Joe Burrow's Super Bowl Forecast: Bengals' Schedule Projected

There is no one more confident in the Cincinnati Bengals this year than Joe Burrow . The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl in franchise history, but Burrow seems pretty convinced they could end up winning their first one this year.

The Bengals are coming off a 2025 season where they went 6-11, but they've been busy this offseason -- and Burrow has definitely noticed. They made several key additions in free agency, including safety Bryan Cook and pass-rusher Boye Mafe . And they also did something they never do: made a blockbuster trade for Dexter Lawrence .

If one of the team's goals this offseason was to make Burrow happy, then they absolutely succeeded .

"I think this is the most talented roster that we've had since I've been here," Burrow said Wednesday.

This is a quarterback who has already played in a Super Bowl and two AFC title games, so he knows what it takes to get to the top of the mountain, and he thinks this team is ready to scale Mt. Everest. During his Wednesday press conference, his first of the offseason, a confident Burrow made quite the prediction.

"We're gonna go win a lot of games this year, and play great, and win a Super Bowl," Burrow said .

Joe Burrow CIN • QB • #9

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If you're the Bengals, that's certainly the kind of confidence you want to see from your starting quarterback. It might seem crazy for Burrow to be calling his shot on a Super Bowl win more than three months before the start of the season, but everything seems to be lining up for the Bengals so far:

- They have the third-easiest strength of schedule in the NFL . Last year, the Patriots had the third-easiest strength of schedule going into the season, and they rode that wave all the way to a Super Bowl appearance. - The oddsmakers are also high on Cincinnati: The Bengals are favored in 15 of their 17 games this season, the second-most of any team in the NFL. Only the Rams are favored to win more (16).

With Burrow boldly predicting a Super Bowl, let's make a prediction for every game on the Bengals' schedule to see if it's even realistic for them to make the playoffs.

Week 1: vs. Buccaneers

Line:  Bengals -3.5

Burrow's Super Bowl prediction puts all the pressure on the Bengals to actually play well in Week 1, something they haven't done under Zac Taylor. Cincinnati hasn't won a home opener since 2021, which just happens to be the year it went to the Super Bowl. This feels like a game where Burrow makes a statement by throwing for 300 yards or more in a win.

Prediction:  Bengals 24, Buccaneers 17 Projected record:  1-0

Week 2: at Texans

Line:  Bengals +2.5

This is a tough draw for the second week of the season, and it gets even tougher when you realize the Bengals are 1-6 in Week 2 under Taylor. The Texans had one of the best defenses in the NFL last year, and it should be even better this season. It's tough to face a dominant defense this early, and with this game being on the road, it will be a tough one for the Bengals to pull out.

Prediction:  Texans 20, Bengals 17 Projected record:  1-1

Week 3: at Steelers

Line:  Bengals -1.5

If there's one thing the Bengals have always struggled with under Taylor, it's winning divisional games. In his seven seasons, Taylor has only finished with a winning divisional record once. They've gone 1-5 in three of his seven seasons, 3-3 in three other seasons and 4-2 in the only season where he finished with a winning record. Basically, if there's one thing you can always count on, it's that the Bengals lose two or three divisional games. It wouldn't be surprising if they lose their divisional opener here.

Prediction:   Steelers 23, Bengals 20 Projected record:  1-2

Week 4: vs. Jaguars

Line:  Bengals -2.5

If the Bengals drop to 1-2, fans in Cincinnati might start to panic, but you won't see Burrow panicking. The QB, who got injured against the Jaguars last season, gets his revenge by dicing up the Jacksonville defense for three touchdown passes.

Prediction:  Bengals 31, Jaguars 24 Projected record:  2-2

Week 5: at Dolphins

Line:  Bengals -5.5

Burrow's best game of the season came in Miami last year -- he threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-21 win -- and it wouldn't be surprising to see him replicate that success against what should be a young and inexperienced Dolphins ' team.

Prediction:  Bengals 34, Dolphins 17 Projected record:  3-2

Week 6: BYE

As long as the Bengals get to the bye week with a winning record, they should be in good shape, and that's exactly what we have here.

Week 7: at Ravens

Line:  Bengals +3.5

We mentioned at the top that the Bengals are favored in 15 of their 17 games this year. Well, this is one of the two where they're not favored to win. (The Week 2 game against the Texans is the other one.) In this road game, the Bengals get to visit with their old buddy Trey Hendrickson , who gets revenge on them by sacking Burrow twice. Lamar Jackson , who always seems to have a big game against the Bengals, has another big game. Under Taylor, the Bengals have a 3-4 record off the bye, including two consecutive losses. He adds a third straight here.

Prediction:   Ravens 27, Bengals 24 Projected record:  3-3

Week 8: vs. Titans

Line:  Bengals -6.5

The Bengals' new-look defense has its first statement game of the season. Dexter Lawrence and the defensive front terrorize Cam Ward , who throws two interceptions. Coming off the loss to Baltimore, the Bengals are out for blood.

