There are many unknowns in the NFL. While the strength of the schedule at the start of a season can look completely different from preseason projections, they’re usually solid as a whole. In the end, Las Vegas knows what they’re doing. Which teams project to possess the easiest and most difficult schedules in the NFL in 2023?
As the season progresses, we’ll use an aggregate of the PFN Consensus Power Rankings, remaining schedule win percentage, and other team-specific metrics to evaluate the league’s remaining strength of schedule. These will look quite different from our preseason data, which were based more on external factors like travel distance, potential weather, and perceived opponent strength.
Who Has the Easiest Remaining Strength of Schedule in the NFL?
Judging by win percentage, the Atlanta Falcons have the easiest remaining strength of schedule. They don’t currently play a single game against a winning team for the rest of the season heading into Week 15.
Who Has the Hardest Remaining Strength of Schedule in the NFL?
The Baltimore Ravens have the hardest remaining strength of schedule, including games against some of the best teams in each conference.
Ranking All 32 NFL Teams by Remaining Strength of Schedule
1) Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens’ schedule ranks as the most difficult in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers are all playoff contenders. You’d think that the current iteration of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 may be a reprieve, but Pittsburgh already beat Baltimore once this season.
2) New York Giants
The Giants’ schedule doesn’t matter much because they aren’t playoff contenders, but finding wins over their final four games could prove difficult. They face the Philadelphia Eagles (twice), Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints.
3) Miami Dolphins
The top of Miami’s schedule includes some of the best teams in the NFL. Three of their four final games come against the Dallas Cowboys, Ravens, and Buffalo Bills.
4) Detroit Lions
Detroit should briskly walk away with the NFC North. Games against the Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals, albeit without Joe Burrow, are the only ones remaining that should be seen as 50/50 matchups.
The Lions should be favored in the rest of their contests, but the Minnesota Vikings are no slouch, either.
5) Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders’ defense, now without EDGEs Montez Sweat or Chase Young, will almost certainly struggle against any offense it faces. The ever-efficient 49ers’ and Cowboys’ passing attacks are on the schedule, as well.
6) Arizona Cardinals
Playing the Chicago Bears helps the Arizona Cardinals’ strength of schedule. Yet, they still have the Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, and 49ers on their calendar.
7) Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings lost veteran QB Kirk Cousins, but they could still win a few games over the rest of the season.
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Splitting with the Lions would be huge for them. However, the Green Bay Packers are playing much better, and the Raiders’ defense has turned things around.
8) Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh still has games against the Bengals, one against the Ravens, and a cross-conference matchup with the Seahawks. After dropping consecutive games to two-win teams, things aren’t looking good in Pittsburgh.
9) Cincinnati Bengals
The Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Vikings, and Steelers remain on the schedule for Cincinnati. With the way these teams are playing at the moment, the Bengals might actually come out of this stretch with a winning record. That’s phenomenal, considering they are starting backup QB Jake Browning.
10) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys still get the Commanders one more time in 2023. However, games against the Dolphins, Lions, and Bills make for a difficult schedule over their final four games.
11) Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars, Seahawks, and Houston Texans (twice) outgun them. No easy games are remaining on the schedule. Tennessee will have to fight tooth and nail to come away with another win this season, but they proved that’s possible after an improbable Monday Night Football win against the Dolphins.
12) Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas already fired their head coach and general manager this season. They’re also starting rookie QB Aidan O’Connell in an offense that has struggled.
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There are no “easy” games on the Raiders’ schedule. They still have the Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos left.
13) New England Patriots
New England has four relatively competitive games remaining on their schedule. They have the Chiefs and Bills left on the docket, and the Broncos won’t be an easy win, either.
14) Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles still needs to play Las Vegas and New England. The Chargers faced Dallas, Kansas City, and Miami in their first seven games and lost a game against Tennessee in the process.
They still must face the Broncos, Bills, and Chiefs again before the end of the season.
