While there are exceptions to the rule, specifically in the AFC South and NFC East, that’s generally how it shakes out this season. The Rams, Bengals, 49ers, and Chiefs all have among the hardest schedules of NFL teams as division finalists, whereas teams like the Lions and Jaguars find themselves toward the bottom in strength of schedule.
The Rams and Bengals expect to be competing for another Super Bowl berth this year, while the 49ers are figuring out their quarterback room and the Chiefs traded away top wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Green Bay, meanwhile, will inevitably be in the thick of things with Aaron Rodgers back at the helm.
The NFL’s scheduling, straightforward as it is, doesn’t perfectly reflect which teams have the hardest schedule. Here, however, is everything you need to know about every team’s strength of schedule on paper.
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Toughest NFL schedule in 2022
Los Angeles Rams (.567 opponents win percentage)
The Rams have a schedule befitting a defending champion. After winning the Super Bowl last season, they have their divisional schedule against the NFC West, which featured two other playoff teams in the Cardinals and the 49ers. By winning the division, they notched games against the NFC North-winning Packers and NFC East champion Cowboys as well, plus an AFC draw against the impressive Buffalo Bills.
It’s a testament to their strength of schedule that not even a weak NFC South drew the Rams’ winning percentage down, with the Buccaneers and Saints being the only teams above .500 there.
The Rams will have their work cut out for them next season, but that’s to be expected. How hard their schedule truly is will depend on if the NFC West proves to be as deep as it was last season.
Rams opponents:
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Easiest NFL schedule in 2022
Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys (.462 opponents win percentage)
Playing in the NFC East has its perks. Although the Cowboys and Eagles managed to stay above .500 last year, the Commanders and Giants really dragged down the strength of schedule of the division. That combined with playing the AFC South, which was similarly disastrous outside of Tennessee and Indianapolis, has the NFC East looking like the place to be for teams on the rise.
The Cowboys finished 12-5 last year, but not even bouts against the Packers, Rams, and Buccaneers bring their opponents’ winning percentage up.
Commanders opponents:
Cowboys:
2022 NFL strength of schedule rankings
The two Super Bowl teams find themselves in the top three of strength of schedule based on opposing win percentage, with the Bengals sitting at third behind the Rams and Cardinals. Tampa Bay and San Francisco round out the top five, putting three NFC West teams in a very difficult spot based on strength of schedule alone.
At the bottom the rankings, the Lions accompany the four NFC West teams as the bottom five. Going from lowest opposing win percentage to highest, the Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Lions have the five easiest schedules.
2022 NFL schedule for all 32 teams
While dates have yet to be set for each of the 32 teams’ matchups, fans know who is playing who come the 2022 season. The formula the NFL uses is as follows:
Home and away against its three division opponents (Six games) The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (Four games) The four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (Four games) Two intraconference games based on the prior year’s standings (these games match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season) (Two games) One interconference game based on the prior year’s standings on a rotating four-year cycle. These games match a first-place team from one division against a first-place team in an opposite conference division that the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place and fourth-place teams in each division are similarly paired. The home conference for this game will rotate each season.
While the dates and times of these games are scheduled to be released this week, we already know the opponents for all 32 squads. Here’s what we know:
AFC East
New England Patriots
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets Away: Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers
Buffalo Bills
Home: Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
New York Jets
Home: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks
Miami Dolphins
Home: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers Away: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Home: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams Away: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles
Cleveland Browns
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Los Angeles Chargers Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Washington Commanders
Cincinnati Bengals
Home: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins Away: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans
AFC South
Houston Texans
Home: Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders Away: Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears
Tennessee Titans
Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Home: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders Away: Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings
Jacksonville Jaguars
Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens Away: Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, New York Jets, Detroit Lions
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Home: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills Away: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders Away: Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens
Las Vegas Raiders
Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints
Los Angeles Chargers
Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals
Dallas Cowboys
Home: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals Away: Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
New York Giants
Home: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens Away: Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks
Washington Commanders
Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Home: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans Away: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
Home: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts Away: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins
Chicago Bears
Home: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans Away: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons
Detroit Lions
Home: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Away: Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers
NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Home: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings Away: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons
Home: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Home: Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons Away: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Home: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos Away: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders Away: Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, New York Jets Away: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions
Los Angeles Rams
Home: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills Away: Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers
Arizona Cardinals
Home: Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots Away: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks
