going to make it hard for them to win more than five or six games. They have to face their division, where the other three teams made the playoffs a year ago, a total of six times while also squaring off against the NFC North and the Chiefs, who have represented the AFC in the past two Super Bowls.

With such a difficult schedule on the horizon, the Bengals have four games they absolutely have to win in 2021 if they want to be competitive at all this season. Let’s take a look at those games and what it will take for Cincinnati to secure those wins.

Must-Win Games for Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 – No. 4: Detroit Lions

The Bengals and Lions are a very similar organization in that they haven’t achieved much success in the playoffs. Both teams had a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and the Lions took the player that many felt the Bengals would take.

Unlike the Lions, however, the Bengals aren’t entering a new era. The Joe Burrow era began last year when Cincinnati made him the No. 1 overall pick while the Lions departed with their former No. 1 overall pick and brought in a new one in Jared Goff. The Goff era begins in Detroit this year and there’s uncertainty as to what the Lions will look like with him as their quarterback.

When looking at the Bengals’ away games for the 2021 season, Detroit is the most winnable game there. It might not be a cakewalk and we know that Goff can be good, but both of these teams are in limbo and have been for quite some time. The Bengals offense should be able to score often in the Motor City and hopefully the Lions offense won’t be able to keep up.