Bengals 2015 Preview: Complete Cincinnati Guide for Preseason, Season
Months turn into weeks and weeks will soon change to days before the Cincinnati Bengals take the field again in a live game.
August 14 is the date to circle for head coach Marvin Lewis and his team as they play host to the New York Giants in their first game of the preseason. Less than a month later, the Bengals will be at the O.co Coliseum to clash with the Oakland Raiders in Week 1.
In other words, business is about to pick up in the Queen City.
While the Bengals work through the heat of summer to prepare for the season, let's take a moment to look at some of the biggest items surrounding the preseason and season.
Bengals' 2015 Schedule
1 of 7| Preseason | |||
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent |
| 1 | August 14 | 7:30 p.m. | New York Giants |
| 2 | August 24 | 8 p.m. | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 3 | August 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Chicago Bears |
| 4 | September 3 | 7 p.m. | at Indianapolis Colts |
| Regular Season | |||
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent |
| 1 | September 13 | 4:25 pm. | at Oakland Raiders |
| 2 | September 20 | 1 p.m. | San Diego Chargers |
| 3 | September 27 | 1 p.m. | at Baltimore Ravens |
| 4 | October 4 | 1 p.m. | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 5 | October 11 | 1 p.m. | Seattle Seahawks |
| 6 | October 18 | 1 p.m. | at Buffalo Bills |
| 7 | BYE | ||
| 8 | November 1 | 1 p.m. | at Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 9 | November 5 | 8:25 p.m. | Cleveland Browns |
| 10 | November 16 | 8:30 p.m. | Houston Texans |
| 11 | November 22 | 4:05 p.m. | at Arizona Cardinals |
| 12 | November 29 | 1 p.m. | St. Louis Rams |
| 14 | December 6 | 1 p.m. | at Cleveland Browns |
| 14 | December 13 | 1 p.m. | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 15 | December 20 | 8:30 p.m. | at San Francisco 49ers |
| 16 | December 28 | 8:30 p.m. | at Denver Broncos |
| 17 | January 3 | 1 p.m. | Baltimore Ravens |
*All times local (ET)
Preseason Game to Watch
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Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears
In a way, it would be lazy to circle the usual end-of-preseason encounter with the Indianapolis Colts as the exhibition game to watch, but it, too, should provide solid entertainment.
The top contest, though, goes to the Week 3 encounter with the Chicago Bears. As dedicated fans know, it's the week teams play their starters the most; in most cases, both units play a full half.
It will prove interesting to see some of the big matchups. A Cincinnati secondary in transition with Dre Kirkpatrick as a starter will need to slow Alshon Jeffery. The offensive line will have to deal with a new-look scheme from the Chicago defense, which features rookie tackle Eddie Goldman and names such as Jared Allen and Pernell McPhee standing up to rush the passer.
The contest, while at home, won't be easy. Even better, the first half at a minimum should provide a good idea as to where the Bengals stand with the clock about to run out when it comes to exhibitions.
Storyline to Watch in Preseason
3 of 7Injuries
With no major position battle to speak of, the storyline to watch comes down to quite a familiar issue—health.
Folks know about Vontaze Burfict's journey back. Ditto for tackle Andre Smith. The team released receiver James Wright, and several other names pepper the PUP list.
Things got worse this week when defensive end Michael Johnson went down with a knee injury. Per NFL Network's Albert Breer, the issue is an MCL strain, which should put him on the sidelines until the end of the preseason.
Granted, the injury could have been much worse, but the defensive line now misses out on playing together through the summer and jelling as a unit.
It's the same story at many positions, really. Wideout is once again an issue when it comes to depth. Linebacker isn't secure by any means. As the preseason continues, the biggest thing to watch will be the injury report each week.
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New Faces to Watch
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A.J. Hawk, LB
Speaking of injuries, the addition of A.J. Hawk in free agency continues to look like a smart move with Rey Maualuga starting off the preseason on the non-football injury list.
It was understandable to groan when the Bengals brought on Hawk and re-signed Maualuga, but considering recent developments and the fact the latter hasn't played in a full 16-game season since 2012, the stars are beginning to align.
Hawk's a natural fit in the middle of Cincinnati's scheme and an even more natural leader. Depth has been an issue in the linebacking corps the last few years. Hawk has missed two games over the course of his nine-year career. Keep an eye on how he plays and impacts those around him.
