Bengals News (4/18): No Thursday Night Football game for Cincinnati

Game-By-Game Peek At 2019 Bengals Schedule
Sept. 8 at Seattle: A big welcome for Bengals’ first-time DC Lou Anarumo in an opener featuring the elusive Russell Wilson and his defending NFL rushing champions when it comes to yards per game. But Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is 1-0 vs. Wilson after leading one of the most memorable comebacks in club history back in 2015 at PBS when the Bengals wiped out a 24-7 deficit in a 27-24 OT victory. Dalton could use a big 29th birthday from tight end Tyler Eifert. Eifert was huge in that game with two TDs and 90 yards receiving and put the icing on the cake with a diving 25-yard catch that put the Bengals on the Seattle 20 with a minute left in regulation to set up Mike Nugent’s trying field goal.

Who Dey Zooms Through the 2019 Regular Season Schedule
The Bengals 2019 regular season schedule is here! Watch as Who Dey grabs his scooter to zoom around Paul Brown Stadium and downtown Cincinnati.

Dalton Views 2019 Schedule As An Opportunity To Surprise
After opening the Zac Taylor Era in the home of the most expensive player in the history of the NFL, the Bengals end the 2019 season with a series of riches at home featuring five of their last six games in Ohio and four of them at Paul Brown Stadium.

Bengals To Play Rams In London On October 27
The Bengals will play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Wembley Stadium in London. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern. The full regular-season schedule will be released at 8 p.m. tonight.

Cincinnati Bengals' schedule has rough road early again
There's no doubt about it: This is a tough schedule. The Bengals have to play the Patriots and the Rams, who were both in the Super Bowl last year, a 49ers team that will get quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo back, and an improved Browns team that beat them twice last season. The organization has been trying to find the spark to get the fans back into the stands at Paul Brown Stadium, but if they struggle early on the road, they might not see the fans come back all year. Unlike previous seasons, there's no real "break" in the schedule. The opponents that seem like the biggest challenge are spread throughout the season.

Bengals, Dolphins avoid short-week games
It’s a good thing for these teams to avoid the short-week obligation. And it also can be spun internally as a slap in the face to a pair of teams that are regarded as irrelevant, as evidenced by the fact that they won’t play in the Thursday night slot.

Report: NC State’s Ryan Finley is only QB prospect Bengals brought in
A new report quiets this a bit. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley is the only passer who has officially been inside Paul Brown Stadium during visits season.

Bengals 2019 Draft Analysis - Quarterback: Is it time to find Dalton's replacement?
The Bengals are all in on veteran Andy Dalton as the team's starting quarterback in 2019, but with his contract set to expire after the 2020 season the question is whether the organization will seek his replacement in this draft or next year's draft if they opt not to re-sign him.

Random Bytes

NFL releases 2019 regular-season schedule
The league decided not to kick off the season with the Super Bowl champs on Thursday night (Sept. 5), but placing the dynastic Patriots in the Sunday prime-time slot to open the season is a worthy consolation. As has become customary in Foxborough, the Patriots will spend the pregame festivities hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and a new banner before it's faithful, boisterous crowd.

Rob Gronkowski dents Lombardi Trophy with bunt
In a video tweeted out by the New England Patriots on Wednesday, Gronkowski is seen showcasing his best batting stance with the Lombardi Trophy during the Red Sox's Opening Day last week. Yes, that Lombardi Trophy.

Dwayne Haskins: 'I'd have no problem' backing up Eli
One popular projection early on was Haskins to the Giants, who hold both the No. 6 and 17 overall picks. After starting just one season in college, albeit a Heisman-finalist campaign, Haskins said he has no preference on when or where he's drafted and that he'd relish the opportunity to begin his career alongside an established veteran QB.

GM: Deadline 'good idea' for Russell Wilson extension
"The April 15 deal for us was a good idea," Schneider said Wednesday during a press conference. "The last one, quite frankly, took too long and took a lot of energy away from what we were supposed to be doing. So, we thought it was a good idea on their part and it worked out for both sides because we had to know what was going on to be able to clear our minds and be right."

Cowboys 'obviously' will pick up Ezekiel Elliott's option
It's a no-brainer move that will keep the 2016 No. 4 overall pick under contract in Dallas through the 2020 season. NFL teams own the option to pick up the fifth year on every first-round selection's contract.