Cincinnati Bengals 2025-2026 Season Prediction

The Cincinnati Bengals are an interesting team to monitor this season. Just two seasons ago, this team had all the promise in the world. They had an AFC Championship appearance and were a controversial call away from making two straight Super Bowls. Now, they are coming off back-to-back 9-8 seasons where they missed the playoffs. FanDuel has their over/under at 9.5 wins. Let’s dive into their schedule and see if they can turn things around.

Bengals’ Stong Start

Week 1: @ Cleveland Browns W
Week 2: vs Jacksonville Jaguars W
Week 3: @ Minnesota Vikings L
Week 4 @ Denver Broncos (Monday Night Football) L

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals, NFL — Bengals’ WR Ja’Marr Chase – PFF_Fantasy / via X

With the Bengals starting slowly the past few seasons, they must start positively. One on the road against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 is just the start they need. Joe Burrow and Cincy’s starters played more in the preseason than in years prior. I expect their offense to come out of the gate right where they left off last season and get their first win in Week 1 since 2021.

Hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in their home opener should be a relatively easy task. The Bengals will be in many shootouts this season, and I expect them to win a significant number of them. Assuming Liam Cohen can improve Trevor Lawrence’s play, this game has all the makings of a 38-35 game written all over it. Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will continue to be one of the best 1-2 punches in the NFL as Cincinnati wins a nailbiter.

Here is when the Bengals meet their first test. Heading north to take on the Minnesota Vikings will be a challenge. This will be the first sign where the leaks in the defense start to show. Kevin O’Connell will draw up a perfect game plan of keep away, making Burrow watch most of the game from the sideline. We all know defense wins championships; it can also win in the regular season. Vikings’ defense gets timely stops, and Cincy’s high-powered offense watches from the sideline as they suffer their first defeat of the season.

Back-to-back road games can be challenging, but going from Minnesota to Mile High is something else. When these two teams went against each other last season, it was one of the best games of the year. What can we expect in the rematch? The improved Denver Broncos are expected to win this game. The additions that Denver made in the offseason will limit the Bengals ‘ pass-first offense, and the Bengals’ defense, besides defensive end Trey Hendrickson can’t stop a nosebleed.

The Tough Road Continues

Week 5: vs Detroit Lions L
Week 6: @ Green Bay Packers W
Week 7: vs Pittsburgh Steelers (Thurday Night Football) W
Week 8: vs New York Jets W
Week 9: vs Chicago Bears L
Week 10: BYE

Coming off their two-game road stretch, it should be a coming-home party, right. Wrong. The Bengals are hosting, arguably, the best roster in the NFL: the Detroit Lions. This game marks one of the most challenging games on Cincinnati’s schedule. I expect an almost one-sided affair. The Lions’ offensive line will maul Cincy’s defensive line. One of the best ways to stop a Burrow-led offense this season will be keeping him on the sideline. Detroit controls the clock and cruises to a comfortable win.

After their three-game losing streak, the Bengals get back on track. The Packers are one of the most over-hyped teams in the NFL heading into next season. Despite the Micah Parsons trade, their roster is extremely top-heavy. A very turnover-dependent defense won’t be able to generate the takeaways necessary to win this game. Josh Jacobs would scare me if I were a Bengals fan, but the receiving core of Cincinnati will shine in this game.

Welcome to primetime at home. Hosting their bitter rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Burrow and the Bengals will have their hands full. These two teams split their season series. Cincy wins round one at home. Chase Squared, Ja’Marr, and Chase Brown combine for two touchdowns as they win a close 28-24 game at home. As a Steelers fan, it makes me sick losing to division rivals in primetime, ha-ha.

The Bengals get their third straight victory after a nice win at home, buoyed by a well-deserved 10-day rest. If you are a fan of WR-CB battles, look no further than this game. Sauce Gardner going up against Chase will have Chad Ochocinco telling us to “get our popcorn ready.” I don’t think the Jets have the offensive firepower to keep up as the home team pulls away in this game.

