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Cincinnati Bengals: Early 2018 game-by-game season predictions

By Kenn Korb

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Members of the Cincinnati Bengals take the field before the start of their game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Members of the Cincinnati Bengals take the field before the start of their game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 16: Cedric Peerman #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a first down during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 16, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 16: Cedric Peerman #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates a first down during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 16, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Week 9

BYE WEEK

At 4-4, Cincinnati has plenty of opportunity left to make their season matter, but if they do end up missing the playoffs for the third season in a row, losing to Tampa Bay could end up proving to have been the first nail in that coffin. It’s too soon to guarantee that depressing end though, so don’t expect Cincinnati to just roll over and accept it.

Week 10

Cincinnati Bengals @ New Orleans Saints

Losing before the bye week to Tampa Bay is a huge missed opportunity, but with a couple weeks to dwell on it and heal up, Cincinnati finds itself with plenty of time to make up for it. Their first chance is against a Saints team which may take a step back from the level they reached last season. That team recovered from an 0-2 start to being one horribly timed missed tackle away from being in the NFC Championship Game, but it took a great deal of fortuitous lucky breaks to recover from the early hole.

Based on their schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising to see their record equal Cincinnati’s when they meet. Talent-wise, the Saints have a decided advantage, but between the Bengals coming in rested off the bye week and having the game in their house, the margins should be close enough to overcome. As disappointing as the Tampa Bay loss was, beating the Saints will make up for it.

Cincinnati 27, New Orleans 24

Record: 5-4

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Week 11

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens

Beating Baltimore in their past two contests may have felt great, but it means next to nothing for this one. By now, if Baltimore has struggled throughout the start of the year, they may have already turned to their possible future face of the franchise in Lamar Jackson. Adding a rookie into the mix is always a wild-card; on one hand he could invigorate the team with a skill-set defenses have yet to plan for, but on the other his inexperience could keep the offense too disjointed to function.

If it is the former, Cincinnati is in major trouble; if the latter, their defensive line could take the game for them. Because Baltimore will be coming in off their bye week — thus giving them an extra week to prepare — I lean towards the former with a last-minute score to steal away the victory from the Bengals.

Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 16

Record: 5-5

Week 12

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals

Another week, another game against a team coming in off their bye week. Luckily, this week that team is the perennially moribund Browns. This team should definitely be more competent and competitive than the ones Cincinnati faced the past two years, but even with more talent than before this is still a team deeply entrenched in a long-term rebuild.

If Cincinnati is going to be true playoff contenders this year, they must beat teams like this. Though either of Tyrod Taylor or Baker Mayfield would be an upgrade over the quarterbacking we’ve seen from Cleveland for the past forever, the team should still be vulnerable enough throughout for a flawed Cincinnati team get back above .500.

Cincinnati 31, Cleveland 21

Record: 6-5

Week 13

Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals

After following a league-best defense to a Super Bowl win a few years ago, Denver has taken multiple steps back. The defense has stayed relatively good in the years since, but it did drop from league-best to top ten; pair that with an offense that was already not great with Peyton Manning (and has only gotten worse since his retirement), and you see a team with smaller margins of error that couldn’t survive their issues without a Hall of Famer under center.

Offseason moves should help improve both sides of the ball, including the addition of Case Keenum under center after a career year in Minnesota. Another rough-and-tumble defensive struggle appears likely in the works, and I give the edge to the home team this round.

Cincinnati 19, Denver 13

Record: 7-5

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