The official list of opponents in 2023 for the Cincinnati Bengals offers some really interesting possible season-opening matchups.
We now know the Bengals won’t open the season against the Kansas City Chiefs, as that has been slated for a major Week 17, New Year’s Eve showdown late in the season.
But plenty of great showdowns remain possible for Week 1. The one that immediately jumps to mind is an encounter with the Buffalo Bills, a playoff rematch. But if we follow the same logic the league just used for the Chiefs game, it’s a safe bet schedule-makers want to keep that for late in the season when playoff seeding is likely at stake.
One interesting thing to keep in mind for the opener is showdowns with NFC teams. A Super Bowl rematch with the Los Angeles Rams to start the season would be fun. So would a theorized Super Bowl matchup this year with the San Francisco 49ers.
One year ago, the Bengals opened the season against the AFC North with a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That could always be the route the schedule takes and all three teams would make for great matchups.
Even an AFC battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving fans Joe Burrow vs. Trevor Lawrence, would be a lot of fun.
If the NFL doesn’t want to go the heavyweight matchup route for the Bengals in the opener, there are a host of rebuilding teams like the Texans, Colts, Cardinals and more capable of serving as a Week 1 game.
Either way, the Bengals remain expected to get a large portion of primetime games in 2023 and will also benefit from an important schedule silver lining.
