One good thing and one bad thing every NFL team will face in 2026 season

There is both good and bad to every team's NFL schedule in 2026 and we broke it down

The NFL spends a lot of time every year putting the schedule together and although the league does its best to make sure every team is happy, the fact of the matter is that making everyone happy is impossible when you're putting together a schedule that consists of 272 games. 

Just ask the NFL about that. 

Can confirm for the 107th consecutive year, not one team thanked the league office for delivering them the perfect schedule.

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) May 15, 2026

With that in mind, we went through all 32 schedules to find one thing that should make each team happy about their schedule and one thing that each team probably isn't so happy about (You can see each team's full schedule here). 

Here's one good thing and one bad thing from each team's schedule starting with the AFC East. 

AFC East

Miami Dolphins

One good thing for the Dolphins. The Dolphins will be facing three teams in their first six games that will have a new starting quarterback (Raiders in Week 1, Vikings in Week 4, Jets in Week 7). If Jeff Hafley can have his defense playing at a high level early in the season, the Dolphins could pick up a few victories in that opening span. 

One bad thing for the Dolphins. This team has been horrible when the weather drops below 40 -- they've lost 15 straight games in that situation -- so it's definitely not good news that starting on Nov. 22, they have to play their final four road games in cold-weather cities (at Bills, at Broncos, at Packers, at Patriots). The Dolphins will have a new coach and a new QB (Malik Willis), so maybe they can figure out how to win in cold weather, but if not, it's going to be a long December once again. 

New York Jets

One good thing for the Jets. The Jets really only have one breather on their schedule and it starts in Week 5 when they face the Browns, Dolphins and Raiders during a four-week stretch. To make things even better, all three of those games are at home. Those are all winnable games, but this is the Jets we're talking about, so who knows if they'll actually win them. 

One bad thing for the Jets. The Jets went just 1-7 on the road last season, so it's definitely not ideal that they have to open the season with three of their first four games away from MetLife Stadium (at Titans, Packers, at Lions, at Bears). And the only game in that stretch that's not on the road is a Week 2 game against the Packers. Three of those first four games are also against NFC North teams, which was arguably the best overall division in the NFL last year. The Jets also have a nightmare stretch to end the season with the Patriots, Vikings and Bills over the final three weeks. I think what I'm trying to say here is that the Jets probably aren't going to make the playoffs. 

New England Patriots

One good thing for the Patriots. The Patriots have a four-week stretch starting in Week 5 where they'll face the Raiders, Jets and Dolphins and that's about the only thing that's good about New England's schedule. 

One bad thing for the Patriots. After getting the easiest schedule in the NFL last year, the league's schedule makers didn't do the Patriots any favors to start the season this year. The Patriots first four opponents have a strength of schedule of .721, which is the highest any team has faced in the first four weeks since 1986. And to make matters worse, three of those four games are on the road (at Seahawks, Steelers, at Jaguars, at Bills). 

Buffalo Bills

One good thing for the Bills. The Bills get to close the season with games against the Dolphins (Week 17) and Jets (Week 18). Those feel like two very winnable games and if the Bills are battling for a division title or a high playoff seed, then winning those two games could certainly help their cause. 

One bad things for the Bills. The Bills are going to be tested right out of the gate with five straight games against teams that finished over .500 last season (at Texans, Lions, Chargers, Patriots, at Rams). After playing on the road at Houston in Week 1, they have to turn around and play on Thursday night against the Lions in what will be their first game in their new stadium. That will start a stretch of three straight games at home, but that's actually a negative. If you're Buffalo, you want more homes games during the colder months and three straight home games in September doesn't help you with that. 

The Bills also got pretty nasty stretch of games starting on Thanksgiving that looks like this: Chiefs, at Patriots, at Packers, Bears, at Broncos. The Bears game is on a Saturday, so they'll short rest going into that game. After playing Chicago, they have to play Denver on a Friday (Christmas), so once again, they won't get a full week of rest. 

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

One good thing for the Ravens: The Ravens are going into the season with a new coach, but they'll have a chance to open the year with a hot start. In the first seven weeks, the Ravens will get to play seven straight games against teams that didn't make the playoffs last year (at Colts, Saints, vs. Cowboys in Rio, Titans, at Falcons, at Browns, Bengals). Even better for the Ravens is the fact that three of those teams will have a new coach (Falcons, Titans, Browns). 

