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Last week, the Cincinnati Bengals revealed both their regular-season and preseason schedules for 2020. However, the preseason slate wasn’t finalized until today when the team announced dates and times for all four games.
The action kicks off Aug. 15 when Cincinnati travels to Kansas City to face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Being that it’s the first full week of preseason games, expect to see the defending Super Bowl champs play their starters no more than a series, if at all.
Saying this, the Bengals could take a more unique approach with how they play their starters in the preseason since No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow will be the starting quarterback. He needs as many reps as possible, so perhaps we’ll see him and other starters in the game longer than most teams play their top guys in the preseason.
The second week is when things really start to get interesting, as the Bengals return home Aug. 21 to host Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings. The former Bengals defensive coordinator has built the Vikings into an annual playoff contender, and they figure to be one of the top teams in the NFC again this year. Expect both teams to play their starters for about a quarter.
Then comes the dress rehearsal game in Week 3 when Cincinnati heads to Atlanta for a clash with the Falcons. This is the week starters tend to play for about a half, so we should get a nice Joe Burrow vs. Matt Ryan duel for about two quarters.
Finally, the Bengals wrap up the preseason by hosting the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. Like Week 1, don’t expect to see many starters play for more than a series, if at all.
All four games can be seen on the Bengals Preseason TV Network.
Bengals 2020 preseason schedule
Aug. 15: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs at 8 p.m. on Bengals Preseason TV Network
Aug. 21: Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals at 7 p.m. on Bengals Preseason TV Network
Aug. 28: Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons at 8 p.m. on CBS
Sept. 3: Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals at 7 p.m. on Bengals Preseason TV Network