As football fans, we get really really excited when something happens in the off-season; free agency, draft, combines, workouts, rookie symposiums and naked coaches driving through late-night fast food restaurants. The league, about a week late, released the 2007 NFL schedule. The Bengals were given FOUR prime-time games -- two Monday Night games, a Sunday night game and a Saturday night game. First, the schedule.
Week | Date | Time | Opponent | NOTES |
1 | Sep. 10 | 7 pm | Baltimore | First Monday Night game of the season. |
2 | Sep. 16 | 1 pm | @ Cleveland | The Bengals are riding a five-game winning streak against the Browns. |
3 | Sep. 23 | 4 pm | @ Seattle | The last time the Bengals played in Seattle, they lost 20-37 on November 7, 1999. |
4 | Oct. 1 | 8:30 pm | New England | Monday Night Football. The last time the Bengals beat New England was in 2001. The Patriots have won five of the past six meetings. |
5 | BYE | |||
6 | Oct. 14 | 1 pm | @ Kansas City | Neither the Chiefs or the Bengals have won back-to-back games against each other the Chiefs won in '84 and '86. |
7 | Oct. 21 | 4 pm | N.Y. Jets | The last time the Jets played the Bengals, Carson Palmer made his first NFL start. The Bengals lost on a last-drive interception by Palmer. |
8 | Oct. 28 | 1 pm | Pittsburgh | Who? |
9 | Nov. 4 | 1 pm | @ Buffalo | Last time the Bengals beat Buffalo: November 27, 1988 -- eight straight defeats. |
10 | Nov. 11 | 4 pm | @ Baltimore | The Bengals have beaten the Ravens in four of their past five meetings. |
11 | Nov. 18 | 1 pm | Arizona | The Bengals have only met the Cardinals eight times in the regular season. The Bengals own a 5-3 record in the all-time series. |
12 | Nov. 25 | 1 pm | Tennessee | The Bengals are on a five-game losing streak when hosting the Titans. The last time the Bengals won was a Thursday night game in 1997 -- 41-14. |
13 | Dec. 2 | 8:15 pm | @ Pittsburgh | Sunday Night Football |
14 | Dec. 9 | 1 pm | St. Louis | The Bengals haven't beaten the Rams since December 19, 1993. |
15 | Dec. 15 | 8:15 pm | @ San Francisco | Saturday Night |
16 | Dec. 23 | 1 pm | Cleveland | At this point, the Bengals will now have a six-game winning streak against the Browns. |
17 | Dec. 30 | 1 pm | @ Miami | The Joey Porter vs. Levi Jones rematch. |
ESPN, about an hour before the official schedule release, published a strength of schedule. The Bengals were listed at 10th. The strongest schedule for an NFC team ranks 15th in the NFL -- which means the NFC is like the JV league.