Bengals predicted to play in game of the year candidate

This could be a classic.

When the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2024 schedule was released, many set their eyes on Week 2. Following a home opener against the New England Patriots, the Bengals will head to Arrowhead for a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you don’t need to be reminded of the history between Cincinnati and Kansas City. Two AFC Championship games came down to the wire, with each side winning one, and they have had back-and-forth regular season matchups that usually aren’t decided until near the end. Joe Burrow vs. Patrick Mahomes is always must-see TV.

Despite that, the Week 2 meeting wasn’t on NFL.com’s Top 10 list of potential classic games this season.

The Bengals appeared once on this list, with only the Week 8 meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles making the cut. NFL.com’s Kevin Patra sites the meeting of two quarterbacks from the 2020 NFL Draft class looking for bounce-back seasons. Patra ranks this matchup as 10th out of 10 for potentially classic games.

The former Super Bowl entrants enter pivotal seasons as they strive to ascend the NFL mountain again. The health of both quarterbacks is key. Jalen Hurts played banged up last year, and it showed when the Eagles nosedived down the stretch. Joe Burrow’s November wrist injury ended his season and sideswiped any shot the Bengals had at overcoming a slow start. If both remain healthy, the QBs always give their respective teams a shot at winning a conference title. With Tee Higgins playing on the franchise tag, Cincinnati is built for one last run with its No. 2 receiver before potentially parting ways with Higgins in 2025. The Eagles changed gears in 2024 under Howie Roseman, paying big bucks to running back Saquon Barkley and using two top draft picks on defensive backs — two things the club historically hasn’t done much under the GM’s watch. As far as interconference matchups go, give me a Burrow-Hurts battle any day of the week.

Both teams found their franchise quarterbacks in the 2020 draft and then added elite wideouts in 2021, with the Bengals landing Ja’Marr Chase and Philadelphia drafting DeVonta Smith. A 4:25 ET showdown in Cincinnati that could wind up being one of the games of the year.

With all due respect to Patra, the meeting with Kansas City will likely be a game that comes down to the final possession and adds to the growing rivalry between the two teams. A Burrow/Hurts matchup certainly could be a game we remember for years to come.