Bengals just got a big (international) break in Jessie Bates revenge game

Ever since Jessie Bates left the Cincinnati Bengals, the safety position has been a downright tire fire. Joe Burrow was publicly displeased by Bates' departure, and in three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, he's made the All-Pro second team twice. The teams haven't met in the interim.

But the Falcons, like the Bengals, haven't been to the postseason over the last three years. Atlanta is in a rebuild with ex-AFC North head coach Kevin Stefanski at the helm, and an uncertain quarterback situation between injury-prone southpaws Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.

Meanwhile, Joe Shiesty and the Bengals have been on an offseason warpath to upgrade this roster and vault back into the Super Bowl mix.

Road games in the NFL can be finicky, though. And now, in a game where Cincinnati probably would've been an away favorite anyway, the would-be visitors got the benefit of playing this Falcons matchup on a neutral field.

Bengals-Falcons Week 9 game will be played in Madrid on November 8

ESPN's Adam Schefter dropped a Schefty bomb to confirm that the Bengals will do battle with the Falcons not in Atlanta, but in Madrid as part of the NFL International Games in the first matchup versus Bates since he fled Cincy.

What a break this is for the Bengals. Atlanta's domed home stadium can be a hostile environment to navigate. Bates is part of a stellar safety duo alongside Xavier Watts, one of Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden's ex-pupils at Notre Dame who would've come in mighty handy during last year's draft.

The safety position might finally be solidified for the Bengals after signing hometown hero Bryan Cook in free agency, and thanks to the emergence of Jordan Battle. Cincinnati also signed Kyle Dugger to rotate into the mix.

Between Cook's arrival and all the defensive line reinforcements the Bengals added, including phenomenal All-Pro Dexter Lawrence, Stefanski and the Falcons' offensive coaching staff will have their hands full. Whether it's Tagovailoa or Penix as QB1, Atlanta won't be able to knife through Cincinnati's D like a knife through butter as many opponents did in years past.

The Bengals have far superior QB play with Burrow and a vastly better roster to overcome all the potential distractions, grueling travel, and uncharted territory/fanfare that comes with an international game.

In fact, Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor have embraced the possibility of playing overseas for quite some time. Taylor even spoke about it on Tuesday before the Madrid game was announced, via FOX19's Jeremy Rauch:

Although Madrid still is a road game technically speaking, and we'll have to see how the rest of the relatively easy schedule shakes out around this contest, the Bengals are well-positioned to get a "W" in Spain.

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