On a rotation this year with the challenging AFC West and NFC West, the Cincinnati Bengals have a very difficult schedule entering this season. It's so tough that based on last season's league-wide winning percentages, the Bengals' schedule ranks second in terms of strength behind the Steelers.

Will such a schedule fraught with some of the league's best teams end the Bengals' three-season streak of 10-win seasons? When the schedule was released in the spring, we said no, anticipating a 10-6 record. Here's why that prediction isn't changing now that the regular season has arrived:

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, at Oakland, 4:25 p.m.

Maybe they've been relative pushovers in recent seasons, but the Bengals will want to take the Raiders seriously on this road trip. Quarterbacks Derek Carr and Matt McGloin were reasonably impressive throughout the preseason, as was second-year linebacker Khalil Mack, who has become an enforcer in Oakland's defense. The Raiders still don't have much of a running game. That bodes well for Cincinnati's secondary, particularly if the Bengals' offense can get off to a fast start and score early. Bengals 24, Raiders 10. Record: 1-0

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20, vs. San Diego, 1 p.m.

Home openers have gone well for the Bengals in the past three seasons, with the Bengals beating the Browns, Steelers and Falcons in consecutive years. There are several reasons for the Bengals to be motivated for this one. Chief among them, the still-bitter taste many of them have for the 2013 wild-card round playoff game they dropped to the Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium. Bengals 27, Chargers 23. Record: 2-0

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27, at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Injuries depleted the Ravens during training camp, with some of them becoming potential season-enders. Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (the second-year player who is replacing the traded Haloti Ngata), safety Matt Elam, defensive end Brent Urban and receiver Breshad Perriman are among those who either missed significant time during the preseason or suffered serious injuries. The Bengals could be getting a battered Baltimore team on the road at the right time. Bengals 21, Ravens 20. Record: 3-0

Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4, vs. Kansas City, 1 p.m.

If there's an under-the-radar team on their schedule the Bengals have good reason to be concerned about, it's the Chiefs. Kansas City breezed through the first three games of the preseason, outscoring opponents (Arizona, Seattle and Tennessee) 70-45. In those games, their quarterbacks combined for nine touchdown passes and all had completion percentages over 70 percent. The Bengals' defense has yet another big offensive challenge. Chiefs 27, Bengals 21. Record: 3-1

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11 vs. Seattle, 1 p.m.

The challenging early stretch doesn't ease up as the defending NFC champions come to Cincinnati for the first time since 2003. Although Seattle's offense found scoring difficult in the preseason, the unit still features Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch. The defensive ends will be important in this game to keep the scrambling Wilson contained and to provide run-support help against Lynch. Seahawks 18, Bengals 14. Record: 3-2

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 18 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Buffalo's defense will be good, believe that. The group was already pretty solid in terms of its pass rush, but with defensive wizard Rex Ryan now leading the entire team, opposing offenses could be in trouble at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bengals and Bills have made a habit of having games come down to the wire. Two years ago, Bengals kicker Mike Nugent buried an overtime winner. Two years before that, he made another at the end of regulation. We're predicting the same. Bengals 24, Bills 21. Record: 4-2

Week 7: Bye

Week 8: Sunday, Nov. 1, at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

Much like the Ravens, the Steelers have had their share of injury problems this preseason. Although he is expected back at some point this season, the Steelers likely will be without Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey for this game. It could take Pittsburgh a couple of weeks to really get going because of injuries and the Steelers also must get through the first four games without assorted players due to suspensions. But by Week 8, they could be rolling. Steelers 21, Bengals 17. Record: 4-3

Week 9: Thursday, Nov. 5, vs. Cleveland, 8:25 p.m.

You really can't predict anything when it comes to the AFC North. Remember last year when the Browns visited for an early November Thursday night game? The Bengals were pummeled in a poor performance from Andy Dalton. Prime-time games haven't been kind to Dalton throughout his career, but this is a new year. Bengals 31, Browns 17. Record: 5-3

Week 10: Monday, Nov. 16, vs. Houston, 8:30 p.m.

For a second straight week, the Bengals are on a big stage at home. This time they're facing a team they handled well on the road last season. While the Texans are certainly improved and boast the league's best player in J.J. Watt, the Bengals will be up to the challenge of blocking him once again. The combination of Kevin Zeitler, Andre Smith and Marshall Newhouse kept Watt from sacking Dalton. It was one of four games last year when he didn't record a sack. Bengals 23, Texans 16. Record: 6-3

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22, at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.

Arizona could be one of those aforementioned NFC West teams that might throw a wrench into the Bengals' plans. Although its starters didn't show much during the preseason, the Cardinals still have an offense that features dynamic receivers and a quarterback who Cincinnati knows quite well. For only the second time in a regular-season game, Carson Palmer will be facing the team that drafted him first overall. Cardinals 20, Bengals 13. Record: 6-4

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29, vs. St. Louis, 1 p.m.

Much like the game the week before, this contest against another NFC West team could be a pivotal point on the Bengals' schedule. St. Louis appears to be a team turning a corner, and its stout defensive line is a reason why. This could be a game in which the Bengals rely heavily on their defense. Bengals 17, Rams 13. Record: 7-4

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

The Browns have beefed up their offensive and defensive lines, but right now still have a lot of uncertainty swirling around their running game. When the schedule turns to December in Northeast Ohio, the Browns must be able to run the football or they'll be ineffective. That problem will bite them as the Bengals pick up win No. 8. Bengals 27, Browns 10. Record: 8-4

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 13, vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

At this point in the year, barring injury, the Steelers should be operating on all cylinders, just as the Bengals should be. This game could easily be flexed into prime time if the playoff implications are big. Prime time or not, though, Le'Veon Bell could be just enough for the Steelers in this late-season game. Steelers 24, Bengals 20. Record: 8-5

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20, at San Francisco, 8:30 p.m.

It's been a tumultuous offseason and preseason for the 49ers. Right now, it's hard seeing them have better than a .500 record. In yet another big-stage game -- and one on the West Coast no less -- the Bengals will simply have to respond. This kicks off two straight weeks of adverse conditions for them. Bengals 17, 49ers 16. Record: 9-5

Week 16: Monday, Dec. 28, at Denver, 8:30 p.m.

Last year the Bengals owned Peyton Manning and the Broncos in a Monday night game that fell on the penultimate week of the regular season. That game was in Cincinnati. This time around the teams are playing in Denver, a place where Manning is 22-2 since 2012 entering this season. Broncos 31, Bengals 18. Record: 9-6

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3, vs. Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Life in the AFC North means one thing for fans of those teams: stress for all 17 weeks. While some divisions might be decided a couple of weeks earlier, this one repeatedly comes down to the final week. Don't be surprised if this finale serves like last year's at Pittsburgh and has a winner-take-all feel to it. Bengals 23, Ravens 20. Record: 10-6