One bad thing for the Ravens. The Ravens better take advantage of their first seven weeks, because they have a pretty rough stretch starting in Week 8 with the Bills. From that point on, they'll play five straight games against teams that made the playoffs last year, including two division winners (Jaguars and Panthers). Overall, this feels like a pretty favorable schedule for Baltimore. 

Cincinnati Bengals

One good thing for the Bengals: Starting in Week 5, the Bengals get to play four straight games against teams that will be going into the season with a new coach with a stretch that looks like this: at Dolphins, at Ravens, Titans, at Falcons (in Spain). The most difficult game in that span is probably Baltimore, but the Bengals will get a bye to prepare. Over the past five seasons, first-year coaches have a winning percentage below .440 in the first 12 weeks of the season. Overall, the Bengals will play more than half of their schedule against first-year coaches with nine total games. 

One bad things for the Bengals: The Bengals have a brutal early stretch that will see them play three straight games against teams that made the playoffs last year. That stretch will start in Week 2 with a game in Houston. After that, they'll face the Steelers on the road before getting the Jaguars at home. The Bengals have been known to struggle in the first few weeks of the season, so they'll need to flip the script if they want to have a big year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

One good thing for the Steelers: The Steelers have one of the most manageable travel schedules in the NFL this year. Yes, they do go to Paris, but outside of that, they'll only play one other game outside of the Eastern Time Zone during the entire season and that won't come until Week 17. Assuming Aaron Rodgers is under center this year, cutting down on the travel miles can be a good thing for a 42-year-old QB who will be 43 before the season is over. 

One bad thing for the Steelers: If the Steelers want to make the playoffs, they're going to have navigate their way through a rough stretch starting in Week 11. The Steelers will start that stretch with a game against the Eagles and then they'll get just five days to prepare for their Black Friday game against the Broncos. After that, they'll play a Texans team in Week 13 that destroyed them in the playoffs. Finally, in Week 14, they'll travel to Jacksonville for a Monday night game. That's four straight games against teams that made the playoffs last year and all four are expected to be good this year. 

Cleveland Browns

One good thing for the Browns. The Browns have the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL this year, which is mostly notable, because the AFC team with the easiest strength of schedule has finished with a winning record in eight straight seasons. 

One bad thing for the Browns. The Browns have gone 3-14 on the road over the past two seasons, so road games are always tough for this team and the schedule certainly isn't doing them any favors. Not only do the Browns have three straight road games from Weeks 7 thru 9 (at Titans, at Steelers, at Saints), but they also close the season with three road games in the final four weeks (at Giants, at Ravens, Colts, at Bengals). They're going to have to figure out how to win on the road if they want to turn things around this year. 

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts

One good thing for the Colts: Starting in Week 9, the Colts get to play three of four games at home, and that's one of the few things to like about their schedule. The home games in that span will come against the Cowboys, Dolphins and Giants. The game against the Giants will give Daniel Jones a chance to face his old team for the first time. The Colts also got a Week 14 bye, which is tied for the latest of any team in the NFL).  

One bad thing for the Colts: Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. The Colts defense better be ready to roll in Week 1, because the NFL schedule makers decided to hit Indy with a gauntlet out of the gate. The Colts will be facing the Ravens in the opener followed by a game against the Chiefs. Oh, and then they have to play the Texans in Week 3. With Daniel Jones coming back from an Achilles injury, there's no guarantee he'll be ready in Week 1. WIth this schedule, the Colts could potentially get out to an 0-3 start. 

Tennessee Titans

One good thing for the Titans. There is nothing sexy about the Titans schedule, but if you asked an NFL coach, most of them would want the exact type of schedule that the Titans got: All of their games are on Sunday, 15 of them start at 1 p.m. and they got a bye in the middle of the season (Week 9). Robert Saleh also got a dream opener with a chance to get revenge on a Jets team that just fired him in 2024. 

One bad thing for the Titans. The Titans have lost four straight games to the Jaguars, so it's not ideal that the NFL decided to have them face Jacksonville twice in a three-week span. Coming out of their Week 9 bye, the Titans will face the Jaguars, the Cowboys and then the Jaguars again. The Titans went 0-6 in the AFC South last year and if Robert Saleh wants to turn things around, he can start by beating the Jags.  

