Second Half Preview: A Prediction for the Bengals' Final Eight Games
CINCINNATI — The Bengals' bye week is right in the middle of the 2020 season.
They enter the second half of the year with a 2-5-1 record. They've had the lead entering the fourth quarter in six of their eight games.
Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow has kept them competitive, but they're hoping to a run over the second half of the season.
"We’re 2-5-1. It feels like we can be a lot better, so we’re going into this bye week to get our bodies right and our minds right," Burrow said on Wednesday. "There’s obviously still a lot of room to improve. I’m just scratching the surface on where I can be and where I can go. So, that’s the most exciting thing for me."
Here are my predictions for all eight of the Bengals' remaining games in 2020.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
The Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in Week 10. Pulling off the upset is going to be much easier said than done. The Steelers will likely be 8-0 going into this matchup. They have arguably the best defense in the NFL, high-end wide receivers and a premiere offensive line.
Mix in Mike Tomlin, who should be considered a top-five head coach and this is an easy game to predict.
The Bengals lose to the Steelers and fall to 2-6-1 on the season.
Cincinnati @ Washington
Much like road trips to Philadelphia and Indianapolis earlier in the season, this is a winnable game. Head coach Zac Taylor is looking for his first road win and he's going to get it against a team that lacks offensive firepower.
Terry McLaurin is great and we've seen flashes from Antonio Gibson, but there's no reason why Joe Burrow and the Bengals can't outscore Washington.
Taylor gets his first road win and Cincinnati has suddenly won two of their last three games.
New York @ Cincinnati
This is another game the Bengals have to win. If they're going to take a step forward this season, they have to handle business against a Giants team that is smack dab in the middle of a rebuild.
The Bengals have the edge at quarterback, at the skill positions and they should be able to protect Burrow. The Giants are averaging 2.6 sacks-per-game, which is tied with the Colts for 13th in the NFL.
Burrow threw on Indianapolis and he should be able to do the same against New York. The Bengals win two in a row for the first time in the Taylor-Burrow era.
Cincinnati @ Miami
This is the first of what could be many duels between Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins have the better coach and the better roster. Tagovailoa will be more comfortable on Dec. 6 than he currently is, which will go a long way in this matchup.
Burrow beat Tagovailoa last November when the two were in college. The Alabama product gets revenge in their first NFL matchup.
The Dolphins beat the Bengals in Miami.
Dallas @ Cincinnati
This has a chance to be the Andy Dalton revenge game. He has plenty of weapons in Dallas and things may be going awry now, but the 33-year-old would like nothing more than to come to Paul Brown Stadium and drop 40 points on the Bengals.
He's going to come up short against Burrow and a Cincinnati offense that should be posting huge numbers on a weekly basis at this stage of the season.
Dalton throws a pick-six late and the Bengals beat the Cowboys.
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Burrow and the Bengals host the Steelers on Monday Night Football. Cincinnati enters having won three of its' last four games. Pittsburgh is hoping to hold onto the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
This game will be close, as Burrow will throw multiple haymakers at Ben Roethlisberger, Tomlin and the Steelers. Unfortunately for the rookie, Pittsburgh is too talented to lose this game.
The Steelers pull out a tight one in primetime. The Bengals fall to 5-8-1 on the year.
Cincinnati @ Houston
This game could go either way, but the Bengals will be playing for more than the Texans at this stage of the year.
Taylor will still need to show he's the guy long-term and Cincinnati is out to prove that they can and will be a playoff contender in 2021. This will be a signature road win for Taylor, as Burrow outduels Deshaun Watson in Houston.
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
The Ravens could rest players for this matchup, but there's also a chance they're playing for playoff seeding. If that's the case, then it's hard to see the Bengals winning this game.
Baltimore has too much talent and even though Burrow will fare better against the blitz in round two, it won't be enough. The Bengals lose their final game of the 2020 season.
Second Half Record: 4-4
2020 Record: 6-9-1
For more on the Bengals, including the latest NFL news, go here!
