The Cincinnati Bengals are hitting pause in Week 6, but with a crowded AFC North race and plenty of questions still to answer, the bye week comes at an important point in their 2026 campaign.
Cincinnati enters the week at 3-2 after earning a 31-24 road victory over the Miami Dolphins, giving the team some positive momentum heading into its week off.
One major storyline has been the health of quarterback Joe Burrow, whose availability has been a recurring concern early in recent seasons. So far, Burrow has made it through the first five weeks, giving the Bengals a chance to build consistency on offense. However, the production of star receiversJa'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins has been uneven, while Chase Brown and the running game have struggled to find
their footing.
Cincinnati's defense has been a bright spot, showing significant improvement following a historically poor 2025 season. Still, the Bengals have little room for error in an unforgiving AFC North, where all four teams are above .500 entering Week 6.
With a lighter schedule later in the season, the Bengals will need to capitalize on every opportunity if they hope to make a serious playoff push. With Cincinnati getting a chance to rest, what does the rest of the Bengals' 2026 schedule look like?
Are the Bengals playing today?
The Bengals get a break this week, a third of the way through the NFL season, with their bye week. Cincinnati is one of four teams on their bye during Week 6. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins are the other teams off this week.
The Bengals return from their break with a massive AFC North clash on the road against divisional rival Baltimore. After that, the Bengals face the lowly Titans at home in Week 8 before heading overseas for a road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, Spain.
- Week 7 (Oct. 25): at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
- Week 8 (Nov. 1): vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
- Week 9 (Nov. 8): at Atlanta Falcons, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network (Madrid)
Cincinnati Bengals schedule
- Week 1 (Sept. 13): Bengals 33, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27
- Week 2 (Sept. 20): Bengals 20, Houston Texans 6
- Week 3 (Sept. 27): Pittsburgh Steelers 30, Bengals 27
- Week 4 (Oct. 4): Jacksonville Jaguars 22, Bengals 17
- Week 5 (Oct. 11): Bengals 31, Miami Dolphins 24
- Week 6: BYE
- Week 7 (Oct. 25): at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
- Week 8 (Nov. 1): vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
- Week 9 (Nov. 8): at Atlanta Falcons, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network (Madrid)
- Week 10 (Nov. 15): vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC ("Sunday Night Football")
- Week 11 (Nov. 23): at Washington Commanders, 8:15 p.m., ESPN ("Monday Night Football")
- Week 12 (Nov. 29): vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
- Week 13 (Dec. 6): at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
- Week 14 (Dec. 13): vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET., Fox
- Week 15 (Dec. 20): at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET., Fox
- Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts
- Week 17 (Dec. 31): vs. Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime (New Year's Eve, "Thursday Night Football")
- Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns
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AFC North standings
- Baltimore Ravens: (4-1)
- Cleveland Browns: (3-2)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: (3-2)
- Cincinnati Bengals: (3-2)
NFL Week 6 schedule
Here's a look at the Week 6 schedule (all times Eastern):
Thursday, Oct. 15
- Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Sunday, Oct. 18
- Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars (Wembley, London), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network
- Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., Fox
- Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., Fox
- Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., Fox
- New York Jets at New England Patriots, 1 p.m., CBS
- New Orleans Saints at New York Giants, 1 p.m., Fox
- Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m., CBS
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS
- Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m., Fox
- Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m., CBS
- Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m., CBS
- Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Monday, Oct. 19
- Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are the Bengals playing today? NFL Week 6 schedule, next game, AFC North standings
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