NFL analyst Warren Sharp recently looked at the Cincinnati Bengals’ schedule, opponents, and game dates. Here is his conclusion:

The Bengals have a much easier opponent schedule this year. However, “the NFL schedule makers have ripped off the Bengals in scheduling the games.”

Sharp wrote that Cincinnati had the absolute toughest schedule in the NFL last year, as it included 11 games against playoff teams and 14 games against teams with a record over .500, the most in the league since at least 2000.

This year, the Bengals have the sixth easiest schedule based on their opponents’ record last year.

However, the timing of these games is not ideal. Here are some of the things Sharp pointed out:

• The Bengals are “one of the few teams” forced to play three games in ten days (Weeks 14, 15 and 16).
• They play three short away games during the week, the most in the NFL (Weeks 4, 10 and 15).
• This is the second year in a row the Bengals have had to play three road games in a shortened week, “something NO OTHER TEAM has had to deal with and that’s obviously not fair,” Sharp wrote.
• The Bengals will play on the road against two teams that are coming off a mini-bye (they played on a Thursday the week before): in Week 2 in Kansas City against the Chiefs and in Week 14 in Dallas against the Cowboys.

We discussed the suspect schedule as well as the upcoming preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in our latest broadcast.

You can also listen via iTunes or using the player below.

What do you think? Does it seem intentional or is it just a coincidence? Let us know in the comments.