Toughest Schedules according to nfl.com

[bksballer89]

Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the first things I look for in the schedule: Teams that have to go on the road for three straight weeks. Tampa has a stretch where they go to Atlanta, Pittsburgh and New Orleans between Weeks 3 to 5. That's a recipe for a slow start to the season unless the Buccaneers can sweep their two home games to start 2014 against St. Louis and Carolina.



The Bengals embark on a three-game road trip starting in Week 11 that goes through New Orleans, Houston and Tampa Bay. It's not a brutal swing, but it's part of a trend for the whole season. Many of their toughest games (New England, Indianapolis and New Orleans) are on the road. Cincinnati's season also ends on a tough note, with a Monday night game against Denver, and then a short week before heading to Pittsburgh.


Both western divisions

The NFC West is just brutal. The Cardinals, like the Rams, have four games against Seattle and San Francisco. The AFC West also has to face the NFC West out of conference, setting up a very challenging schedule for Denver, Oakland, San Diego and Kansas City.


The AFC West sent three teams to the playoffs last year. That means Oakland's schedule is absolutely loaded with matchups against playoff teams from a year ago. Now the entire AFC West will beat up on each other while having to solve the difficult defenses of the NFC West. The Raiders have a tough slate.


Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars

The NFL usually tries to help out teams coming off poor seasons with easier games. It's a philosophy that goes back decades: Many losing teams face each other in the first three weeks of the season. The Titans and Jaguars don't have brutal overall schedules, but their toughest stretches come in the season's first month.
Both teams start with three road games in four weeks. The Titans face three playoff teams from a year ago, all on the road, in that stretch. The Jaguars' only home game in the first four weeks comes against the defending division champion Indianapolis Colts. There is room for upward movement in the AFC South, but both teams have an uphill climb in September.
Minnesota Vikings

Starting in St. Louis isn't too bad. Facing the Patriots, Saints and Packers in the first five weeks of the season is rough. Minnesota has to go to the Superdome early and they go to Lambeau Field on a short week to face the Packers on a Thursday night game. We also think that the NFC North will experience a return to form this season. Three teams have quarterbacks. The Vikings don't.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Colts got a fairly care bear schedule. Can tell the NFL is pissed that Luck is not the poster child of that draft.

 

[Podunkparte]

I haven't checked other teams' schedules, but is there a tougher stretch than Seattle's week 11-16?

@KC
Arizona
@SF
@Philly
SF
@Arizona

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I haven't checked other teams' schedules, but is there a tougher stretch than Seattle's week 11-16?

@KC
Arizona
@SF
@Philly
SF
@Arizona

I can honestly see 5-1 or 4-2 here. Philly's D is horrible and I think Folk will get blown apart by the LOB. Teams have a ton of footage on him now which they didn't have last year. Not sold on that guy. One SF game Seattle will win, Arizona we'll see, but all depends on that O-Line and if Palmer stays healthy. I think KC goes 6-10 this year, I just think they are going to blow it. We'll see, but that's my hunch.

Super tough on paper, but I think Seattle goes 4-2 if not 5-1 on that stretch with the one loss being San Fran. Seattle was for the most part in *yawn* mode the second Arizona meeting. For most other teams, yes it'd be brutal.

 

[bksballer89]

I haven't checked other teams' schedules, but is there a tougher stretch than Seattle's week 11-16?

@KC
Arizona
@SF
@Philly
SF
@Arizona

Possibly the Giants

@ Philly
@ Dallas
VS Indy
@ SEA
VS SF
VS DALLAS

 

[Ties5o11]

Colts got a fairly care bear schedule. Can tell the NFL is pissed that Luck is not the poster child of that draft.

You do know how the scheduling works in the NFL, don't you?

 

[bksballer89]

I don't get why ppl don't get that the NFL schedule is a rotation. For example every team 2015 schedule is already set (in terms of who they'll play) except for 2 games

 

[wildturkey]

At this time last year, Houston was considered a tough game. At the end of the season, they had won what, 2 games? The schedule release is meaningless right now.

 

[RobToxin]

At this time last year, Houston was considered a tough game. At the end of the season, they had won what, 2 games? The schedule release is meaningless right now.

Exactly. What if Houston returns to 2011-2012 form? Suddenly, they are not a cakewalk anymore.

 

[SDPaddlefish]

I haven't checked other teams' schedules, but is there a tougher stretch than Seattle's week 11-16?

@KC
Arizona
@SF
@Philly
SF
@Arizona

Yes, take a look at the Rams weeks 6-11:
SF
Seattle
@KC
@SF
@Arizona
Denver

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Yes, take a look at the Rams weeks 6-11:
SF
Seattle
@KC
@SF
@Arizona
Denver

Winner… That 3-week away stretch is brutal

 

[Schmoopy1000]

Yes, take a look at the Rams weeks 6-11:
SF
Seattle
@KC
@SF
@Arizona
Denver

Damn that is harsh.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Every team in the NFC West has a brutal schedule.

 

[DunceKaep]

The NFL schedule about rotations is PERFECT.

The schedule of BYES, Special Days like Thursday,Monday, Could be IMPROVED, but who plays who is PERFECT.

The NFC West used to be the "NFC Least" and those team had 'easy' schedules the next year because they played their own division, which had poor records the year before.

That said, the NFC West plays the AFC West this year, meaning AZ and StL play Sea(2) SF(2) Den, SD, and KC, that is 7 playoff teams right there, w/o the rest of the schedule. Oak, the lone NON playoff team plays Den(2) KC(2) SD(2) Sea, and SF....that is 8.

All that said, the schedule is set, it is fixed, and it is perfect.
NOW, the dates and times are subjective, but the SCHEDULE itself is perfect.

 

[Midnightangel]

I don't like rolling into Baltimore on a Thursday night in just the second week of the season.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Minnesota Vikings

Starting in St. Louis isn't too bad. Facing the Patriots, Saints and Packers in the first five weeks of the season is rough. Minnesota has to go to the Superdome early and they go to Lambeau Field on a short week to face the Packers on a Thursday night game. We also think that the NFC North will experience a return to form this season. Three teams have quarterbacks. The Vikings don't.

I say "TANK" the coming season and wait for next year's crop of college QB's.

 

[gowazzu02]

Possibly the Giants

@ Philly
@ Dallas
VS Indy
@ SEA
VS SF
VS DALLAS

LOL is this serious? Any 6 game stretch in which you get to pound on Tony Romo and the soft as Charmin Cowboys cannot be seriously considered tough can it?

 

[gowazzu02]

Seattle having to

Thursday @ SF
@ Philly
Home against SF

is the single crazyest schedule quark ive ever seen? SEA and SF beat the tar out of each other the fact its in a 3 week stretch with an East coast trip to philly sammiched in between is absolutely brutal.

 

[Broncosr0k]

One of the schedulers must have had money on the Broncos in the SB. SNF against the 49ers and then TNF against the chargers and most of their home games are in the first half of the season with bye in week 4. I was already not looking forward to playing the NFC West but following up one of their best with a short week against a division rival is going to suck.

That said, some teams are going to take a step back in quality, (I am looking at you Chiefs) and schedule difficulties will change.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Colts got a fairly care bear schedule. Can tell the NFL is pissed that Luck is not the poster child of that draft.

Due to the parity of the NFL, it is hard to tell which schedules will be hard or easy ahead of time. The Colts might have the easiest road, then again, they might not.