The Cincinnati Bengals are a hot commodity on the NFL schedule these days, something obvious enough recently with it suggested the team could max out its allotment of prime-time games next season.
More proof? Nick Shook at NFL.com, of all places, ranked the top most anticipated games on the schedule in 2023.
The Bengals show up twice. In the ninth slot, Cincinnati’s showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars gets the nod for obvious reasons — Joe Burrow vs. Trevor Lawrence will always be a lot of fun.
More notably, the Bengals also show up in the second slot thanks to yet another encounter with the Kansas City Chiefs:
This rivalry isn’t likely to cool any time soon. After three straight losses to Cincinnati, Kansas City vanquished their boogeyman in the most important moment last season, taking down the Bengals in a thrilling AFC Championship Game en route to a Super Bowl LVII triumph. That loss won’t be forgotten in the Queen City. The Bengals are poised to make another deep run at a title, and they know they’ll have to go through the Chiefs. Because the ultimate prize isn’t going to be on the line in this game, it’s not quite the latest installment of the NFL’s version of the Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals showdowns from 2015 to 2018, but it’s pretty close. The defending champs will have to bring everything they have to make it two straight wins in this series.
So long as both teams keep winning their divisions, the Bengals and Chiefs will keep getting matched in the regular season. There’s always the potential for a second postseason rematch each year, then, too. It certainly has the chance to be one of the NFL’s next great rivalries.
Games against the Bills, 49ers and AFC North rivals, to name a few, look like must-see games for the Bengals next year too. But it’s pretty hard to complain about the Bengals showing up twice on a Top 10 list that includes the entire league, which is a sign of the times for the franchise.
