Who Has The Hardest Schedule In The NFL?
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This is a question that many people have been asking lately. With so many teams and players, it can be hard to keep track of who is playing who.
NFL Teams
It’s a close race, but the Buffalo Bills have the hardest schedule in the NFL. They have to play the Patriots, Jets, and Dolphins twice, and they also have to play the 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams.
List of NFL teams
The NFL is divided into two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference has 16 teams, for a total of 32 teams in the NFL.
AFC Teams:
-Baltimore Ravens
-Buffalo Bills
-Cincinnati Bengals
-Cleveland Browns
-Denver Broncos
-Houston Texans
-Indianapolis Colts
-Jacksonville Jaguars
-Kansas City Chiefs
-Los Angeles Chargers
-Miami Dolphins
-New England Patriots
-New York Jets
-Oakland Raiders
-Pittsburgh Steelers
-Tennessee Titans
NFC Teams:
Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Team schedules
In the NFL, all teams must play 16 regular season games. These are typically spread out over 17 weeks, with each team getting one bye week during the season. However, due to COVID-19, the 2020 NFL season will be played over 18 weeks, with each team getting two bye weeks.
The schedule for each team is typically released in April, before the NFL Draft. The order of opponents is based on the team’s finish in the prior season – for example, the team that finished first in their division will play each of the other first-place teams from the other three divisions in their conference, and so on.
However, due to COVID-19 and the concerns around travel, this year’s schedule was released in May and all teams will play intra-conference games only.
The Hardest Schedule
The NFL regular season is made up of 16 games. That means that every team has to play 16 games in a row without any bye weeks. But who has it the hardest when it comes to their schedule? Let’s take a look at the teams with the hardest schedules this season.
Why the New England Patriots have the hardest schedule
The New England Patriots have the hardest schedule in the NFL. They have to play the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts twice each. They also have to play the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys.
Why the Green Bay Packers have the hardest schedule
At first glance, the Green Bay Packers’ 2019 schedule appears to be fairly favorable. They have five home games, including two against division rivals, and their road trips are mostly to cold-weather cities.
However, a closer look reveals that the Packers have a lot of tough opponents on their schedule. seven of their games are against teams that made the playoffs last year, and five of those are on the road. In addition, their bye week is one of the latest in the season, meaning they will have to play 16 consecutive weeks without a break.
All of this adds up to a schedule that is difficult for any team, let alone one with a young quarterback like Aaron Rodgers. If the Packers want to make it back to the playoffs this year, they will need to play their best football every week.
The Easiest Schedule
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the easiest schedule in the NFL this season. Their opponents have a combined record of 111-145-0, which is a winning percentage of .433.
Why the New York Jets have the easiest schedule
The New York Jets have the easiest schedule in the NFL. Their opponents have a combined record of just under .500, and they don’t have to play any team that made the playoffs last year.
Why the San Francisco 49ers have the easiest schedule
The San Francisco 49ers have the easiest schedule in the NFL. Their opponents have a combined record of just 113-143, which is a winning percentage of 44%. That’s the lowest in the league.
The 49ers’ opponents also have an average point differential of -5.4, which is the second-lowest in the NFL. So not only are they playing teams with losing records, but they’re also playing teams that are being outscored by an average of 5.4 points per game.
The 49ers also benefit from playing six games against teams that are in the bottom third of the league in terms of point differential. Three of those games are against teams that are in the bottom 10 (the Cardinals, Bengals, and Jets).
So if you’re looking for a team with an easy road to success, look no further than the San Francisco 49ers.