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The Cincinnati Bengals' 2016 opponents are now set.
As the Bengals won the AFC North, they'll automatically play the division winners of the AFC South, the Houston Texans and AFC West, the Denver Broncos. They'll also play every team from the AFC East and NFC East.
Here are the Bengals' 2016 opponents:
Home | Away |
Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore Ravens |
Cleveland Browns | Cleveland Browns |
Pittsburgh Steelers | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Buffalo Bills | New England Patriots |
Miami Dolphins | New York Jets |
Philadelphia Eagles | Dallas Cowboys |
Washington (in London - Week 8) | New York Giants |
Denver Broncos | Houston Texans |
In case you need a refresher, here's how the NFL's scheduling formula works to determine opponents for all 32 teams each year:
- Home and away games against three division opponents (six games).
- Four teams from another division within the same conference on a rotating three-year cycle (four games). In 2016, the Bengals will play the AFC East.
- Four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle. In 2016, the Bengals will play the NFC East.
- Two intraconference games based on the prior year's standings. These games will match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference are matched up in the same way. In 2016, the Bengals will play the Broncos and Texans in these games.
The only finalized dates on the Bengals' 2016 schedule are the Week 8 game against the Washington Redskins in London, which will be Sunday, October 30, 2016 and a Week 9 bye, following that trip to London. The Bengals head to New York twice and Texas twice - once to see the Cowboys and once to play the Texans. They'll also play the Broncos for the third year in a row, this time, in Cincinnati. Playing the Patriots in New England will be one of the Bengals' toughest matchups of the season.