Prediction:  Bengals 31, Titans 20 Projected record:  4-3

Week 9: vs. Falcons (in Spain)

Line:  Bengals -4.5

After Burrow pushed to play in Spain last year, the NFL finally granted him that wish  by sending him to Madrid this season. Burrow has never played an international game before in his career, so he's likely going to want to put on a show. Everyone in Madrid gets their money's worth with the Bengals beating the Falcons in a shootout.

Prediction:  Bengals 34, Falcons 31 Projected record:  5-3

Week 10: vs. Steelers (Sunday night)

Line:  Bengals -3.5

This is a rough spot for the Bengals. They'll be coming off a game in Spain while the Steelers will be coming into this game off a bye. There have only been two instances in NFL history where a team off a Europe game had to play a team coming off a bye, and the teams in Cincinnati's situation have gone 0-2. However, after losing to the Steelers in Week 3, the Bengals will be out for revenge here. They get it in this Sunday night showdown with Burrow out-dueling Aaron Rodgers .

Prediction:  Bengals 27, Steelers 20 Projected record:  6-3

Week 11: at Commanders (Monday night)

Line:  Bengals -1.5

After traveling all the way to Spain to beat the Falcons and then following that up with an emotional primetime win over the Steelers, the Bengals finally play their first bad game of the season in this primetime road game against the Commanders .

Prediction:  Commanders 31, Bengals 24 Projected record:  6-4

Week 12: vs. Saints

Line:  Bengals -6.5

After their Week 11 loss in Washington, the Bengals bounce back with a home win over the Saints . With an indoor team being forced to play outdoors in late November, the Bengals should have a huge home-field advantage, and it will show on the scoreboard.

Prediction:  Bengals 34, Saints 20 Projected record:  7-4

Week 13: at Browns

Line:  Bengals -4.5

The last two times the Bengals faced the Chiefs in the regular season, they've lost the game before it. That's what we have happening here. The Bengals tend to struggle against divisional opponents, and with Kansas City on deck, the Bengals get caught looking ahead and slip up in Cleveland.

Prediction:   Browns 20, Bengals 18 Projected record:  7-5

Week 14: vs. Chiefs

Line:  Bengals -1.5

Burrow vs. Patrick Mahomes is one of the most exciting rivalries in the NFL, and we get another classic clash here. Mahomes and Burrow have faced off five times in their career, and all five games have been decided by three points or less, including their last meeting in 2024, which the Chiefs won 26-25. Overall, Burrow is 3-2 against Mahomes. He improves that record by leading the Bengals to a key AFC win.

Prediction:  Bengals 30, Chiefs 27 Projected record:  8-5

Week 15: at Panthers

Line:  Bengals -2.5

After beating the Saints, Falcons and Buccaneers earlier in the season, the Bengals pull off the NFC South sweep with a win over the Panthers . The last AFC team to sweep the NFC South was the Patriots in 2025, and they advanced to the Super Bowl. Maybe Burrow is on to something here with his Super Bowl prediction.

Prediction:  Bengals 27, Panthers 17 Projected record:  9-5

Week 16: at Colts

Line:  Bengals -1.5

In their first game after Christmas, the Bengals hop on a bus and head west for the 100-minute ride to Indianapolis. With the playoff race heating up, both teams need this win. The Bengals pull it out after their defense dominates Daniel Jones . Burrow also has a solid day going up against Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who spent six seasons in Cincinnati before being fired in 2024.

Prediction:  Bengals 26, Colts 23 Projected record:  10-5

Week 17: vs. Ravens (Thursday night)

Line:  Bengals -1.5

The Bengals have played a primetime road game in Baltimore for four straight seasons, but that streak ends here with the Ravens finally being forced to play a primetime game in Cincinnati. Not only is this a Thursday night game, but it's being played on New Year's Eve, so Paycor Stadium will be rocking -- and it's hard to imagine the Bengals losing in that environment. The Bengals ring in the new year with one of their best performances of the season.

Prediction:  Bengals 30, Ravens 23 Projected record:  11-5

Week 18: vs. Browns

Line:  Bengals -7.5

By the time Week 18 rolls around, the Browns have nothing to play for and the Bengals have everything to play for, and that ends up showing on the scoreboard.

Prediction:  Bengals 27, Browns 14 Projected record:  12-5

Final take:  At 12-5, the Bengals would roll into the playoffs. Although that record might not be good enough to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC, it will almost certainly be good enough to win the AFC North, which means the Bengals will get to play at least one home playoff game.

With a confident Burrow running the show and a revamped defense, the Bengals would absolutely be a serious threat to make a Super Bowl run. Burrow has a 4-0 postseason record when playing in the wild card or divisional round, so if the Bengals get in, they'll certainly be dangerous.

The Bengals' Super Bowl odds are sitting at 22-to-1, which are only the 14th-best in the NFL, but if Burrow is right about this team, that could make them the ultimate dark horse in 2026.

The Bengals have the offensive talent to go toe-to-toe with any team in the NFL, but the biggest question mark for 2026 revolves around their defense. If that unit can improve and just play average football, then Burrow's bold prediction might end up coming true.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/joe-burrow-bengals-super-bowl-prediction-game-by-game-picks/)._