Ranking the top statement games on Bengals 2024 schedule

2. Week 14 at Dallas Cowboys (Monday Night Football)

Monday Night Football provides the perfect backdrop for a major statement game, as it is the only game on at the time and is televised nationally across the country. In Week 14, the Bengals will have an opportunity to go into Dallas and make a major statement with a win over the Cowboys.

Obviously, the import of this game will depend on how well the two teams have played up to that point in the season, but both are expected to be in the thick of the playoff picture in their respective conferences. If both teams are fighting for playoff positioning, the Bengals going into Dallas and besting the Cowboys would send a signal to the rest of the league that they're capable of going on the road and winning an important game in enemy territory -- something they could very well have to do in the playoffs.

1. Week 2 at Kansas City Chiefs

There's no bigger statement game for the Cincinnati Bengals than squaring off against the defending champions on their home field during the second week of the 2024 NFL season. The game will serve as an excellent measuring stick for the Bengals, who will likely have to ultimately go through the Chiefs if they want to make it back to the Super Bowl. After all, these two teams met in consecutive AFC Championnships in 2022 and 2023.

With a win in this game, the Bengals will send an early message to the rest of the AFC -- and to the league at large -- that they mean business after missing out on the playoffs in 2023.