Winning nine games and missing the playoffs would have been considered a success in the past for the Cincinnati Bengals, but not anymore.
Cincinnati fared well despite Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury. Jake Browning started and led the squad to a 4-3 record.
With Burrow expected to be fit for the start of the regular season, the Bengals should be in contention for the AFC North crown. Some noteworthy names (Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, and D.J. Reader) have left, while the majority of the key players from 2023 have returned.
Cincinnati Bengals’ Schedule for 2024
Complete scheduling information is accessible on the team’s official website
Analysis
It won’t be simple to navigate the AFC North.
The Baltimore Ravens have the reigning MVP, Lamar Jackson, and they are essentially running it back. Although losing linebacker Patrick Queen to free agency was disappointing, they were able to keep defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. Signing Derrick Henry means relying even more on the rushing assault, which could alleviate the strain on Jackson.
With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the Pittsburgh Steelers could have the kind of dependable quarterback play that was severely absent in 2023. As long as the offense can make some incremental gains, the Steelers already have a defense capable of achieving great things.
The Cleveland Browns are the true wild card because no one knows for certain whether Deshaun Watson’s last two years have been an anomaly or whether he is no longer the quarterback he was with the Houston Texans.
Looking outside the division, Cincinnati’s schedule could have been much worse.
Week 2’s matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium is unquestionably the most tough of the season. Aside from that, there are no other matchups in which the Bengals would be considered a clear underdog.
While the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles look a little stronger on paper than Cincy, those could both be pick’em games.
The New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders are in the midst of a rebuild. The Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans are probably at least a year away from being able to seriously contend. The same applies to the Los Angeles Chargers as well after they lost Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
A 10- or 11-win season is certainly attainable for the Bengals based on their schedule.
Pivotal Matchups
It starts and ends with the Bengals’ intra-conference battles.
If you want to know why Cincinnati failed to make the playoff in 2023, then look no further than the team’s 1-5 mark in the AFC North and a 4-8 record against the AFC as a whole. Every other team ahead of the Bengals in the playoff standings fared no worse than 7-5 within the conference.
Cincy was swept by Baltimore and Pittsburgh, lost by 24 points to Tennessee, and trailed the Houston Texans by 13 points before a last-ditch comeback failed.
The Bengals were also 5-5 when Burrow went down, so his injury didn’t completely derail the season.
To prevent another poor season, Cincinnati must at least maintain a.500 record in the AFC North and against AFC opponents.
