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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Christian D'Andrea

NFL strength of schedule 2023: Ranking every team’s schedule from easiest (Falcons!) to hardest (Eagles!)

The 2023 NFL schedule is here. Of course, we already knew who each team was playing over the course of 18 weeks this fall/winter. Now we know when.

The league’s scheduling mechanism aims for fairness, but the ebb and flow between weak and strong divisions can derail those plans. The better your team was the season prior the tougher its schedule should be one season later, and while that holds true for the most part it’s not a lock. If you break down each team’s 2023 schedule by how many games their opponents won in 2022, you’ll find the Philadelphia Eagles with this season’s toughest lineup — and the Kansas City Chiefs clocking in at the middle of the pack.

Thus, these rankings. What follows is a 1-32 breakdown of 2023’s schedules from hardest to softest based on 2022 results.

These strengths of schedules, however, don’t account for changes made over the offseason. Anyone who has to face the New York Jets, for example, had a 8-9 team woven into the fabric of their SOS instead of the 2023 version with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Thus, this is a flawed metric — but a useful one nonetheless to establish a baseline of “wow, who has it worse than the New England Patriots this season?” (the answer: very few teams!)

Let’s look at each team’s strength of schedule and point out which game looms largest on their calendars.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 161-123-4 (.566 win percentage)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

2. Miami Dolphins

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 158-127-2 (.554)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

3. New York Giants

Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 157-129-2 (.549)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

4. New England Patriots

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 156-128-3 (.549)

Toughest game: at Buffalo Bills

5. Dallas Cowboys

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 156-128-4 (.549)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

6. New York Jets

Elsa/Getty Images

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 155-129-3 (.545)

Toughest game: at Buffalo Bills

7. Buffalo Bills

Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 155-131-2 (.542)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

8. Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Jessica Rapfogel

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 153-133-2 (.535)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

9. Los Angeles Rams

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 152-133-3 (.533)

Toughest game: at Dallas Cowboys

10. Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/John Locher

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record:150-136-2 (.524)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

11. Arizona Cardinals

Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 148-137-3 (.519)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

12. Los Angeles Chargers

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 149-139 (.517)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

t-13. Denver Broncos

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 148-138-2 (.517)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

t-13. Seattle Seahawks

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 148-138-2 (.517)

Toughest game: at Dallas Cowboys

15. San Francisco 49ers

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 147-139-2 (.514)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

16. Kansas City Chiefs

Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 147-140 (.512)

Toughest game: at Jacksonville Jaguars

17. Cincinnati Bengals

USA Today Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 146-140-2 (.510)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

18. Chicago Bears

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 143-145-1 (.497)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

19. Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 143-145 (.497)

Toughest game: at Philadelphia Eagles

20. Detroit Lions

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 143-146 (.495)

Toughest game: at Kansas City Chiefs

21. Baltimore Ravens

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 138-147-2 (.483)

Toughest game: at Cincinnati Bengals

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 138-148-2 (.483)

Toughest game: at Buffalo Bills

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/John Raoux

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 135-148-4 (.477)

Toughest game: at Buffalo Bills

24. Green Bay Packers

USA Today Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 137-151-1 (.476)

Toughest game: at Detroit Lions

25. Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Justin Berl

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 134-151-2 (.470)

Toughest game: at Cincinnati Bengals

26. Cleveland Browns

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 131-154-2 (.460)

Toughest game: at Cincinnati Bengals

27. Carolina Panthers

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 130-157-2 (.453)

Toughest game: at Jacksonville Jaguars

28. Tennessee Titans

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 127-157-4 (.448)

Toughest game: at Miami Dolphins

29. Indianapolis Colts

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 124-162-2 (.434)

Toughest game: at Cincinnati Bengals

30. Houston Texans

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 123-163-2 (.431)

Toughest game: at Cincinnati Bengals

31. New Orleans Saints

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 122-164-3 (.427)

Toughest game: at Minnesota Vikings

32. Atlanta Falcons

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

2023 opponents’ combined 2022 record: 119-167-3 (.417)

Toughest game: at Jacksonville Jaguars

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