Houston Texans

One good thing for the Texans. The Texans open the season with three of four games in Houston and it's a schedule that could set up well for them. At the beginning of the season, most NFL offenses are still looking to get into a groove, which is why a good defense can take you far through the first few weeks. With the Texans set to play the Bills, Bengals, Colts and Cowboys in the first four weeks, Houston's defense could help carry the team to a 4-0 start. The Bills have a new head coach, the Bengals tend to get off to slow starts, the Colts have a QB coming off an Achilles injury and the Cowboys will be coming back from Brazil, so the Texans might actually be well-suited to win three or four games in that span. 

One bad things for the Texans. When you're an indoor team, you definitely don't want to be playing outdoor games in the winter, but unfortunately for the Texans, the NFL didn't do them any favors when it comes to that fact. Not only do the Texans have to play four of their final six games on the road, but they'll all be played in cold-weather cities (Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia and Green Bay). Over the past 10 seasons, dome teams have winning percentage of just .467 in outdoor road games that are played in December or later. 

The game against the Eagles is on a Thursday in Week 16 (Dec. 24) and Philly will actually be getting one extra day of rest because they play on a Saturday in Week 15 (The Texans play on Sunday). Last year, the Texans only played one outdoor game over the final seven weeks.

Jacksonville Jaguars

One good thing for the Jaguars. The Jags are back, baby. The Jaguars got three primetime games this year, which might not sound like a lot, but it is for Jacksonville. The Jags rarely get that many primetime games and it proves that the NFL views them as a serious contender. The Jags got a Thursday night game (at Baltimore), a Monday night game (vs. Pittsburgh) and a Sunday night game (at Dallas). This could be a big year for Duuuuuuuvall. 

One bad thing for the Jaguars. There will be a two month stretch during the season where the Jaguars only play one home game. From Sept. 28 to Nov. 28, the Jags will only play one game in Jacksonville and they won't play a single home game during the entire month of October. A big reason for that is because they'll be playing two games in London, but they also have four true road games during that eight-week span, including a stretch of three road games starting in Week 9 (at Ravens, at Titans, at Giants). Over the past four seasons, we've seen a total of 15 teams hit with a three-game road trip and they've combined to go 19-26.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs

One good thing for the Chiefs. If Patrick Mahomes is ready to play in Week 1, the Chiefs will have a very real chance to be 4-0 heading into their Week 5 bye. In the first two weeks of the season, they get the Broncos and Colts, but both games are at home. In Weeks 3 and 4, they get the Dolphins and Raiders, who will both have a new head coach and a new starting quarterback. New head coaches have a winning percentage of just .389 in the first six weeks of the year over the past five seasons. 

One bad thing for the Chiefs. The Chiefs have one of the most brutal stretches of any team this season and it starts on Thanksgiving in Week 12 and runs all the way through Week 17. For Turkey Day, the Chiefs have to travel to Buffalo and face the Bills on just three days rest. After that, they have another Thursday game against the Rams followed by a road game against the Bengals, and no, I'm not done. 

You know what, let just lay out this stretch: 

Week 12 (Nov. 26): at Bills (Thanksgiving) Week 13 (Dec. 3): at Rams (TNF) Week 14 (Dec. 13): at Bengals Week 15 (Dec. 21): Patriots (MNF) Week 16 (Dec. 27): 49ers  Week 17 (Jan. 2 or 3): at Chargers

They have a short week before facing the 49ers and they might also have a short week before facing the Chargers if that Week 17 game is flexed to Saturday. If the Chiefs make the playoffs, they're going to have earned it. 

Las Vegas Raiders

One good thing for the Raiders. Besides the Raiders, there were three other teams that finished with a 3-14 record last year (Jets, Cardinals, Titans) and the Raiders get to face all three of them. Basically, the Raiders have several winnable games on their schedule and although they might not be a playoff contender this year, they should feel good about their chances of improving dramatically over last season in Klint Kubiak's first year on the job. 

One bad things for the Raiders. It's bad enough that the Raiders have to face Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford this year, but the NFL made it worse, because the Raiders will be facing those three quarterbacks in a four-game span starting in Week 4. That's four MVP awards between the three quarterbacks, and to add insult to injury, the other game in that span is against the defending AFC Champion Patriots. The Raiders will be lucky to win one of those four games. The Raiders also play all four conference title teams from last season (Seahawks, Rams, Patriots, Broncos) in a seven-week stretch starting in Week 5. Yikes.

