Finalizing The Cincinnati Bengals 2013 Opponents

Even before the season started this year, all but two of the Cincinnati Bengals games last year already had an opponent determined, primarily due to a rotation between a division in the AFC and NFC, as well as the intra-divisional games.

Broken down further, every year the Bengals automatically face their own division in the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, for a combined six games. Cincinnati will face the AFC East this year as well as the NFC North, giving the Bengals 14 total games for 2013. A note about the rotation, the Bengals played the NFC East and AFC West this year.

The only unknowns that remained (at least officially because the opponents were already determined in reality) were the two games facing teams in the remaining AFC divisions (the West and South in this case), based on identical placement in the standings. With the season over the 2012 regular season standings settled, the Bengals will host the Indianapolis Colts and head back out to San Diego to face the San Diego Chargers.

A couple of notes regarding the 2013 opponents:

• The combined record for next season's opponents are 130-126 (.508).
• Of Cincinnati's 13 opponents (three are played twice), only six have a winning record and only five of those are headed to the 2012 NFL playoffs this year.