Denarius Moore, WR
This would have been Johnson, but he's injured, and Bengals fans already know a thing or two about how he plays in the Queen City.
Instead, be sure to keep an eye on new addition Denarius Moore. In four seasons, he's caught 17 scores and averaged a minimum of 14.5 yards per catch in three of those campaigns. The Tennessee product is a deep threat the team lacked last year and can also contribute on returns.
Look for Moore to see plenty of attention as a returner this month and battle with others, such as Brandon Tate, for a roster spot.
The Pressure Is On...
5 of 7Dre Kirkpatrick, CB
Kirkpatrick already got a mention thanks to his heroics against the Broncos last year. It put him on the national map, but now he will have to stay there on a week-to-week basis.
The Bengals won't protect younger corners by bringing on veterans such as a Nate Clements or Terence Newman. This year, Kirkpatrick will slot in alongside starters Adam Jones and Leon Hall, and he'd better be ready—opposing quarterbacks will look his way often.
If Kirkpatrick is up to the task, great. If not, the Cincinnati defense will have a hard time standing tall in a pass-happy league.
Defensive Tackles Next to Geno Atkins
This is an all-encompassing look at the defensive tackle position, and it applies in the preseason and regular season.
The Bengals need more from those next to Geno Atkins in the trenches. They know this, hence the re-addition of Pat Sims. Last year, Domata Peko ranked 80th out of 81 players in the league at his position, per Pro Football Focus.
As far as the depth chart goes, Devon Still and Brandon Thompson are hanging around, too. One of the non-Atkins players figures to lose a roster spot before the season begins, and any of them next to him could lose a job during the regular season and take a seat on the bench. The ripple effect on the rest of the unit is just too important.
Top Regular-Season Matchups
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Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
For the Cincinnati Bengals, few things are better than a late-season home showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
By then, there should be a somewhat non-murky playoff picture for both teams, assuming both stay healthy and beat up on each other and the two remaining teams in the division.
Cincinnati gets its trip to Pittsburgh out of the way at the start of November in Week 8. For the rematch, the Bengals won't be in hostile territory and can adjust to whatever the new-look offense featuring wideout Sammie Coates and the defense featuring Bud Dupree threw at them on the road.
Really, a Bengals-Steelers showdown doesn't need any selling. But hey, why not circle the calendar now?
Week 16: at Denver Broncos
Remember last year when the Bengals welcomed Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos to Paul Brown Stadium in Week 16?
There, the Bengals forced Manning into four interceptions in the sloppy conditions, and a star was born as Kirkpatrick stole half of those, one of which he took back for a touchdown.
It was a triumph Cincinnati faithful were shocked to see, but this time around, Manning and Co. seek revenge as they play hosts inside Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Given the rigors of Cincinnati's AFC slate this season, it figures to prove quite important. A little revenge storyline never hurt anyone, though.
Regular Season's Biggest Trap Games
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Week 10: vs. Houston Texans
It's easy to overlook the Houston Texans. J.J. Watt is the face of the franchise, sure, but a team without a star quarterback often goes unnoticed when looking at a full schedule.
Cincinnati cannot afford to make the mistake.
A Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett battle under center doesn't win headlines, but whoever wins shouldn't have too many problems running a solid offense with Arian Foster in the backfield and new wideout additions Cecil Shorts and Jaelen Strong stretching the field, so long as the star running back recovers fully from a groin injury that has him set to hit the short-term injured reserve list, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
On defense, high-profile rookies Benardrick McKinney and Kevin Johnson, at linebacker and corner, respectively, join the fray with Watt and have the juice to run with any offense in the league.
The Texans were nearly a playoff team last year and improved this offseason. It's the definition of a trap game.
Week 12: vs. St. Louis Rams
Despite a wealth of injuries and playing in the NFL's deepest division, the St. Louis Rams managed wins against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos last season.
Things have improved since then, to say the least. Nick Foles is now under center, the offensive line often compared to loose-leaf paper has two new starters and the defense looks healthy and ready for another swing.
This one takes place in Paul Brown Stadium, but a team like the Rams won't suffer much. Remember, last year the Bengals took on another pesky NFC team at home, and the result was a tie.
Look for this one to have a similar trap feel, especially by Week 12 when the new-look Rams have everything sorted out.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of August 4. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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