Los Angeles Chargers

One good thing for the Chargers. There were four teams that tied for the worst record in the NFL last year at 3-14 and the Chargers will face two of them in the first two weeks (Cardinals in Week 1, Raiders in Week 2). It's only two games, but it's two key games: Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, 64.1% of the teams that started a season 2-0 went on to make the playoffs and the Chargers have a very real chance of starting 2-0 thanks to their schedule. 

One bad thing for the Chargers. From Sept. 21 through Nov. 7, the Chargers will only play one home game. Again, that's a span of 47 days where the Chargers will play just one game at home. During that span, the Chargers have a five-game stretch where they play four road games in five weeks and that that could end up deciding their season. 

Week 3: at Bills (Led by former MVP at QB) Week 4: at Seahawks (Super Bowl champs) Week 5: Broncos (Defending AFC West champs) Week 6: at Chiefs (Led by two-time former MVP at QB) Week 7: BYE Week 8: at Rams (Led by former MVP at QB)

The game against the Rams will be in L.A., so that's a plus, but this will still be a tough stretch. 

Denver Broncos

One good thing for the Broncos. The Broncos better get well-rested during their Week 10 bye, because they'll have a chance to go on a run coming out of it. Starting in Week 11, the Broncos will play the Dolphins, Jets and the Raiders twice during a five-week stretch. The Dolphins have a new coach and a new QB. The Jets are coming off a season where they tied for the worst record in the NFL (3-14). The Raiders also finished 3-14, so the Broncos should be licking their lips. The Broncos have a veteran team and those are four games where they will likely be favored big, so they just need to make sure they don't blow it. 

One good thing for the Broncos. Not only do the Broncos have to play the NFC West, but the NFL schedule makers decided to bunch all the games together. The three best teams in that division are the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers and Denver has to play them in a four-week span that will also include a game against the Chargers. 

Week 3: Rams (SNF) Week 4: at 49ers Week 5: at Chargers Week 6: Seahawks (TNF)

They have to fly halfway across the country for two of the games and then they also have to turn around and face the defending champion Seahawks on a short week. This is an ugly stretch that could cause Denver to stumble out of the gate.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

One good thing for the Cowboys: Any time you get to play three straight home games, that's a good thing and the Cowboys will get that starting in Week 10 when they'll play the 49ers followed by the Titans and Eagles. The Cowboys also were given a Week 14 bye, which is tied for the latest of any team in the NFL. 

One bad thing for the Cowboys: The Cowboys are never going to volunteer to play another international game again after what the NFL did to them on the schedule this year. Not only do the Cowboys have to face the Ravens in Brazil in Week 3, but they have to turn around and play a road game against the Texans one week later. Some teams get a bye after their international game, some teams get a home game. Not the Cowboys though, they got neither. After playing Houston, the Cowboys then have to play on a Thursday night in Week 5 against the Buccaneers. If you're scoring at home, they have to take a 10-hour flight home after the Brazil game in Week 3, and then play a road game in Week 4 and then play on a Thursday in Week 5. To add insult to injury, they play the Packers on the road in Week 6 and then the Eagles on the road in Week 7. That might be the most difficult stretch that any team faces the season. 

New York Giants

One good thing for the Giants: The Giants definitely have a chance to get off to a hot start in John Harbaugh's first year on the job. Starting in Week 3, the Giants will get to play four straight games against teams that won six games or less last season and three of those games are at home (Titans, Cardinals, at Commanders, Saints). If the Giants can earn three or more wins in that stretch, it would certainly give them some confidence going forward. The Giants also have the benefit of playing three different games against teams that will be coming back from an international game (Rams, Commanders, Texans). With those teams returning from a long trip, that could be seen as a slight advantage for the Giants. 

One bad thing for the Giants: The NFL schedule makers didn't do the Giants any favors at the end of the season. The Giants will close out the year by playing two of their final three games on the road (at Lions in Week 16, at Cowboys in Week 17) and the one home game in that span is against the Eagles in Week 18. If the Giants are in the hunt of a playoff spot, that stretch could dash their postseason hopes. 

