Ravens Release 2008 Schedule

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John Harbaugh's first regular season game as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens will be at M&T Bank Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. This will be the second year in a row the Ravens will open against AFC North rival Cincinnati (on 9/10/07, a Monday night, the Ravens dropped a 27-20 decision to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium). This is the seventh time in Ravens history that they have opened against a division rival, and Baltimore has won just one of those, a 16-0 shutout at the Steelers in 2000.

"You play them when the league says you play them," Harbaugh said. "It will be great to open at home. I'll be jacked up, so will the players and coaches. The M&T crowd will be with us. How good is that?"

In somewhat of a surprise, the Ravens, who finished 5-11 in 2007, earned two nationally-televised games: at Pittsburgh on Monday, 9/29 (ESPN), and at Dallas on Saturday, 12/20 (NFL Network). When Baltimore was the defending AFC North Champion, after posting a 13-3 mark in 2006, the team received four national telecasts, including a Nov. 5 matchup at Pittsburgh that could have been the worst performance of the season for the Ravens – a 38-7 drubbing in the muck and driving rain at Heinz Field.

Three of the first four games of the season are against division foes. After the opener against the Bengals, the Ravens go to Houston (9/14), and then go back-to-back against AFC North partners Cleveland (9/21) and Pittsburgh (9/29).

While it's good news that the Ravens will play three of their last four games at M&T Bank Stadium, all four December games come against 2007 playoff teams: Dec. 7 vs. Washington, the first time the Redskins will play in Baltimore for a regular season contest, Dec. 14 in the rematch with the Steelers, Dec. 20 at Dallas and then Dec. 28 against the Jaguars.

There is no doubt that the 2008 schedule is difficult. Teams of the tough AFC North face the 4 teams from the AFC South and NFC East. That slate totals eight contests against 2007 playoff teams, including a road game (11/16) at the defending Super Bowl champion Giants. Others in this elite group include Pittsburgh (twice), Dallas, Washington, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee.

The Ravens' bye will be the weekend of Nov. 9. Flexible scheduling begins Week 11 (Sunday, Nov. 16.)

The 2008 Ravens schedule is below:

2008 BALTIMORE RAVENS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Below is the Ravens' TENTATIVE 2008 Preseason Schedule: