Training camp for the 2019-2020 season has begun! Last Word on Pro Football is analyzing the schedules of all 32 teams. Each team’s 16-game slate will be split into its most difficult (1-8) and easiest games (9-16). This article will focus on the Cincinnati Bengals most difficult games of the 2019 schedule, highlighting their most difficult games.
The easiest games on the 2019 Bengals schedule.
Cincinnati Bengals Most Difficult Games of 2019
1. Week 15: vs New England Patriots
Going up against Tom Brady and the Patriots will be a tall task for the Bengals. Cincinnati has a history of struggling against playoff teams. Last season they had a 1-5 record against playoff teams and 0-5 versus teams who were still in the fight in January. New England is the mother of all playoff teams. With sure-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback Brady at the helm, the Patriots have won six Super Bowls. The Pats even came back from a 25-point deficit in Super Bowl LI vs the Atlanta Falcons.
This game isn’t until late in the season, which means both teams could have multiple injuries. With New England, they truly live by the “next man up” mentality. Barring a Brady injury, no matter who goes down, this team continues to operate like a well-oiled machine. The Bengals typically aren’t so fortunate, and they already have a significant injury issue with A.J. Green.
2. Week Four: at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Bengals-Steelers rivalry might be the worst in the entire NFL. Nearly every time these teams meet, the game gets chippy. Players on both sides allow their emotions to get the best of them. In past meetings, tensions have been high. The Bengals also tend to let the Steelers get in their head, and as a result, they do not play up to their potential. This is a night game on national TV. Night games have never been kind to Cincy. The Bengals have always struggled under the bright lights.
3. Week Eight: at Los Angeles Rams
Last year the Rams made it to the Super Bowl and, of course, lost to the Patriots. However, Super Bowl LIII was low-scoring and defensively aggressive. Jared Goff, nicknamed Mr. Perfect, threw for 4,688 yards, had a 64.9 completion percentage, and racked up 32 touchdowns in 2018. Under the direction of highly esteemed coach Sean McVay, Goff and the Rams are headed for likely another successful season. They will certainly be tough to beat.
4. Week One: at Seattle Seahawks
Any team that plays in Seattle must face the infamous “12th man.” The fans at Century Link Field are notorious for being so loud that the opposing team can’t hear their play calls. In 2013, the facility was named the loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium in the Guinness Book Book of World Records for volume measurement of 136.6 decibels and one of 137.6 decibels in 2014. Even though Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton, has a calm and collected demeanor most of the time, he doesn’t perform well while under pressure.
Also, the Bengals’ struggles with beating playoff teams haunt them again. The Seahawks’ offensive line was sloppy at the beginning of the 2018 season, yet they made it to the playoffs.
5. Week 12: vs Steelers
The chances of the Steelers sweeping the Bengals are high. Even without Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh still has Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Whether Cincinnati wants to admit it or not, the Steelers are in their heads. Although this is a home game for the Bengals, they’ll likely be too focused on the intense rivalry to win the game.
5. Week 14: at Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield sure turned heads last season with his incredible performance as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. After taking over on Thursday Night Football at home against the New York Jets in Week Three, Mayfield led his team to their first win of the season. The Browns swept the Bengals in 2018 with a score of 26-18 in Cleveland and a score of 35-20 in Cincinnati. In both meetings, the Bengals seemed to struggle against this team they used to beat easily. The Browns are eager to introduce Odell Beckham Jr., their newest edition. Yahoo Sports reports that OBJ is hyped about the chemistry he shares on the field with the young sophomore quarterback.
7. Week Seven: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Nick Foles shined as the backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was the MVP of Super Bowl LII, and he helped the Eagles make the playoffs last season. Now, Foles is the Jaguars starting quarterback, and sources say he looked sharp in their joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens. SportsNaut ranks the Jags’ defense as the tenth best in the league. A top-ranked defense combined with the skills of Foles will be tough to beat.
8. Week 16: at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have a new head coach, former defensive assistant of the Patriots, Brian Flores. He had been with New England in many capacities since 2004. Miami is hoping he brings with him secrets from the Bill Belichick coaching tree. The Dolphins’ new head coach is the only factor placing them as the Bengals’ eighth most difficult game for the 2019 season.
Miami second-year quarterback Josh Rosen started his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals. In his rookie year, Rosen threw 14 interceptions. Miami’s QB 2 is Ryan Fitzpatrick or Fitzmagic as he became known as last season. He managed to rack up 12 interceptions last year as well. Sure, Fitzmagic came in clutch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few times last year, but not without some costly mistakes. In fact, Fitzpatrick has 148 career interceptions. This game could easily go in the Bengals’ favor.
Be sure to check out the Cincinnati Bengals easiest games of 2019, ranked 9-16.