Philadelphia Eagles

One good thing for the Eagles: The Eagles are 19-6 at home over the past three seasons and the good news is that most of their toughest games in 2026 are in Philadelphia. Four of their toughest non-divisional games will come against the Rams, Seahawks, Texans and Steelers, and all four of those games will be at Lincoln Financial Field. They also have a three-game home stretch in December that will see them play two domed teams (Texans and Colts). Outdoor teams have a winning percentage of .533 over indoor teams in December or later over the past 10 seasons, so that's a plus for the Eagles. 

One bad thing for the Eagles: The Eagles will be facing an NFL-high FOUR teams that will be coming off a bye this year, which is the most in the NFL. Last year, the Commanders were in that situation and they went 1-3 in the four games where they played against a team coming off a bye. In 2024, the 49ers also went 1-3 in that same situation. Basically, teams have struggled when they lead the league in facing opponents off a bye and the Eagles have that distinction this year. 

Washington Commanders

One good thing for the Commanders: The Cardinals and Titans tied for the worst record in the NFL last year and the Commanders get to face them in back-to-back weeks starting in Week 12. Those two games are part of a four-week stretch where they'll play three games against teams that have a new head coach. The Commanders need to take advantage of that by winning each game.

One bad thing for the Commanders: It's almost like the Commanders are being set up for failure this year. For one, they're the only team in the NFL that has to open the season with two straight divisional road games (Eagles in Week 1, Cowboys in Week 2). After that, they have to face the Seahawks in Week 3. And the crazy part is that might not even be their worst three-game stretch, because later in the season, they have consecutive games against the 49ers, Eagles and Rams. 

NFC North

Detroit Lions

One good thing for the Lions: From Oct. 12 through Dec. 5, the Lions will only have to play one true road game. That seven week span will include four home games, a bye week and a game in Germany against the Patriots. The only road game in that stretch will come in Week 9 against a Dolphins team that will have a new head coach and a new QB. Basically, this could be a spot where the Lions might be able to string together quite a few wins. 

One bad thing for the Lions: The Lions definitely got the short end of the stick when it comes to how the divisional scheduling worked out for teams in the NFC North. The Lions are also the only team in the NFL that has to close the season by playing three road divisional games in the final four weeks (at Vikings in Week 15, at Bears in Week 17, at Packers in Week 18). This is so rare that it's only happened to two other teams over the past 10 years (2021 Commanders, 2016 Raiders). The Lions are also being forced to play three games in 11 days and that span includes their Week 10 game in Germany and a Thanksgiving game in Week 12. 

Chicago Bears

One good thing for the Bears: One reason the Bears were able to win the NFC North last season is because they played so well at home, going 6-2. If they can replicate that success this year, they could get off to a hot start, because they have three straight home games starting in Week 2 (Vikings, Eagles, Jets). With that kind of schedule, a 4-0 start isn't out of the question. 

One bad thing for the Bears: The Bears might have the most difficult closing four-game stretch of any team in the NFL. It starts with a trip to Buffalo in Week 15. After that, the Bears have a Christmas game against the Packers in Week 16 before closing things out with the Lions (Week 17) and Vikings (Week 18). The Bears are one of just three teams -- along with the Dolphins and Seahawks -- that will have to close the season with four straight games against teams that all finished above .500 last year.    

Minnesota Vikings

One good thing for the Vikings: When you're a dome team, you don't want to be playing outdoor games in the winter, so the NFL definitely did the Vikings a favor at the backend of their schedule. The Vikings will get to close the season by playing five of their final seven games at home, including three of their final four.

One bad thing for the Vikings: The month of November could turn into a nightmare for the Vikings. Things start with a Nov. 1 game against the Lions and it only gets uglier from there. Following the Detriot game, the Vikings have to head to Buffalo in Week 9. After playing the Bills on Monday night, the Vikings have to turn around and play the Packers on short rest in Week 10. And then, after facing Green Bay, the Vikings have to make a flight to Mexico City to face the 49ers in Week 11. If the Vikings' season goes south, it's probably going to be because of their November schedule. 

Green Bay Packers

One good thing for Green Bay: The frozen tundra of Lambeau Field can certainly be an advantage late in the season and the NFL did its best to allow the Packers to take advantage of that this year. The Packers will get to play four of their final five games at home, which is certainly worth pointing out when you consider that Matt LaFleur has a 14-4 regular season record at Lambeau in games that are played in December or later. The Packers also got a friendly early season schedule that will see them open the year against four teams that missed the playoffs last season (at Vikings, at Jets, Falcons, at Buccaneers). Everything is coming up Packers in 2026. 

