Coming off a 6-11 season, one of the key questions this offseason was how many primetime games the Cincinnati Bengals would get in 2026.
The answer to that is three, with two of them coming at home. And the best part is they’re both against AFC North opponents.
All three primetime games are in the second half of the regular season, and the Bengals get one of each on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday Night Football. Let’s look at all three primetime games and what we are most excited for about each one of them.
Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday Night Football)
I love this game. A primetime game, on Sunday Night Football with Cris Collinsworth on the call. We didn’t get to see a matchup between Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers in 2025. This year, we will.
Pittsburgh is a mysterious team. Are they going to be just good enough to be in contention through December?
Or, could they crater and be like a below .500 team for the first time since 2003? They still have playmakers on both sides of the ball, including Rodgers. T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward are no jokes, either.
The Steelers will have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy this season. He’s not new by any means. McCarthy is a Super Bowl-winning head coach, even though that was 16 years ago.
This will be a physical battle, especially with the Bengals coming back from Madrid the week before.
Week 11: @ Washington Commanders (Monday Night Football)
This is… eerry. If you remember Week 11 of 2020, you know.
Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels both won Heisman Trophies at LSU, and they played a shootout matchup on Monday Night Football in Week 3 of 2024. Now, we get this matchup in our nation’s capital three days before Thanksgiving.
Washington flopped severely last year, largely due to injuries. But head coach Dan Quinn didn’t make that an excuse or reason, changing both his offensive and defensive coordinators. The Commanders nailed their first round draft pick with Sonny Styles, an All-American at Ohio State.
If Jayden Daniels stays healthy this season and the young defense takes a step forward, the Commanders have every reason to believe they can get back to their 2024 magic.
Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Thursday Night Football on New Year’s Eve)
This is what we wanted… and then some. Getting the Ravens at home on Thursday Night Football is one thing. On New Year’s Eve? Pop the champagne!
Like the Steelers, the Ravens also have a new head coach. Jesse Minter is in his first head coaching job, coming over from the Chargers’ defensive coordinator position to join a team led by Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, some good receivers, and playmakers on defense.
The Ravens went 8-9 last year, missing the Playoffs because rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal at Pittsburgh as time expired in the AFC North Championship in Week 18.
I cannot wait for this game. If both the Bengals and Ravens are good, fireworks will be expected.
