The good, bad, and ugly from the Bengals’ official 2025 schedule

The good, bad, and ugly from the Bengals’ official 2025 schedule
Cincy Jungle Cincy Jungle

Season opener in Cleveland, Thanksgiving night appearance, and so much more.

The 2025 schedule for the Cincinnati Bengals has officially arrived, and it is quite interesting for many different reasons.

The Bengals are set to host one primetime game in the Jungle and will also travel for three primetime matchups.

Yet again, Cincinnati is shunned by the NFL scheduling team for primetime home games but will see the Ravens in Baltimore under the lights for the 500th year in a row (slight exaggeration, maybe).

Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly for the upcoming season...

The Good

Cincinnati has an opportunity to open the season with a divisional win on the road against Cleveland.

Before you pounce at that, yes, the Bengals have been flat-out horrible to start the past few seasons, but the urgency will be there this year after they missed the playoffs in 2024 because of it.

Plus, this is a chance for the Bengals to start their AFC North record off with a win as well.

Paycor Stadium will then host a sold-out crowd to kick off the home slate, with the Jacksonville Jaguars coming to town.

This will likely be an offensive showdown with Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter visiting.

The Bengals also have a favorable bye week (Week 10) this season. It is almost right in the middle of the schedule, giving the team a breather before the back half of the season.

Cincinnati will also have three straight home games in Weeks 7-9, hosting the Steelers on Thursday Night Football, then the Jets, followed by the Bears. That will then lead them directly into the bye week.

The team will also close the regular season out with back-to-back home games, hosting the Cardinals and Browns.

And, of course, the Bengals will be on every television Thanksgiving night against the Ravens!

Does it suck that it is on the road for a major holiday? Yes, but hey, we get to watch Joe Burrow play football that day. I will be thankful for it!

The Bad

Well, it is no secret the NFL scheduling crew does no favors for the city of Cincinnati.

The Bengals will be on the road for three of the first four weeks of the season.

Cincinnati will visit Cleveland in Week 1, Minnesota in Week 3, and Denver in Week 4.

That is a tough stretch for a team that has struggled to get the engine going early in the season...

The month of November and early December will also be challenging this season, but the Bengals have been stellar in that time since drafting Joe Burrow, so that is a positive.

The Bengals will have three road games in four games again... This time, the stakes will likely be much higher than earlier in the season.

Cincinnati will head to Pittsburgh on Week 11 (Nov. 16), Baltimore on Week 13 (Thanksgiving night), and then Buffalo on Week 14 (Dec. 7).

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