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          NFL Nation

          Cincinnati Bengals' schedule starts tough with Vontaze Burfict out

          The Bengals are still seeking their first postseason victory under Marvin Lewis. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
          • Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff WriterApr 20, 2018, 12:47 AM
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              Katherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013. You can follow Katherine on Twitter: @Kat_Terrell
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          The NFL has released its 2018 regular-season schedule. Here's a look at what's in store for the Cincinnati Bengals.

          Breakdown: The Bengals quickly squashed their playoff chances last season by digging themselves into an 0-3 hole, and the NFL schedule certainly didn't do them any favors this year. The Bengals' first month features three road games, including back-to-back trips to the Panthers and Falcons, two teams that made the playoffs last year. That's in addition to a short week against a divisional opponent when they host the Ravens on a Thursday in Week 2.

          The Bengals also have a difficult end to the season by finishing with three of the last four on the road, including a cross-country tip to visit the Chargers. That means the Bengals are going to have to quickly figure out their identity under new full-time offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. It's certainly no easy task, and a huge challenge for a team that has missed the playoffs for the last two seasons.

          A Burfict-less September: The Bengals will start their fourth straight season without Vontaze Burfict in the lineup. Burfict is suspended for four games, marking the third straight year he starts a season on suspension (he was injured to start the 2015 season). The Bengals have gone 5-5 in September during that time period. It's going to be a tough test for Austin to start his first year without one of the Bengals' best defenders, but it'll be even tougher to face a lineup of star-studded offenses in 2018. Six of the 10 teams that led the league in yards-per-game last year are on the Bengals' schedule.

          Prime-time days are over: The Bengals' schedule features only one prime-time game: a Thursday night game at home against the Ravens in Week 2. This is the first time since 2011 that the Bengals do not have a Sunday or a Monday night game scheduled. That might work in the Bengals' favor, as they are a woeful 9-23 in the regular season in night games under Marvin Lewis. The Bengals have lost their last four prime-time games, including a Week 2 Thursday night game against the Texans last year that ultimately got offensive coordinator Ken Zampese fired. The Bengals have another schedule oddity: They'll close the preseason out against the Colts at home, and then turn around and play them on the road to open the season.

          Strength of schedule: T-29th, .473

          Bengals' Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)

          • Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

          • Week 2: Thursday, Sept. 13, Baltimore, 8:20 p.m.

          • Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Carolina, 1 p.m.

          • Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

          • Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, Miami, 1 p.m.

          • Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

          • Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, at Kansas City, 1 p.m.

          • Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

          • Week 9: BYE

          • Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, New Orleans, 1 p.m.

          • Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

          • Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, Cleveland, 1 p.m.

          • Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Denver, 1 p.m.

          • Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m.

          • Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, Oakland, 1 p.m.

          • Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

          • Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.