Who Has the Easiest NFL Schedule in 2021?
The NFL schedule for the 2021 season was released on Wednesday night, and there are a few teams that have easier roads to the playoffs than others.
NFL Basics
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. It is composed of 32 teams, each of which plays 16 games during the NFL regular season. The schedule is typically released in April.
How the NFL schedule is made
In order to ensure that each team has an equitable 16-game schedule, the League uses a formula that takes into account a number of factors, including divisional alignments, strength of schedule, prior year’s standings and geographical considerations.
The NFL schedule is also designed to create interesting and meaningful matchups that will generate additional interest throughout the season, as well as create additional national television opportunities.
How NFL strength of schedule is calculated
In the NFL, each team plays 16 games against opponents from its own division (intradivisional games), in addition to 16 other opponents from other divisions in its own conference (intraconference games). For example, since the AFC East and NFC East divisions play against each division in their own conference, those teams will play four games each against the other seven teams in their conference.
To determine an opponent for each team, the NFL looks at where each team finished in the standings during the previous season. For example, if Team A finished first in its division and Team B finished last, then Team A will play two intraconference games against last-place teams and Team B will play two intraconference games against first-place teams. The NFL also tries to match up division winners from one year against division winners from another year, so that there’s some turnover in the schedule from year to year. Finally, each team is “scheduled for prime time” once per season on Thursday night (since 2006), Sunday night (since 1987) or Monday night (since 1970).
The 2021 NFL Schedule
The 2021 NFL schedule was released on Wednesday and there are some teams that have a more favorable schedule than others. Let’s take a look at who has the easiest schedule in 2021.
The teams with the easiest schedules
1. Buffalo Bills
Schedule Strength: 0.469
Notable Games: at Ravens (Week 1), vs. Patriots (Week 8), vs. Chiefs (Week 16)
Buffalo’s schedule is highlighted by home games against the Patriots and Chiefs, as well as a road trip to Baltimore in Week 1. The Bills also have a pair of tough divisional games against Miami, but otherwise their schedule looks manageable.
2. Green Bay Packers
Schedule Strength: 0.473
Notable Games: at Saints (Week 3), vs. Buccaneers (Week 9), vs. Steelers (Week 15)
The Packers have a relatively easy schedule, with their toughest games coming against the Saints, Buccaneers, and Steelers. Green Bay also has a couple of tough divisional games against the Vikings and Bears, but otherwise their schedule looks manageable.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Schedule Strength: 0.477
Notable Games: at Rams (Week 10), vs. Packers (Week 12), at Eagles (Week 13)
The Seahawks have a relatively easy schedule in 2021, with their toughest games coming against the Rams, Packers, and Eagles. Seattle also has a couple of tough divisional games against the 49ers and Cardinals, but otherwise their schedule looks manageable.
The teams with the hardest schedules
The 2021 NFL schedule was released on Wednesday evening, and there are a few teams that appear to have been dealt a difficult hand. The Miami Dolphins, for example, will face the defending NFC champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, then will play the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills in consecutive weeks. The New York Jets will also have a tough start to the season, as they’ll take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 before playing the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in back-to-back weeks. Here’s a look at the teams with the hardest schedules in 2021, based on their opponents’ combined winning percentage from 2020:
1. Miami Dolphins (.539)
2. New York Jets (.512)
3. Detroit Lions (.504)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (.492)
5. Houston Texans (.473)
6. Seattle Seahawks (.473)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.473)
8. Minnesota Vikings (.469)
9. Carolina Panthers (.462)
How will the 2021 NFL schedule affect the season?
With the NFL schedule recently being released, fans and analysts alike can now begin to dissect how each team’s slate might affect their season. Some teams got lucky with an easy schedule, while others were dealt a difficult one. Who has the easiest schedule in 2021?
Will there be any upsets?
The 2021 NFL schedule was released on May 12, and there are some interesting things to note. First, the regular season will begin on September 9 and end on January 9, 2022. There are also some changes to the playoff format; the top seed in each conference will get a bye week in the Wild Card round, and there will be only three games in the first round of the playoffs instead of four.
As for who has the easiest NFL schedule in 2021, that would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their opponents have a combined record of 120-136 (.469) from last season, which is the lowest win percentage of all teams. The Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks also have relatively easy schedules.
On the other side of things, the team with the hardest NFL schedule in 2021 is the Baltimore Ravens. They have to play against opponents with a combined record of 149-109 (.577) from last season, which includes six teams that made the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots also have tough schedules.
So what does all this mean? Well, it’s hard to say for sure. upsets happen every year in the NFL, and with so many variables at play (such as injuries and COVID-19), it’s impossible to predict what will happen with 100% accuracy. However, one thing is for sure: the 2021 NFL season should be an exciting one!
How will the schedule affect the playoff race?
The NFL playoff race is always a close one, and with so many teams vying for a spot, every game counts. This year, the race may be even closer than usual, as the schedule includes several tough matchups. Here’s a look at some of the key games that could have an impact on the playoff race.
-Week 1: Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
-Week 2: Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
-Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens
-Week 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers
-Week 5: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams
-Week 6: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
-Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs
-Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
-Week 9: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
-Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
-Week 11: Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers
– Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
These are just a few of the key games that could have an impact on the playoff race. With so many close matchups, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top.
