This is the fourth straight season the Bengals are playing in Baltimore on primetime.
For the fourth straight season, the Cincinnati Bengals will be playing a primetime game in Baltimore against the Ravens.
Not only that, but this is the third straight season the Bengals have played on a Thursday night in Baltimore.
This time, it’s a Thanksgiving showdown at M&T Bank Field, so plan your holiday family gatherings accordingly.
Here’s the thing, and I’m mainly tailoring this to those who are frustrated with playing in Baltimore on primetime for a fourth straight season: This isn’t all that bad. Maybe the NFL is viewing the Bengals as another team’s best home game and wants to make those games primetime or holiday games.
After all, this is the Bengals’ first time playing on Thanksgiving in 15 seasons. The Bengals have an opportunity to win three road primetime games this season, and it’s doable. They’ll also play at the Denver Broncos in Week 4 and at the Miami Dolphins in Week 16.
In addition, this Bengals schedule, to me, says prove to us that you are as good as you think you are. That’s what the NFL is saying. Let’s face it, the Bengals underperformed last year at 9-8. They have one primetime home game and one home 4:25 game on FOX. That’s good.
The rest of the schedule is a prove-it schedule to the NFL that the Bengals deserve to be on prime time more than four times. Plus, games against Arizona in Week 17, Cleveland in Week 18, and even Baltimore in Week 15 could get flexed.
Playing on Thanksgiving is a good thing, regardless of where it is and who it is against.
