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Who has the easiest NFL schedule in 2016?

By Dave Stevenson

Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of NFL golden shield logo at Niketown San Francisco Union Square prior to Super Bowl 50. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of NFL golden shield logo at Niketown San Francisco Union Square prior to Super Bowl 50. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Which NFL teams will have the easiest schedules in the league during the 2016 season? 

While the National Football League has yet to release their weekly schedule (they will do so on Thursday, April 14 at 8:00 PM on the NFL Network), they have already released the teams that each team will play. That allows for strength of schedule, which determines how tough or how easy a team’s schedule is, to be calculated.

The Green Bay Packers will have the easiest schedule in the league judging by strength of schedule. Rounding out the top six for easiest schedules in the league will be the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys. Here is each team’s schedule ranked from lowest strength of schedule (easiest) to highest strength of schedule (toughest).

  1. Green Bay Packers (0.457)
  2. Chicago Bears (0.461)
  3. New York Giants (0.461)
  4. Cincinnati Bengals (0.465)
  5. Detroit Lions (0.465)
  6. Dallas Cowboys (0.465)
  7. Philadelphia Eagles (0.469)
  8.  Jacksonville Jaguars (0.473)
  9. Pittsburgh Steelers (0.473)
  10. Tennessee Titans (0.473)
  11. Indianapolis Colts (0.477)
  12. Cleveland Browns (0.480)
  13. Houston Texans (0.484)
  14. Baltimore Ravens (0.484)
  15. Minnesota Vikings (0.488)
  16. Washington Redskins (0.492)
  17. Kansas City Chiefs (0.496)
  18. Oakland Raiders (0.500)
  19. Denver Broncos (0.504)
  20. San Diego Chargers (0.508)
  21. Carolina Panthers (0.512)
  22. Miami Dolphins (0.516)
  23. Buffalo Bills (0.520)
  24. New England Patriots (0.523)
  25. New York Jets (0.531)
  26. Atlanta Falcons (0.555)
  27. Arizona Cardinals (0.531)
  28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0.543)
  29. Seattle Seahawks (0.543)
  30. New Orleans Saints (0.547)
  31. Los Angeles Rams (0.551)
  32. San Francisco 49ers (0.555)

Why do NFC North teams have some of the easiest schedules in the NFL? It’s because each NFC North team will face the two easiest divisions in the league: the AFC South and the NFC East. On top of that, the NFC North isn’t a great division in itself so playing each other is relatively easy compared to, say, the AFC West which could have all four teams above .500 because it will be so closely contested.

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