NFL releases Cincinnati Bengals' full 2023 schedule
The Cincinnati Bengals' 2023 regular season schedule is officially out, and plenty of marquee matchups are on the docket. The Bengals have nine home games and just eight on the road, including four primetime games for their 2023 slate. This year, the AFC South and NFC West will make up half of the Bengals' schedule […]
The Cincinnati Bengals' 2023 regular season schedule is officially out, and plenty of marquee matchups are on the docket. The Bengals have nine home games and just eight on the road, including four primetime games for their 2023 slate.
This year, the AFC South and NFC West will make up half of the Bengals' schedule as a part of the yearly rotations. The Bengals last played the entire AFC South in 2020, and the NFC West in 2019. And, obviously, Cincinnati will AFC North teams a total of six times.
As the reigning AFC North champions, the Bengals technically have a "first-place schedule," indicating that they'll play division winners from the two other AFC divisions they weren't already scheduled to play, and an NFC division winner.
Here is the full schedule:
- Week 1: @ Cleveland Browns (Sunday, Sep. 10, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Sunday, Sept. 17, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Monday, Sep. 25, 8:15pm ET)
- Week 4: @ Tennessee Titans (Sunday, Oct. 1, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 5: @ Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, Oct. 8, 4:05pm ET)
- Week 6: vs. Seattle Seahawks (Sunday, Oct. 15, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 7: BYE
- Week 8: @ San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, Oct. 29, 4:25pm ET)
- Week 9: vs. Buffalo Bills (Sunday, Nov. 5, 8:20pm ET)
- Week 10: vs. Houston Texans (Sunday, Nov. 12, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 11: @ Baltimore Ravens (Thursday, Nov. 16, 8:15pm ET)
- Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday, Nov. 26, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 13: @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Monday, Dec. 4, 8:15pm ET)
- Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, Dec. 10, 1:00pm ET)
- Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Saturday OR Sunday, Dec. 16 OR 17, TBD)
- Week 16: @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Saturday, Dec. 23, 4:30pm ET)
- Week 17: @ Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, Dec. 31, 4:25pm ET)
- Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns (TBD)
For the first time in 12 years, the Bengals will face the Cleveland Browns to begin the season. It's also their first road opener since 2019, the first year of the Zac Taylor era. Cincinnati is 4-4 against AFC North opponents in Week 1 since the modern formation of the division occurred in 2002.
By hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, the Bengals will be playing back-to-back AFC North opponents for just the third time ever, and the first since 2012 when they went 1-1 against the Ravens and Browns.
Week 3 brings the Bengals' first of four primetime games this season as they'll play the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of Super Bowl LVI. The Rams haven't played in Cincinnati since 2015, during the Bengals' 12-4 division-winning season.
Last season, the Bengals had five scheduled primetime games (only three were played), including three against AFC North opponents. They're down to just four this year, and only one against a division rival in the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. The Bengals lucked out by not getting handed two TNF matchups, but that can unfortunately change as the season progresses.
Weeks 16 and 17 could technically be looked at as primetime slots, as they'll get an isolated time on CBS with their flagship broadcast crew led by Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the call. The Bengals will be on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs in those respective weeks.
Two of the Bengals' final four games don't have scheduled dates or times yet, as they could be flexed either to Saturday of that week, or the kickoff time could change based on other circumstances.