One bad thing for Green Bay: The Packers have one of the most bizarre schedules in NFL history. Not only do they have two Thursday games, but they also have a Friday game on Christmas, which means they have three games where they'll be getting short rest. Their Week 11 bye has also been chopped in half since they have to play on Wednesday in Week 12 against the Rams. The Packers' schedule is a battle of attrition and it might not be easy for them to stay healthy. 

NFC South

Carolina Panthers

One good thing for the Panthers: The Panthers are finally getting some national respect. Carolina has three primetime games on the schedule, which is the most the Panthers have been given since 2016. In Week 4, they get to host a Sunday night game against the Lions, which will mark the first time in 10 years that they've played on Sunday night and the first time in 11 years that they've hosted a Sunday night game. The Panthers also travel the fewest miles, which is only notable, because the last time an NFC team team traveled the fewest miles, that team made it all the way to the NFC title game (Commanders in 2204). 

One bad thing for the Panthers: The Panthers better enjoy their Week 5 bye, because they have a nightmare slate coming out of it. Starting in Week 10, they have a five game stretch that looks like this: at Eagles, Buccaneers, at Packers (Thursday night), Denver. The Panthers are 2-10 in their past 12 games against the Bucs and the other three teams made the playoffs last season. Speaking of that Week 5 bye, it's tied for the earliest in the NFL this year, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Only one team over the past 15 years has had a bye in Week 5 or earlier and still managed to win the Super Bowl (2024 Eagles)

New Orleans Saints

One good thing for the Saints: The Saints have the second easiest strength of schedule this year, which we're only mentioning, because in seven of the past nine years, at least one team playing one of the two easiest schedules has made the playoffs. The two teams with the easiest schedules this year are the Saints and Browns. On their actual schedule, the Saints have a stretch where they'll only play one true road game over a two-month span. During that eight-week stretch, they have five home games (Raiders, Vikings, Falcons, Browns, Panthers), one game in Paris and a bye. The only road game will come in Week 6 against the Giants. With that entire stretch coming between Week 3 and Week 10, the Saints could make some noise early. 

One bad thing for the Saints: The Saints went just 3-6 on the road last season, so if there's one stretch that could do them in this year, it's when they play four of five games on the road starting in Week 11. Not only do they have four road games in a five week span (at Bears, at Bengals, at Panthers, at Buccaneers), but the only home game is against the Packers. With a stretch like that, it could be tough for the Saints to stay in the playoff hunt late in the season. Speaking of long road trips, the Saints are one of just five teams that got stuck playing two straight road games to start the season.

Atlanta Falcons

One good thing for the Falcons: If the Falcons can survive their early season schedule, their best chance to pick up wins will probably come after their Week 11 bye. Following the bye, the Falcons will play six straight games against teams that didn't make the playoffs last season (at Vikings, Lions, at Browns, at Commanders, Buccaneers, Saints). That's not an easy stretch by any means, but four of those six games will be indoors, which could be good news if Tua Tagovailoa is Atlanta's starting QB, because he doesn't deal well with cold weather. 

One bad thing for the Falcons: Not only do the Falcons have to open the season with three of four games on the road, but the stretch will end with a game in New Orleans in Week 4, a game that the Falcons wanted no part of. 

I heard the Atlanta Falcons wanted no part of being the opponent for the Saints' Monday Night Football game, commemorating the 20-year anniversary of the historic "Dome-coming" game in 2006. And the NFL scheduled them for it anyway.#SacrificialLambs

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) May 15, 2026

The Falcons open the season at Pittsburgh before facing the Panthers at home in Week 2. After that, they have to travel for a Thursday game in Green Bay before facing the Saints in Week 4. Their season could be over before it starts. 

