Which NFL Team Has the Toughest Schedule in 2021?

The 2021 NFL season is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about which teams have the toughest schedules. While there are a number of factors that go into determining a team’s strength of schedule, one of the most important is the opponents they’ll face.

So, which NFL team has the toughest schedule in 2021? According to our calculations, it’s the Seattle Seahawks. They’ll have to face a number of tough opponents, including the defending Super Bowl

Introduction

The 2021 NFL schedule was released on May 12th and there are a lot of interesting story lines to follow. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are the defending Super Bowl champions, have the toughest schedule in 2021. They have a few difficult road games against the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Los Angeles Rams. They also have to play the Kansas City Chiefs, who are the reigning AFC champions, twice. The Seattle Seahawks also have a tough schedule. They have to play the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals twice each, and they also have to play the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers.

The Five NFL Teams with the Toughest Schedules in 2021

The 2021 NFL season will be unlike any other in history, but that doesn’t mean that some teams don’t have it tougher than others. In fact, there are five teams in particular that have drawn the short straw when it comes to their 2021 schedule. Let’s take a look at these five teams and see why they have the toughest schedules in the NFL.

The New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have the NFL’s toughest schedule in 2021, as their opponents’ winning percentage from 2020 is a combined .578. The Patriots play each of the other four teams in the AFC East (Bills, Dolphins, Jets) and also face the NFC East (Cowboys, Giants, Eagles) and AFC West (Chargers, Broncos) as part of their regular-season slate.

New England also has a tough road ahead in terms of primetime games, as they are scheduled to appear on Monday Night Football five times. The Pats’ bye week comes in Week 11.

The Green Bay Packers

The Packers have one of the toughest schedules in 2021. They will face the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings twice each. In addition, they will face the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers’ opponents had a combined record of 136-120-0 (.531) in 2020.

The Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL for 2021. Their opponents have a combined record of 139-116-1, which is a winning percentage of .546. They also have to play seven games against teams that made the playoffs in 2020. Here is a look at their schedule:

Sept. 12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sept. 19 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sept. 26 vs. Cleveland Browns
Oct. 3 at San Francisco 49ers
Oct. 10 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Oct. 17 BYE
Oct. 24 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Oct. 31 at New York Giants
Nov. 7 vs. Washington Football Team
Nov. 14 vs Minnesota Vikings
Nov. 21 at Baltimore Ravens
Nov 11 or Nov 25 (depending on flex scheduling) vs New Orleans Saints
Dec. 5 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Dec 12 or Dec 19 (depending on flex scheduling) at New York Jets
Dec 26 or Jan 2 (depending on flex scheduling) vs Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks

This season is going to be a tough one for the Seattle Seahawks. They have the misfortune of playing in the NFC West, which means they have to face the reigning NFC champion Los Angeles Rams twice, as well as the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals, who both made the playoffs last season. In addition to their divisional opponents, the Seahawks also have to play the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and New York Jets. That’s a tough schedule for any team, let alone one that is coming off of a disappointing 7-9 season.

The Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have the toughest schedule in 2021, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Rams’ opponents have a combined record of 136-120 (.531) from 2020, and Los Angeles will face seven teams that made the playoffs last season.

The Rams will also have to contend with the NFC West, which is widely considered to be the best division in football. Los Angeles will play each of its divisional opponents twice, as well as the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens.

Conclusion

The NFL has released its full schedule for the 2021 regular season, and we now know which teams have the toughest roads to the playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints all have tough schedules, as they each have to play nine games against teams that made the playoffs last year. The New England Patriots also have a tough road ahead, as they have to play eight games against playoff teams from 2020.

So who has the easiest road to the playoffs? That would be the Los Angeles Rams, who only have to play five games against teams that made the playoffs last year. The Rams also get to play two of their divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, twice each, which should help them stay atop the NFC West.