The Cincinnati Bengals are off to their best start in five years, sitting at 4-2 entering Week 8. They’re also positioned better than any other team in the NFL to keep that momentum going.

Cincinnati’s remaining strength of schedule isn’t just favorable. It’s the most favorable in the league by a wide margin, and it gives the Bengals a real path toward the top of the AFC standings.

Bengals have by far the easiest remaining strength of schedule

Ben Baldwin’s strength of schedule model measures the average remaining opponent win percentage against a league-average team on a neutral field. It attempts to rate the quality of a team based on how betting markets would view them in a neutral setting.

By that measure, the Bengals have the weakest remaining opponent strength in the blended market ratings, and it isn’t close.

Being that much of an outlier in a positive way means Cincinnati is expected to be favored in the vast majority of its remaining games.

That’s a rare position for any team to be in with more than half the season still to play.

Cincinnati’s remaining opponents back up the numbers

Look at who’s left on the schedule and the numbers hold up.

The Bengals’ next game is a home matchup against the 1-6 Tennessee Titans, and Cincinnati is a double-digit favorite. Beyond Tennessee, the following clubs, with their current records, are on the docket:

• 1-4-1 Washington Commanders
• 2-5 New Orleans Saints
• 2-5 Indianapolis Colts
• 3-4 Atlanta Falcons

The Bengals are also a game out of first place in the AFC with the easiest remaining path of any team in the league.

The No. 1 seed is within reach. It’s a long road to get there, but the path is clearly there for Cincinnati to take.

Here comes the pressure the Bengals asked for

The opportunity in front of the Bengals cuts both ways. Their remaining schedule gives them a healthy dose of ambition. A team that’s already 4-2 with this kind of runway ahead has every reason to aim high, and Cincinnati can see the top seed from where it stands.

Beating the Baltimore Ravens to reach 4-2 also put a spotlight on the organization. The expectation now becomes simple: take advantage of it. Losses to teams with losing records won’t be easy to explain away when the betting markets view the Bengals as heavy favorites in most of those games.

This is also exactly what Joe Burrow and the veterans on the roster have been preaching since the start of the offseason. Urgency was the motto of the year, and I think it must continue ringing through the locker room to capitalize on what’s in front of them.