The Bengals may have just ripped the Ravens apart with 35 straight points in a 35-13 win, but the bigger story might be what comes next. At 4-2 through seven weeks, Cincinnati sits in a spot that looks even better when you zoom out to the rest of the 2026 schedule.
The AFC North race is still crowded, with the 5-2 Browns and 5-2 Steelers holding a slight edge going into Week 8. But the Bengals’ path the rest of the way is shaping up as one of the softest in the league, and that could matter a lot over the final stretch.
According to Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) on Twitter/x, Cincinnati’s remaining strength of schedule is sitting at roughly 42.5%, well below 45%. That’s what makes the Bengals’ slate stand out from the pack.
“Oh my goodness, the Bengals' remaining schedule,” @benbbadlwin commented on the "Remaining Strength of Schedule" update around the NFL prior to Week 7's Monday Night Football matchup.
The immediate road ahead is the main reason for the favorable setup. Cincinnati gets the 1-6 Tennessee Titans in Week 8, then the 3-4 Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. After that comes the 5-2 Steelers in Week 10 and the 1-4-1 Washington Commanders in Week 11, before closing November against the 2-5 New Orleans Saints.
That stretch alone gives the Bengals a real runway. And while the schedule tightens a bit later, it still doesn’t turn into a brutal grind.
In Week 13, they meet the 5-2 Browns, followed by the 5-1 Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. After that, Cincinnati draws the 3-3 Carolina Panthers in Week 15, the 2-6 Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, the 4-3 Ravens in Week 17, and then the Browns again in Week 18.
Over the next 11 games, the Chiefs are the only opponent outside the division that really jumps off the page as a major obstacle. The Ravens could have Lamar Jackson back, but there are still question marks around the team overall.
Meanwhile, the Steelers and Browns, despite sitting at 5-2, don’t look like overwhelming threats. Those are matchups this Bengals team can absolutely win.
So after starting 4-2, Cincinnati has a schedule that could set up a serious push - not just for a playoff berth, but for the AFC North title too.
In Other News...
Bengals Just Raised A Franchise-Altering Question After Crushing Baltimore
For one half, it looked like Cincinnati was staring at the same familiar problems. Then the Bengals flipped the game on Baltimore completely, rolling to a 35-13 win that suddenly gives this season a different feel. The offense did not find the end zone before halftime, but once the second half began, Joe Burrow and company turned the matchup into a showcase, and the defense matched it by keeping the Ravens out of rhythm and limiting them to 13 points.
Burrow finished with four touchdown passes, and the pass rush added four sacks as Cincinnati put together its most convincing performance of the year. It was also the kind of result that changes the conversation around a team, especially with the Bengals now riding a two-game winning streak and owning a plus-41 point margin on the season. After a start that left plenty of questions, the bigger issue now is what this version of Cincinnati might look like if it keeps showing up. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow Just Turned The Bengals Into An MVP Watch Team
Joe Burrow and the Bengals came out of Week 7 looking much more like the kind of team that can hang around the AFC race than the one that stumbled through stretches earlier in the year. Cincinnatis 35-13 win over Baltimore was not just a divisional statement, it was another reminder that when Burrow is locked in, the offense can look every bit like one of the leagues most dangerous units. The victory gave the Bengals a marquee result against a Ravens team that had been one of their measuring sticks, and it came with Burrow steering a second-half surge that strengthened his case in the NFLs award conversation.
Burrows MVP buzz is no longer just a byproduct of big-name recognition. He has climbed into the thicker part of the race, and the next stretch of games will go a long way toward showing whether this is a real push or just an early-season spike. The competition at the top is crowded, which means every efficient outing and every win matters even more for Cincinnati, especially if Burrow keeps pairing production with results in games that carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Trade Buzz Centers On One Fix For A Troubling Defensive Need
The Bengals are still being viewed through the lens of what they need most as the season moves along, and the defensive side keeps coming back into focus. With the team looking for ways to steady that unit, trade chatter has started to circle familiar names from Philadelphia, where Jalen Hurts' season-ending diagnosis has only added another layer to an already complicated situation.
Among the possibilities being discussed are linebacker Zack Baun, running back Saquon Barkley and cornerback Riq Woolen, a mix that reflects just how broad the Bengals roster questions have become. Woolen, in particular, stands out as a newer addition in Philadelphia who has already surfaced in trade conversations, which is the kind of detail that tends to keep a storyline alive even before any real movement happens. [Read more 🡒]