The NFL has just released the schedule for the 2013 season, allowing fans to get their first glimpse at the road the Ravens will need to walk in order to defend their Super Bowl championship. Overall, I think the schedule is pretty favorable to the Ravens, though that certainly doesn’t mean it will be easy.

A lot has been made over the past month about the scheduling mess that prevents the Ravens from continuing the tradition of having the champions kick off the new season at home. While I’m disappointed that Baltimore won’t get the national attention that comes with that game, I understand that all of the moving pieces would have made playing that Thursday impossible. That being said, I still think the game should have been moved to Wednesday. I understand it’s Rosh Hashanah; however, the NFL has played on that holiday a number of times in the past. They also play on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Day if the calendar calls for it. My hunch is that the reluctance to move to Wednesday has a lot more to do about the TV contracts and ratings concerns than it does with a holiday.

If the Ravens had to open on the road, than the game absolutely needed to be in Denver. The playoff bout between the Ravens and Broncos in January was arguably the best game of the 2012 season, and a rematch will draw a lot of attention. There’s also the fact that the Broncos are the preseason darlings to win the AFC and the story of Elvis Dumervil’s return to Mile High. The Ravens were going to have to make the trip to Denver at some point, and I’m sure they’re fine with getting the entire offseason to prepare for Peyton Manning.

The home opener, which will presumably include the Super Bowl ring ceremony, will be in week 2 against the Browns. Ouch. That’s got to sting for Cleveland fans. But it provides the Ravens with a divisional game that they should win as a stage for the pomp and circumstance.

Week 3 will bring the Houston Texans to town. Coming with them will be #20, Ed Reed. Yeah, this may be an emotional game.

Weeks 4 and 5 bring an AFC East road trip to Miami and Buffalo. The Dolphins are a bit of a wild card this year, as they’ve made some moves that could put them in the playoff mix if their young quarterback continues to improve. The Bills will likely continue to be the Bills.

Week 6 will be a high-profile game when the Green Bay Packers discount double-check their way into M&T Bank Stadium. Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, and company will put the Ravens’ remarkable home record to the test.

Week 7 is Steelers Week, Part I. The Ravens will travel to Pittsburgh to face off against their hated rivals. The Steelers have had a rough offseason and look to be on a downhill slide after missing the postseason last year, but we learned in the 2012 series that logic and stats go out the window when these teams lock up.

Week 8 is the bye. This is the second year in a row that the Ravens have had a really beneficial off week. That it comes after a Steelers game and before another road game is an added bonus.

Week 9 takes the Ravens to the Factory of Sadness to wrap up the season series against the Browns. I don’t think the Browns are going to be quite as much of a pushover in 2013 as they have been, but the Ravens always seem to find a way to beat them.

Week 10 brings the Ravens back home for their first matchup with the Bengals. After playing Cinci in Week 1 last year, these teams won’t meet up until November in 2013.

Week 11 is usually when the winds of winter start to really be felt around the league, and this year they’ll escort the Ravens into Chicago to face Da Bears. Flacco and Cutler will face off in an epic battle of awkward-looking QBs.

Week 12 brings the New York Jets and their circus to Charm City. Will Mark Sanchez still be the QB by this point? Will Tim Tebow still be on the team? Can the Jets fail in a more hilarious fashion than they did last season? These are questions that need answering. Also, buttfumble.

Week 13. Thanksgiving Night. Steelers. Ravens. Brace yourselves.

Weeks 14 and 15 bring an NFC North doubleheader. After the long break to recover from the Steelers, the Vikings will come to town. The following week, the Ravens return to primetime with a Monday Night Football appearance in Detroit against the Lions. Going down the homestretch against Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson will be a playoff-caliber test for the young defense.

Speaking of playoff-caliber tests, the hottest rivalry in the AFC continues in Week 16 when Tom Brady and the Patriots come to town for Sunday Night Football. The Ravens beat Brady twice in 2013, including in the AFC Championship game, and you just know that’s been eating at his Bieber-hair-covered head since January.

The Ravens will wrap up the season just as they did in 2012: in Cincinnati against the Bengals. This final stretch is killer, and the Ravens and Bengals could very well be playing for the AFC North at the end of it.