Ranking the 5 most important games on the Bengals 2023 schedule

The Cincinnati Bengals' 2023 regular-season schedule has been revealed and it's tough sledding for the reigning AFC North champs. They open the season against two divisional foes but considering the slow starts that the team tends to get off to, it's better that the tougher games are in the back half of the season.

Let's take a look at the five most important games on the Bengals' 2023 schedule.

Week 1 @ Cleveland Browns

Okay so in the grand scheme of things, a Week 1 match-up isn't that important. A Week 1 match-up against a division rival that's had your number, however, is very important.

The Bengals will hit the road in Week 1 for the first time in Joe Burrow's NFL career and it just so happens that it'll come against a team that's been able to get the best of him. Burrow just notched his first win against the Browns this past season but it came after he and his Bengals got their butts whooped by that same Browns team on Halloween.

The good news is that the Bengals know that it's possible to reign victorious against the Browns. The bad news is that they've notoriously been slow starters during Burrow's time in Cincy and they'll go up against a team that they can't start slow against.

Beating Cleveland in Week 1 would not only allow the Bengals to be 1-0 but it'd send the Browns to 0-1 and give the Bengals the confidence they need for the rest of the season.