The Cincinnati Bengals are off this Sunday.
After their Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati heads into a Week 6 bye, so Zac Taylor’s team won’t be part of Sunday’s schedule. The timing, according to the Bengals, may have worked out well given the injuries they’re dealing with.
Cincinnati’s next game comes in Week 7, when it travels to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, October 25. There’s at least a chance the Bengals could catch Baltimore without Lamar Jackson because of injury.
The bye comes after a 3-2 start for the Bengals, who opened the year with a 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, followed by a 20-6 victory at the Houston Texans. They then dropped back-to-back games at the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-27, and at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 22-17, before bouncing back against Miami, 31-24.
Here’s how Cincinnati’s schedule looks from here:
Week 7: Oct. 25 at Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m. ET
Week 8: Nov. 1 vs. Tennessee Titans 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: Nov. 8 at Atlanta Falcons (Madrid) 9:30 a.m. ET
Week 10: Nov. 15 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (SNF) 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 11: Nov. 23 at Washington Commanders (MNF) 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 12: Nov. 29 vs. New Orleans Saints 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: Dec. 6 at Cleveland Browns 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: Dec. 13 vs. Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 15: Dec. 20 at Carolina Panthers 1 p.m. ET
Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts TBD
Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens (TNF) 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns TDB
In Other News...
Bengals Face A Risky Shemar Stewart Decision Fans Will Debate
Injury issues in the secondary have left the Bengals with a real need to keep exploring options, and that is why a trade concept involving defensive end Shemar Stewart has surfaced. The idea would bring back slot cornerback Dru Phillips and future draft compensation, giving Cincinnati a potential answer to a thin defensive backfield while also asking the front office to weigh short-term help against a player still early in his career.
It is the kind of move that would spark plenty of debate around the Bengals because Stewart remains the sort of young piece teams usually prefer to keep building around. The proposal makes clear how much a cornerback need can change the conversation, but it also acknowledges the obvious hurdle: Cincinnati is not expected to move on from Stewart this early, and there has been no confirmed trade. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Fans Have Real Draft Reasons To Watch Ohio State-Indiana
Ohio State and Indiana may be meeting for reasons that go far beyond the Big Ten standings for Bengals fans who have already started thinking about next spring. The game offers a useful look at a cluster of draft-eligible prospects who could line up with Cincinnatis roster needs, and the Bengals recent draft history only adds to the appeal as they continue sorting through where help might be needed.
Among the names worth tracking are Austin Siereveld, Amare Ferrell and Jermaine Mathews, each of whom could draw Bengals attention for different reasons. Sierevelds versatility makes him a logical offensive-line watch, while the secondary picture could be just as relevant depending on how Cincinnati navigates several looming decisions there, making this one of those college matchups that feels a little more important in Cincinnati than it might elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Bryan Cooks Bengals Role Just Got Even More Emotional
Bryan Cooks arrival in Cincinnati already carried a local angle, but the timing only adds to it. The Bengals are trying to stabilize a defense that has been hit by injuries, and an early bye week gives the staff a little breathing room as it sorts through the next stretch of the schedule. For a safety viewed as a key piece on that side of the ball, the setting is about more than just fit on the field. It is also about stepping into a room that needs help and doing it in front of the people who know his background best.
Cooks role comes against the backdrop of a Bengals season still taking shape, with the early returns from the draft class under the microscope and a matchup with the Tennessee Titans coming up soon. Around the league, roster movement is happening everywhere, but Cincinnatis interest is more immediate: how quickly the defense can get healthy, how the younger additions hold up, and how much Cook can matter once the games get tighter. [Read more 🡒]