5 toughest remaining games on Bengals 2023 schedule

Week 9 vs. Buffalo Bills

The Bengals won't get to rest easy after their game against the 49ers, as when they get back home, the Bills will be there ready to face off. After last year's game was tragically cut short, this should be the first full matchup between these two in the regular season since 2019, a game which the Bills won 21-17 against a Bengals team that would end up going 2-14. Their most recent duel, however, was a Cincinnati 27-10 win in the most recent Divisional Round.

How the Bengals fare in this game depends a lot on what Josh Allen they will be facing when the time comes. Will it be the MVP candidate Josh Allen who gives secondaries nightmares like we saw against the Dolphins and Raiders? Or will it be the Josh Allen who looked like he reverted to rookie form, such as their Week 1 loss to the Jets? The former is more likely, but Lou Anarumo has proved to be a tough challenge for even the greatest of opposing quarterbacks in the past.

Another thing to look out for is Buffalo's defense. As mentioned above, they are tied with the 49ers for having the most interceptions so far this season. More concerning, however, is their imposing pass rush unit, one that leads the league in sacks with a whopping 21, while also being top-5 in pressure percentage at 26.4%. With how the O-line has been struggling so far, they're either going to have to step up, or Burrow is going to be running for his life.