What is the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2021 NFL schedule, how many primetime games do they play, and who are the toughest and easiest opponents on their schedule this season?
Cincinnati Bengals Preseason Schedule
All times listed below are Eastern Time.
PS1: at Buccaneers | 7:30 | TBD
PS2: at Washington | TBD
PS3: vs. Dolphins | 4 PM | CBS
Cincinnati Bengals Schedule | 2021 Regular Season
All days are Sunday unless otherwise noted. All times listed below are Eastern Time.
Week 1: vs. Vikings | 1 PM | FOX
Week 2: at Bears | 1 PM | FOX
Week 3: at Steelers | 1 PM | CBS
Week 4: vs. Jaguars | TNF | 8:20 PM | NFLN
Week 5: vs. Packers | 1 PM | FOX
Week 6: at Lions | 1 PM | FOX
Week 7: at Ravens | 1 PM | CBS
Week 8: at Jets | 1 PM | CBS
Week 9: vs. Browns | 1 PM | CBS
Week 10: Bye
Week 11: at Raiders | 4:05 PM | CBS
Week 12: vs. Steelers | 1 PM | CBS
Week 13: vs. Chargers | 1 PM | FOX
Week 14: vs. 49ers | 1 PM | CBS
Week 15: at Broncos | 4:05 PM | CBS
Week 16: vs. Ravens | 1 PM | CBS
Week 17: vs. Chiefs | 1 PM | CBS
Week 18: at Browns | 1 PM | CBS
How many primetime games do the Bengals play in 2021?
The Bengals have one primetime game, which will be against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4.
When is the Bengals’ bye week?
The Bengals’ bye week is in Week 10.
Bengals strength of schedule and win/loss prediction
The Bengals will face one of the hardest schedules in the NFL in 2021. Overall, Cincinnati’s schedule ranks as the fifth-hardest, and the second toughest in the AFC North, according to Vegas win totals. The home-road split sees the Bengals facing a tough schedule at home. Their road schedule ranks as the seventh easiest, while the home schedule ranks as the second toughest.
Toughest opponents
Of the Bengals’ five games against teams projected to win double-digit games, four will be played at home. The NFL schedule has been somewhat cruel to the Bengals in 2021, with the 17th-game schedule matching them up against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite finishing last in the NFC West in 2020, the 49ers project to win 10.5 games in 2021.
The remaining three home games come against the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Green Bay Packers. Regardless of how well Joe Burrow returns, those games will be tough for the Bengals to get anything out of. The toughest road game also comes against the Ravens, who are projected to win 11 games by Vegas in 2021.
Easiest opponents
While the home schedule is brutal for the Bengals in the 2021 NFL season, the road schedule has five games against teams projected to win 7.5 or fewer games. The Bengals will travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos. Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets. All five of those games are potentially winnable games for the Bengals, especially if Burrow is under center.
The only team they face at home who is projected to win fewer than 7.5 games are the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Trevor Lawrence starting, the Jaguars are an unknown, and they have assembled a solid group around Lawrence. If Burrow is healthy, this game will generate a lot of excitement with the two most recent No. 1 overall selections going head-to-head.
2021 season prediction
Unlike most NFL teams, the success of Cincinnati’s season does not lie with their record within their division. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Ravens are all expected to be playoff contenders this year, meaning the Bengals are almost expected to lose to them.
Therefore, the success of the Bengals’ 2021 NFL season will largely rest on the remainder of the schedule. If they can get four wins out of those six games that are the softer part of their schedule, then that would actually be a solid showing given the difficulty of this schedule. Their Vegas win total is currently set at 6.5, but that feels a lot like a ceiling given the circumstances entering 2021.
Projected 2021 record: 5-12
Want more NFL news and analysis?
Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@PFN365) to stay in the loop on all things around the NFL. Also, continue to visit Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis concerning the 2021 season and beyond.