Which NFL Defense Has The Easiest Schedule?
Contents
The NFL regular season is just around the corner and we all know that defense wins championships. But which NFL defense has the easiest schedule this season?
NFL Defenses
The NFL regular season is quickly approaching and there are many questions to be answered. Who will have the best season? Who will make the playoffs? Who will win the Super Bowl? We can’t answer all of those questions, but we can take a look at which NFL team has the easiest schedule.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have the easiest schedule in the NFL, based on last year’s records. Their opponents had a combined record of 120-136, which is a winning percentage of .469. The Ravens’ opponents this year include the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Rams.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have the easiest schedule in 2020, based on their opponents’ records from last season. They’ll face just five teams that had winning records in 2019: the Green Bay Packers (twice), Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. While the Bears do have some tough opponents on their schedule, they’ll benefit from facing several teams that are in transition or rebuilding.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have the easiest schedule in the NFL this season. They will play their first six games against teams that finished below .500 last season. The only team with a winning record that they will face in their first six games is the San Francisco 49ers, who they play in Week 2. The Broncos also have a favorable matchup in their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks, who they defeated in the Super Bowl last season.
Easiest Schedules
The answer may surprise you. The team with the easiest NFL schedule this season is none other than the Los Angeles Rams.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have the easiest NFL schedule in 2020, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight.
The Ravens are scheduled to play the Cincinnati Bengals twice, the Cleveland Browns twice, and the Pittsburgh Steelers once. They also have games against the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Their opponents have a combined record of just over .500 from last season, and their division rivals are all expected to be among the worst teams in the league.
The Ravens should have an easy road to a division title and a playoff berth in 2020.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have the easiest schedule in 2020, according to NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha. The Bears’ opponents have a combined record of 111-145-0 (.434), the lowest in the NFL.
The New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens round out the top four.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the hardest schedule in 2020, as their opponents have a combined record of 149-117-0 (.560), the highest in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers are also among the teams with the toughest slates.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have the easiest schedule in the NFL, according to data from FPI.
The Broncos’ opponents have an average win percentage of .453, which is the lowest in the NFL. The New England Patriots have the second-easiest schedule, with an average opponent win percentage of .469.
The Broncos’ easiest stretch of the season comes in Weeks 11-13, when they play the Chargers, Bengals and Jets. They also have a favorable matchup in Week 17, when they host the Raiders.
The toughest part of the Broncos’ schedule comes in Weeks 4-6, when they play the Vikings, Chiefs and Cardinals.
