2022 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

Rob Carr/Getty Images

After arriving well ahead of schedule, the Cincinnati Bengals are going to find out what it means to go from the hunter to the hunted.

Around this time last year, Bengals fans were simply hoping to have Joe Burrow healthy for a full season. Nobody expected Cincinnati to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and reach the Super Bowl.

That Super Bowl LVI defeat to the Los Angeles Rams badly exposed the Bengals' Achilles heel, though, as the quarterback was sacked seven times. Were it not for the MCL sprain he suffered, Cincinnati might have held on for the win in the fourth quarter.

Not surprisingly, the team fortified its offensive line this offseason by signing La'el Collins, Alex Cappa and Ted Karras.

Because of the futility that has dominated the franchise's history, Bengals fans know better than to assume another run at a title is a given in 2022. Cincinnati missed the playoffs altogether after Super Bowl XXIII and notched one postseason victory over the next three decades. 

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

For the first time in a long time, though, the Bengals are entering a season as genuine title contenders.

2022 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule

Full schedule and television info is available on team's official website.

Analysis

If the Bengals get back to the playoffs, they will have earned it.

Cincinnati will welcome the Chiefs back to Paul Brown Stadium. Kansas City will be looking to exact a measure of revenge, and Patrick Mahomes will likely savor the opportunity to outshine a conference rival in Burrow.

As if that's not enough, a home test against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills is on the docket as well. 

The Bills signal-caller followed up his MVP runner-up finish in 2020 by throwing for 4,407 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 763 yards and six scores. His breakout two years ago was no fluke.

After giving up 552 yards and 42 points to the Chiefs in the divisional round, Buffalo signed Von Miller as a signal of intent for 2022.

The Bengals have road trips with two more playoff teams from outside of their division.

The New England Patriots should be better with Mac Jones at quarterback now that he has a full season under his belt. The Tennessee Titans will be banking on a full season from Derrick Henry after he was limited to eight games.

Outside of the AFC, a date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became more imposing overnight when Tom Brady ended his brief retirement and returned to the team. The Dallas Cowboys might be perennial underachievers in the postseason but represent a formidable opponent.

Aside from the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New York Jets, there aren't many games on Cincinnati's schedule in which you can picture the AFC champion coasting comfortably.

Pivotal Matchups

Depending on what the AFC playoff field looks like, those games against the Bills, Chiefs, Patriots and Titans could be very important in terms of seeding.

More than any other, the six games on the Bengals' AFC North fate will likely determine whether they build on their 2021 success or fall well short of expectations.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering into a new post-Ben Roethlisberger era, but there might not be much of a transition in the Steel City. Going from the veteran to Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett may even be an upgrade based on how much Big Ben's skills had diminished.

Assuming they aren't ravaged by injuries once again, the odds aren't good the Baltimore Ravens finish with a losing record after going 8-9. Lamar Jackson is also trying to play his way into a massive extension.

The Cleveland Browns couldn't help playing to type in 2021 and being a mess, but now they have Deshaun Watson. The extent of his involvement remains unknown, though, since the NFL has yet to weigh in on the sexual misconduct allegations that led to 22 civil lawsuits and a police investigation.

Cincinnati went 4-2 against division foes last season. Repeating that win total will be the minimum requirement for the Bengals to retain their AFC North crown.