Cincinnati Bengals fans are about to get the excitement of a whole new season injected into their veins when the team travels to Cleveland on Sunday to battle the Browns in Week 1.
Can I be frank with you? Wait, my name's not Frank. No but seriously, any NFL predictions that forecast an entire season are fun in theory, yet tend to be obsolete very early in the proceedings. Beyond all the premature overreactions, by midseason, seldom do things shake out as expected.
So for purposes of this exercise, with a hat tip to the greater FanSided NFL staff for the concept, i thought it'd be fun to focus on the first five games of the Bengals' schedule. After all, they've typically followed a trajectory of disasters in Weeks 1 and 2, followed by an inspired rally to make up ground.
Whether or not Joe Burrow can finally deliver the Bengals their first Super Bowl ever in this particular timeline of the multiverse depends on how the tone is set within the first couple months. So let's get to some predictin'.
Predictions for Cincinnati Bengals 2025 season point to strong start
Week 1: at Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco low-key originated the common-memed phrase "F it, Player X is down there somewhere" by throwing incessant 50-50 balls to Anquan Boldin en route to a Super Bowl triumph once upon a time. Now, aging like fine wine, Flacco is back in Cleveland, where he led the Browns to the playoffs in 2023.
The 40-year-old cannon-armed vet will test the Bengals' young, unproven secondary. However, I just refuse to believe Joe Burrow is going to let himself get outscored by an old head in a critical divisional duel. Especially with Myles Garrett hampered by a hip injury, Cleveland is going to struggle to stop Burrow and the Bengals' high-flying passing attack.
Unless an unforeseen driving rainstorm hits during this game — no indication that's the case based on the latest forecast — Cincinnati should march up and down the field at will. Meanwhile, Flacco will be forced into obvious passing situations, and his gunslinger mentality should lead to at least one critical giveaway.
I'm thinking we'll see a Trey Hendrickson strip sack and an interception to seal the deal in what should be a hard-fought clash that's closer than the experts expect.
Prediction: Bengals 24, Browns 20
Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
DU-VALLLLLL! The Jags definitely have some new juice about them. Head coach/offensive shot-caller Liam Coen worked magic with Baker Mayfield in Tampa last season, and is the latest Sean McVay coaching tree dude to get a shot at a captain's chair.
Coen has some Mike McDaniel-style quirkiness to him, which could endear him to Jacksonville for a while. The issue is, nobody knows what to make of his quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. Handsomely paid and, well, handsome in general, Lawrence looks the part of a QB out of central casting than he has been in actuality the past season and a half or so.
Adjusting to a new system likely won't be easy for Lawrence, although it helps that he has a dynamic wide receiver duo of Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter. That pair could pose real problems. Plus, the Jags may very well run three-deep in their backfield with Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, and rookie Bhayshul Tuten. All those fresh legs against Cincinnati's suspect run defense could spell trouble.
Unless Hunter exceeds impossible expectations right away to become a two-way star, Jacksonville probably doesn't have enough on defense to deny Burrow and Co. This should also be a tight one, but I'll take my chances on the Bengals' offensive continuity and superior QB play against a rookie head coach in his road debut.
Prediction: Bengals 34, Jaguars 27
Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings
What a gift Jordan Addison's suspension is for Cincinnati on an otherwise tricky road trip. The Vikings' clear WR2 will be serving the last of his three-game ban in this one, leaving Minnesota's sentimental second-stinter Adam Thielen to pick up the slack.
Containing Justin Jefferson is never an easy task. Nor is facing a Brian Flores defense that can fluster even the greatest offensive staffs in the sport.
Here's my counter to those points: Jefferson often gets his production regardless of the outcome. And when these two teams last met, Flores' D got cooked by Bengals backup Jake Browning for 324 yards through the air in Cincinnati's 27-24 overtime win.
Burrow might be the best pre- and post-snap quarterback going right now. Although Minny's front seven is formidable, I think the combination of its suspect defensive backfield and the fact that Burrow's counterpart JJ McCarthy will make only his third NFL start will help the Bengals get it done in a nail-biter.
Prediction: Bengals 26, Vikings 24
Week 4: at Denver Broncos (Monday Night Football)
Ooh baby. Prime time. Monday night. Revenge game for the Broncos after they lost in Cincinnati in Week 17 during Bo Nix's rookie campaign.
Nix is in line to make a Year 2 leap under Sean Payton's tutelage. Many believe that Nix's progress, combined with a stacked Denver defense, could have them challenging for the AFC West crown. I am worried about their pass rush duo of Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper for sure.
My thing is, until the Broncos beat the Chiefs' backups in Week 18 to edge out the Bengals and into the playoffs, they were 0-6 against all other AFC playoff teams. Did Denver really do enough this offseason to built itself into a legit Super Bowl contender? They got manhandled on Wild Card Weekend 31-7 at Buffalo.
Perhaps it's my fandom bias talking, but I'm more than a tad reticent to crown the Broncos so soon. Home-field advantage should carry a lot of weight here. However, I'm confident Burrow will orchestrate a game-winning drive and boost the Bengals to a 4-0 start off a winning kick by Evan McPherson.
Prediction: Bengals 20, Broncos 17
Week 5: vs. Detroit Lions
Figured it'd be too homerist to give Cincinnati a spotless 5-0 mark through five games, so this is where the party ends. Sorry, Who Dey Heads. I'm trying to be the ultimate optimist here!
You can't expect every week to go ideally. The extra prep time for MNF in Denver rolls into a shorter week against Dan Campbell's kneecap-nomming bunch. Expectations will be through the roof if the Bengals are undefeated to this point.
The Lions' backfield duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs should be dynamic as ever, even with a slight downgrade on the offensive line. A healthy Aidan Hutchinson can almost single-handedly wreck a game plan against any opponent, too.
Many are projecting the Lions to regress since they lost prior offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching jobs. I'll concede it's a tall task to replace those titans. That said, assuming the transition is rocky in the early going, I think Detroit will be the more desperate team in Cincinnati come Week 5, sporting perhaps a 2-2 record.
Getting to 3-2 looks so much better than 2-3 at this pivotal point in the season. After facing a lineup of inexperienced opposing QBs and/or rebuilding teams, the Bengals' defense is liable to be exploited by a balanced Lions offense flush with premier playmakers. Should be an entertaining, high-scoring affair. Alas, Cincinnati goes home unhappy...at home.
Prediction: Lions 38, Bengals 31