Cincinnati ends its three-game homestand by hosting the Chicago Bears. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams walking into the tigers’ lair may seem like a challenging task, but he is going up against a defense that can be taken advantage of. Now, let’s turn to the other side. The Bears have the talent to be one of the best defenses in the NFL and will get after Burrow in this game. Chicago wins a lower-scoring affair and snaps the Bengals’ three-game winning streak.

Rubber Meets the Road

Week 11: @ Pittsburgh Steelers L
Week 12: vs New England Patriots W
Weel 13: @ Baltimore Ravens (Thanksgiving Night) L
Week 14: @ Buffalo Bills L

Trey Hendrickson, NFL, Cincinnati Bengals — Bengals’ DE Trey Hendrickson – RaiderNationWW / via X

When it comes to the division, outside of Cleveland, I see many splits in the AFC North. I have the Bengals losing this game on the road. The Steelers‘ pass rush will prove too much for them in their rematch. I can see Cincy taking round one. I can’t see a scenario where they sweep Pittsburgh. Lastly, their defense doesn’t have the talent or scheme to slow down a talented offense twice.

They snap their two-game losing streak with a nice win at home against the New England Patriots. Last season, New England upset the Bengals in Week 1. This game is expected to be a low-scoring affair. Much like the Jets’ game, the CB/WR battle will be a sight to watch. The Pats have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Christian Gonzalez. He will have his hands full with Chase, assuming he follows him the entirety of the game. Cincy pulls out the win late and moves to 6-5 on the season.

On the road against the Ravens marks the start of a tough three-game stretch. Playing in primetime in Baltimore on Thanksgiving, this is the game that Derrick Henry dominates. The Bengals’ inability to stop the run will be the most significant reason they lose this game. Don’t be surprised if he goes for 200+ rushing yards. If there is a game where a team doubles up the time of possession, it’s this one.

Does it get any easier the following week? Nope. Coming off a tough loss to the Ravens, Cincinnati heads to Buffalo to take on the Bills. Transitioning from defending one MVP to another will be challenging. What Josh Allen will do to the Bengals’ defense should be illegal. This is a complete Buffalo team against a Cincy team that can only win one way. The Bills’ front four will dominate, and Allen will put on a masterclass.

Bengals’ Playoff Push

Week 15: vs Baltimore Ravens W
Week 16: @ Miami Dolphins (Sunday Night Football) W
Week 17: vs Arizona Cardinals L
Week 18: vs Cleveland Browns W

Cincinnati earns a much-needed win, which marks the start of their potential playoff push. Playing at home, desperation will fuel the Bengals’ fire. Picking up a nice win over Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will be impressive this late in the season. Joe Burrow will light up the scoreboard and win a shootout just like many of their other wins as they break their two-game skid.

After a quality win at home, the Bengals travel south to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Night Football. This is an excellent spot for Cincinnati to continue its positive play. Tua will be able to move the ball on a lackluster defense, but his inability to avoid the rush will be their undoing.

Hosting the Arizona Cardinals should be an easy task in theory. I see this being a trap game for the Bengals. A trap they will fall into. Kyler Murray is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL and will likely cause problems for a defense that struggles to handle him. Another issue for the Bengals is who will cover Marvin Harrison Jr. and how they will slow down Trey McBride. This is a loss that might cost them postseason contention.

To round out their season, hosting the Cleveland Browns will be a walk in the Dawg Park, ha-ha. Cincinnati will cruise to a comfortable win in a spot they desperately need to. The Browns will have nothing to play for by this point in the season and will reap no benefits from winning. The Bengals win and cross their fingers that they make the playoffs.

Final Thoughts

The Bengals will finish with a 9-8 record for the third consecutive season. Will it be enough to make the postseason? Who knows? The only thing you can etch into this year for Cincinnati is that they will have one of the best QB-WR trios in the league and have the talent to be a top 10 offense in the NFL. Do you think Cincy will return to the postseason, or will it be another dull year?

As always, thank you so much for checking out my prediction for the Cincinnati Bengals’ season! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! We hope you’re enjoying your day, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.