The start of the 2024 NFL season has been pretty tough for the Cincinnati Bengals. They played against arguably the two best teams in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens within the first five weeks, and they also squared off against an impressive, upstart Washington Commanders team in Week 3.
It certainly wasn't the easiest stretch to start the season, and the Bengals were able to win just two of their first six games as a result. Good news regarding the remainder of their '24 schedule is on the horizon for Cincinnati, though.
Bengals have NFL's 3rd-easiest remaining schedule
From Week 7 onward, the Bengals have the third-easiest remaining schedule in the league, based on opponent win percentage. Only the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets have an easier path to the end of the regular season.
Strength of schedule for all 32 NFL teams from Week 7 through the rest of the season 📊
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 16, 2024
*Ranked hardest to easiest* pic.twitter.com/OqJGdyl8ax
The Bengals have 11 games remaining in the regular season, and five of those will come against division opponents, beginning in Week 7 with a matchup against the Cleveland Browns. They'll play the Browns again in December, and they also have another game with the Ravens in November. Plus, they still have to play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice.
In addition to those division games, the Bengals will also still play these teams: The Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. It certainly seems like there should be a lot of winnable games in there.
This is obviously good news for a Bengals team hoping not to miss out on postseason play for a second consecutive season, but just because a schedule appears easy on paper doesn't mean that it will actually play out that way. Teams that started the season slowly can start to get hot as the weeks wear on, and teams that came out of the gate firing could lose some steam as the campaign progresses.
There are no guaranteed wins in the NFL, so the Bengals have to be sure to go out and take advantage of what at least appears to be a relatively soft schedule for the remainder of the season.