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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws a go ahead touchdown pass to Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) in the fourth quarter of the NFL game at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stat of the Jay: Are the Bengals the First Team To Play Same Division Foe on Road in Primetime 4 Years in a Row?

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Jay Morrison | Last updated May 15, 2025 9:00 AM ET

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals weren’t happy about having to play road primetime games against the Baltimore Ravens in three consecutive seasons.

So imagine their angst when they found out it will be four in a row – and three straight on a short week on Thursday night – when the league released the 2025 schedule Wednesday night.

Never in franchise history have the Bengals been asked to play the same division opponent on the road in primetime in four consecutive seasons.

Never had they been asked to do it three in a row until this current run.

But how unusual is it league wide?

It’s rare, but not unprecedented.

There are four longer streaks, and eight more four-game stretches.

The record is eight in a row when the league made the Chicago Bears play at the Green Bay Packers in primetime every year from 2011-18. After a year off in 2019, they had to do it each year from 2020-22.

That’s 11 times in 12 seasons, and the Bears went 2-9 in those games.

The Bears and Bengals are the only teams in NFL history asked to play a division opponent on the road on a Thursday in three consecutive seasons.

Chicago did it in the middle of that eight-year run at Green Bay from 2015-17.

From 1985-91, the New England Patriots played seven consecutive primetime road games against the Dolphins in Miami.

There was only one Thursday game in that stretch.

From 2006-11, the New York Giants traveled to Dallas for six straight primetime games against the Cowboys.

None were on Thursday.

From 1984-88, the Los Angeles Rams not only had to play five consecutive primetime games against the 49ers in San Francisco, all five were Dec. 9 or later.

The Rams can stake claim to the biggest beef on this list because they also had two other streaks of four games.

One was in 2019-22, also against the 49ers, while the other went from 1989-92 against the New Orleans Saints.

But none of the Rams’ 13 games in those three stretches were on Thursday.

The Raiders had a run similar to Chicago’s at Green Bay.

They had a four-game streak in San Diego from 1986-89 and a four-game streak there from 1994-97 that were sandwiched around two games in 1991 and 1992.

That’s 10 times in 12 seasons (only one was a Thursday).

The Denver Broncos also appear on the list twice.

They went four in a row at the Chargers from 2007-10 (no Thursdays) and four in a row at the Chiefs from 2014-17 (one Thursday).

The other two four-game streaks are:

Indianapolis at Houston from 2013-16 (two of the four were Thursdays).

Philadelphia at Washington from 2002-05 (no Thursdays).

In addition to the Bengals getting stiffed on their road trips to Baltimore, the Ravens have been pampered.

They haven’t played an AFC North team on the road in primetime since 2020. Each of their last six night games against division opponents have been at home, the longest active streak in the league regardless of division.

Since 2019, AFC North teams are 3-13 straight up and 5-11 against the spread when playing division road games in primetime. The Bengals are 1-6 in such games.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Bengals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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