Bengals News: 2023 schedule release, most underrated player, and more
In Bengals news, the 2023 regular season schedule has officially been released! Also, who is the most underrated player on the Cincinnati Bengals roster?
After months of speculation, we finally know the path the Bengals have to take to win their third-straight AFC North title. The journey begins with a road game against the Cleveland Browns and ends with a home game against the Cleveland Browns. It's nice to see the Browns book-end what should hopefully be a special season for the stripes.
The Bengals received four primetime games with two of those coming on Monday Night Football. They'll play the Rams and Jaguars on Monday night, the Bills on Sunday night, and the Ravens on Thursday night. They also could have a Saturday game against the Vikings late in the season but we'll find out more about that as we get closer to that game.
Also, PFF put together a list of each team's most underrated player (see below). For Cincinnati, it was Germaine Pratt. It's wild to see him listed as an underrated player but it really doesn't feel like the team re-signing him in the offseason got as much attention as it deserved. Pratt was a difference-maker in 2022 and that's why he signed a three-year deal with the team that drafted him.
Check out what's trending in Bengals news.
Cincinnati Bengals schedule 2023: Path gets nasty after Week 7 bye [Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic]
Dehner notes that the Bengals' tendency to start the season off slow is why this schedule works well for them. They have a tough slate after their early BYE week, which includes road games against the 49ers and Ravens and a home tilt against the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
Win-Loss Predictions for Every NFL Team After 2023 Schedule Release [Kristopher Knox, Bleacher Report]
Knox has the Bengals going 11-6 and notes that they have some stiff competition on their schedule. I'd argue that their 2021 and 2022 schedules were more difficult and they ended up doing just fine.
Next. Bengals 2023 Schedule: Game-By-Game Predictions. dark
The most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams [William Moy, PFF]
"Out of 54 linebackers who saw at least 600 snaps last season, Pratt ranked 11th in terms of overall grade. Pratt especially excelled in coverage, where his 87.3 grade ranked third among linebackers and the 71.7 percent completion percentage he allowed into his coverage ranked sixth-best."
- William Moy