Breaking down each NFL team’s strength of schedule this season

8. Cleveland Browns (6-10)

Opponents: TEN, NYJ, LAR, BAL, SF, SEA, NE, DEN, BUF, PIT, MIA, PIT, CIN, ARI, BAL, CIN

ASoS: 126-113-1, .527%

The Browns have had a slightly easier second half of the season after starting with the most difficult first half. After all the hype going into the season, this team was marred by drama and poor coaching. With a new coach coming in for 2020, can the Browns finally play up to their talent, or will they continue to be the same old Browns?

7. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)

Opponents: JAX, OAK, BAL, DET, IND, HOU, DEN, GB, MIN, TEN, LAC, OAK, NE, DEN, CHI, LAC

ASoS: 126-113-1, .527%

Patrick Mahomes hasn’t been as explosive this year as he was in his MVP campaign last season, but the Chiefs own the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye after winning seven of the last eight (the one loss being a crazy 35-32 game that ended on a blocked field goal against the Titans). The Chiefs will host either the Patriots or the winner of Texans vs. Bills in the Divisional Round, setting the stage for an exciting rematch with the Ravens in the AFC Championship game if both teams can take care of business at home.

6. Houston Texans (10-6)

Opponents: NO, JAX, LAC, CAR, ATL, KC, IND, OAK, JAX, BAL, IND, NE, DEN, TEN, TB, TEN

ASoS: 127-113, .529%

The Texans have been exciting with Deshaun Watson leading the way all season. Strange ups and downs have made this team unpredictable though. You never know which version of the Texans you might see. They beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in week six 31-24, but then had to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a comeback win against Oakland two weeks later.

After their bye week, they got the doors blown off in Baltimore 41-7, beat the Patriots 28-22 two weeks later (it was 28-9 with under four minutes left in the game), and then the next week got whooped at home by the Broncos 38-24 (38-10 going into the fourth). Which Texans will show up Wild Card Weekend when they host the Buffalo Bills?

5. Cincinnati Bengals (2-14)

Opponents: SEA, SF, BUF, PIT, ARI, BAL, JAX, LAR, BAL, OAK, PIT, NYJ, CLE, NE, MIA, CLE

ASoS: 127-112-1, .531%

The Cincinnati Bengals are now on the clock. Week one looked promising for the Bengals, who gave the Seahawks all they could handle in Seattle’s home opener. But then the losses started piling up from there. They wouldn’t win a game until Week 13 against the Jets. They tried benching Andy Dalton for Ryan Finley for a couple weeks, but that didn’t work either.

The problems the Bengals face are much more than the quarterback position. They might need more than Joe Burrow to become good again. Might the Bengals trade out of that number one pick for a haul of future picks?

4. Carolina Panthers (5-11)

Opponents: LAR, TB, ARI, HOU, JAX, TB, SF, TEN, GB, ATL, NO, WAS, ATL, SEA, IND, NO

ASoS: 129-110-1, .539%

The Panthers started the year strong under second year quarterback Kyle Allen, winning four straight after dropping Weeks 1 and 2 partially due to a Cam Newton injury. At 4-2 heading into the bye, they looked to keep up with the division leading Saints, but things went awry from there. After getting stomped by the 49ers, they rebounded and beat the Titans, only to lose the eight games to finish the season.

Kyle Allen is likely not the future in Carolina at quarterback, and Cam Newton may not be either. Either way, for the first time in his career, Newton will be without Ron Rivera as his head coach, whether he stays in Carolina or not (unless of course he is traded to the Washington Redskins, where Rivera was recently hired as head coach).

3. Los Angeles Rams (9-7)

Opponents: CAR, NO, CLE, TB, SEA, SF, ATL, CIN, PIT, CHI, BAL, ARI, SEA, DAL, SF, ARI

ASoS: 129-109-2, .542%

The defending NFC Champs looked strong coming into the 2019 season.  Their offense seemed to struggle at times and it took a while to get Todd Gurley going, but they found their stride towards the end of the season.

Big losses to teams like Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Dallas really hurt the Rams as they looked to repeat as NFC Champions.  And the emergence of the 49ers as a powerhouse and the Seahawks playing great football again led to the Rams falling to third in the division and not finishing well enough to secure even a wild card in the stacked NFC.

2. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

Opponents: MIN, PHI, IND, TEN, HOU, ARI, LAR, SEA, NO, CAR, TB, NO, CAR, SF, JAX, TB

ASoS: 130-109-1, .544%

The Falcons have not been the same since blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI (sorry to bring it up again Atlanta fans). Another year, another talented team wasted with injuries and bad coaching. Atlanta was 1-7 going into their bye week.

After coming out and stunning the Saints in New Orleans in week 10, they went on to win six of their last eight (including a thriller in San Francisco), essentially saving head coach Dan Quinn’s job. The Falcons played nine games against teams with winning records, including two against the 13-3 Saints and one against the 13-3 49ers.

1. Seattle Seahawks (11-5)

Opponents: CIN, PIT, NO, ARI, LAR, CLE, BAL, ATL, TB, SF, PHI, MIN, LAR, CAR, ARI, SF

ASoS: 130-108-2, .546%

Seattle played the Saints, Rams twice, Ravens, 49ers twice, Eagles, and Vikings. Against playoff teams, the Seahawks finished 3-3. They lost three of their last four after starting 10-2, including embarrassing losses to the Rams and Cardinals. Even then, they still had the chance to win the NFC West and secure a first-round bye if things went well in Week 17.

Instead, they lost to the 49ers at home and are the NFC’s five seed sending them for a visit to the NFC East Champ Eagles for Wild Card Weekend. Finishing 11-5 with the league’s toughest schedule is no small task, but can they keep it up against the NFC’s best?