I am surprised that ESPN and the NFL Network didn’t turn this into a slow release like the NCAA tournament bracket announcements. Usually I will casually go online each year and see how many or if the Bengals got a MNF game and who will defeat us in it. Instead I tuned into the 8pm release and was sitting on the edge of my couch with Twitter in hand.
The Good
Week 1 – I was hoping for a powder puff team like the Redskins or Giants but the Chargers are no joke of a team but we get a home game to start the season and I love that. I saw someone post online that this was the first time the Bengals had a Week 1 at Home but I didn’t take the time to confirm that. #lazy I do not think that it is going to be a Burrow/Herbert showdown but rather the Chargers go with a veteran on the road with Tyrod Taylor. We also get the late game, 4:05pm, so that feels like primetime to some. This will be a good test for the revamped team and should see where we are going to be at for the season.
Week 9 – The bye is not sexy but it comes at a good time of the season. Generally teams want a bye in the middle of the season and week 9 is almost as middle as they come. They will be fresh off of playing the Titans who are going to be a really good team and it may be a good time to regroup. If the Bengals can be at .500 at this point then we are looking good for the season. Health is the key for any NFL team.
Week 13 – I think that there is a chance by week 13 that Tua will be starting in Miami and this should be a really fun game to watch. The NFL wants to see it, fans want to see it and certainly Burrow wants to beat Alabama one more time.
The Bad
Week 2 – The first real primetime game is in Week 2 and that just feels weird to me. I like that we are going into the Dog Pound and reminding Cleveland that Mayfield is overrated and that we are the kings of Ohio. Cleveland is not a bad team and playing with so much hype in primetime with a short turnaround puts the Bengals at a disadvantage. They should be healthy so that is extremely helpful but I do not like the short week and a rookie QB.
Week 14 – I was hoping that this game would come earlier for a better chance to see Dalton play against the Bengals. If Dak holds out then he could have missed the first two weeks but barring any injury we will not see Dalton start on that team with a healthy Dak. A Dallas game would never really excite me but the story line does. Dallas is also going to be a really good team and playing them later in the season doesn’t help our chances to win.
Week 15 – MNF…..at Pittsburgh…yikes. I know that this is a new team from top to bottom but going into Pittsburgh for a big game like this is never good for us. Also by week 15 we are either in a wild card hunt or the season is closing out and we are evaluating young talent. Big Ben will bring the fire (if healthy) and will want to show a young Burrow why he has ruled the division for so long. I would have really liked a home MNF game too because it’s so much more fun to watch as a fan.
The last four games – Brutal way to end. Dallas, Pittsburgh, Houston and Baltimore. These are all playoff potential teams and that is a hard way to end the season. I do like ending with Baltimore because we seem to have their number every year but they will be one of the better teams in the NFL and at week 17 will be a dog fight for playoff positioning.
Traveling – The Ravens, Steelers and Browns have the least amount of travel miles in the AFC in 2020. Teams do not like to travel and I have seen a lot of interviews with players say how it wears on you through the season as you are injured. The Ravens only leave EST once during the entire season and that is to Houston who is one hour off.