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Cincinnati Bengals: Predicting first win on 2021 schedule

By Leigh Oleszczak

CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 29: Shawn Williams #36 and Jordan Evans #50 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrate after a play in the game against the New York Giants at Paul Brown Stadium on November 29, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - NOVEMBER 29: Shawn Williams #36 and Jordan Evans #50 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrate after a play in the game against the New York Giants at Paul Brown Stadium on November 29, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the toughest schedules in the league in 2021 but there’s reason for optimism, especially early on. When looking at the Bengals’ first quarter of the season, there’s a decent chance they could go 3-1 or even 4-0.

This might seem too optimistic, especially considering the team won just four games last year but the team has an easier slate early on, with it getting tougher not long after. This should pave the way for the Bengals to notch their first victory of the 2021 season early on, rather than have to wait until Week 4 like last year (they tied in Week 3).

When will the Cincinnati Bengals win their first game of the season?

Honestly, the Bengals can win their first game of 2021 against the Vikings and get off to a 1-0 start. They’ll be the home team against a Vikings team that got off to a really slow start a year ago and ended the season with a losing record. Minnesota was better than the Bengals when the season was all said and done but Week 1 is a clean slate and the Bengals have the edge.

A big thing to look at with these early season matchups is the two quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins is an experienced signal-caller but his No. 1 wide receiver even said that Joe Burrow has more swagger and confidence when on the field. Burrow might be returning from injury but as Justin Jefferson said, there’s no holding back with this kid and that’s why the Bengals took him No. 1 overall last year.

Should the Bengals fall to the Vikings in Week 1, they’ll spend the next two weeks on the road, facing the Bears and Steelers respectively. The Bears’ quarterback situation is a complicated one, to say the least, which could give the edge to Cincinnati, and the Bengals knocked off the Steelers late in the year last season. Still, playing in Pittsburgh is no picnic by any means.

If the Bengals really slip up and lose all three of these games, then a Week 4 win against Jacksonville would have to happen for them. It’d be a repeat of last year, as this was when the Bengals won their first game and the same opponent they took down that week. No team is an easy out, but considering the Jaguars were the worst team in the league last year, I like Cincinnati’s chances in that one.

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Sign me up for the Bengals’ first win of 2021 coming in the first game of the season. They should be able to handle the Vikings. When do you think their first win will come?