15) Buffalo Bills
The Bills still must face the Cowboys and Dolphins for their second meeting. That’s a whole lot of talent to get through if Buffalo wants to make the playoffs.
In the meantime, they’ll also have the Patriots and Chargers, who both look brutal at the moment.
16) Carolina Panthers
The Jacksonville Jaguars represent the Panthers’ most difficult remaining game, but Carolina also still has three divisional bouts on tap. Games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Saints are on the “easier” side of things, but there are no easy wins with this Carolina roster.
17) Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks still have the Eagles remaining on their schedule. It won’t be an easy road to the playoffs for Seattle, even with the Cardinals and Chargers remaining on the schedule.
18) Houston Texans
The Browns and Colts keep Houston’s schedule off the bottom of the list, but the Texans have some winnable games over their final four. However, Tennessee just beat Miami, and Houston must face the Titans twice over the next month.
19) Los Angeles Rams
The Rams got most of their truly difficult games out of the way early. They’ve already been through the 49ers once, the Seahawks twice, and the Bengals, Eagles, Steelers, and Cowboys. L.A. still has San Francisco again.
20) Indianapolis Colts
Even without rookie QB Anthony Richardson, the Colts shouldn’t have many issues remaining competitive with the rest of their schedule. The Texans are a better team, but Indianapolis also gets games against the Raiders and Falcons.
21) Cleveland Browns
The Bengals and Texans could be difficult matchups for Cleveland, given the Browns’ offensive issues. However, Kevin Stefanski’s squad also get games against the Bears and Jets on the schedule, giving them a chance to keep pace in the AFC North — especially given how difficult the Ravens’ schedule is.
22) New York Jets
The Jets’ defense still gets a nice test against the Dolphins. The Texans also loom on the schedule. New York’s matchup against the Browns will be an outstanding defensive slugfest.
23) Chicago Bears
The Bears’ schedule is not difficult, as they don’t have to face any of the league’s elite teams from here on out. However, they still face the Browns and Packers, who are currently performing well.
24) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The entire NFC South gets a pass in 2023, and the Buccaneers are no exception. While they still must play the Packers, the biggest competition remaining on Tampa Bay’s schedule is the Jaguars.
25) San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco demolished the Jaguars coming out of the 49ers’ bye week, and they still have the Ravens on tap. But the Rams gave the Red and Gold their closest game that resulted in a 49ers win for the season. Games against the Commanders and Cardinals could be bloodbaths, however.
26) Denver Broncos
The Broncos are on an absolute roll, and with games remaining against the Patriots, Chargers, and Raiders, there’s a good chance Denver somehow makes the playoffs after starting 1-5.
27) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have games remaining against the Ravens, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Titans. A milquetoast slate at best.
28) Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs still have the Burrow-less Bengals left to play. However, they also get the Patriots and Raiders before the season’s end, giving them a chance to get things going for a playoff run that could see Patrick Mahomes finally play a road playoff game.
29) New Orleans Saints
The Falcons and Buccaneers will be competitive, as will the Rams game. Derek Carr is about as injured as a player can be while physically remaining on the field, so it will be fascinating to see if New Orleans can gut out a division championship.
30) Philadelphia Eagles
Only the Seahawks remain as a potentially realistic roadblock for the Eagles. However, the Eagles defense is playing poorly, and the Tommy DeVito-led Giants are on a hot streak. The Eagles face the breakout Italian twice at the end of the season.
31) Green Bay Packers
The Packers have one of the easiest schedules remaining. The Vikings represent Green Bay’s only legitimately competitive game if the Packers can re-capture the momentum this team was on before falling to DeVito’s Giants.
32) Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have had the easiest schedule in the NFL, particularly when looking at the opposing quarterbacks on their schedule. They didn’t even have to face Kirk Cousins, leaving Atlanta with either the Saints’ Derek Carr or the Bears’ Justin Fields as the best quarterback the Falcons face the rest of the way.
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