Also, the Falcons probably aren't going to be able to enjoy their trip to Madrid in Week 9 and that's because they have to play the Chiefs when they get back. That's right, not only did they miss out on a bye after their international game, but they have to fly back to Atlanta and face Patrick Mahomes. The entire lead up to the Madrid trip could end up being a disaster for the Falcons with a schedule that looks like this: 

Week 5: Ravens Week 6: Bears Week 7: 49ers Week 8: at Buccaneers Week 9: vs. Bengals (Madrid) Week 10: Chiefs

Thankfully, the Falcons will have a Week 11 bye to recover from that stretch. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One good thing for the Buccaneers: The Bucs will definitely have a chance to get off to a hot start with their first three games coming against the Bengals, Browns and Vikings. In Week 1, they'll face a Bengals team that's just 2-5 in season openers under Zac Taylor. In Week 2, they'll get a Browns team that will have a new head coach. And in Week 3, they'll be facing a Vikings team that will likely have a new starting quarterback. That makes all three of those games winnable and if Tampa can somehow start 3-0, they'll be feeling really good about their chances of making the playoffs.  

One bad thing for the Buccaneers: The Bucs better get off to a hot start, because things get a lot tougher in Week 4. The Bucs face the Packers at home that week, but then they have to follow that up with a Thursday road game in Dallas. As if that's not bad enough, they have the Steelers, Panthers, Falcons and Bears after that. They're just 2-5 in their past seven against the Falcons and the other three teams on the list all made the playoffs last year. If the Bucs can get to their Week 10 bye with a winning record, that would certainly be a moral victory. 

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams

One good thing for the Rams: The Rams have a brutal schedule, but they do seem to have one soft spot and that starts in Week 6 when they face the Cardinals. After that, they have consecutive games against Raiders, Chargers, Commanders and Cardinals again. The Rams are probably going to need to sweep that stretch, because as we're about to cover, everything else about their schedule is a nightmare. 

One bad thing for the Rams: From a travel standpoint, everything about the Rams' schedule is bad. We all know they start the season off in Australia against the 49ers in Week 1, after that, they fly to L.A. for a home game on Monday night in Week 2 (Giants) and then they have to fly to Denver in Week 3 and Philadelphia in Week 4. The Rams will travel more miles in the first four weeks than 24 different teams will travel ALL SEASON. Back in February, Matthew Stafford joked that his back might not hold up on the flight to Australia, but even it does, it might not survive the first four weeks of the season. 

Matthew Stafford gets asked about playing in Australia. Rams are going to need to buy him a sleep number mattress for this flight. #Rams #Australia #49ers pic.twitter.com/QJIsvdf38c

— John Breech (@johnbreech) February 6, 2026

And the ugly part in all of this travel talk is that travel miles aren't even my ugly thing for the Rams. The ugly part of their schedule starts after their Week 11 bye. Starting in Week 12, they end the season like this: Packers, Chiefs, at 49ers, Cowboys, at Seahawks, Buccaneers, Seahawks. 

The Packers game is on a Wednesday (Thanksgiving Eve), the Chiefs game is on a Thursday and the first Seattle game is on a Friday (Christmas). It's like the NFL was just picking random days out of a hat when they made the Rams' schedule. There's also a chance that they could play on Saturday in either Week 17 or Week 18. This schedule does the Rams no favors. 

Arizona Cardinals

One good thing for the Cardinals: When you're an indoor team, you always want to play as many indoor games as possible late in the season, and in that sense, the NFL did the Cardinals a huge scheduling favor. From Nov. 23 through the end of the season, the Cardinals will not play a single outdoor game. Here's what Arizona's schedule looks like starting in Week 12: Commanders, Eagles, BYE, Jets, at Saints, Raiders, 49ers. If the Cardinals can win their indoor games in 2026, they could be a surprise team. 

One bad thing for the Cardinals: The Cardinals season might be over before it even really starts. They play three of their first four games on the road and it doesn't get much easier after that. As a matter of fact, they're probably going to be a huge underdog in 10 of their first 11 games: at Chargers, Seahawks, at 49ers, at Giants (won't be a huge underdog), Lions, at Rams, Broncos, at Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams, at Chiefs.   

The good news is that with that kind of schedule through the first 11 weeks, the Cards might be in the running to get the No. 1 overall pick in 2027. 

Seattle Seahawks

One good thing for the Seahawks: On paper, the Seahawks schedule doesn't have very many soft spots, but the teams probably love what they see starting in Week 9. From Nov. 3 thru Nov. 28, here's what the Seahawks schedule looks like: Cardinals (Week 9), at Raiders (Week 10), BYE (Week 11). The defending Super Bowl champs will be favored huge in those games and if they win both of them, it will give them some serious momentum as they head into the back half of their schedule. 

One bad thing for the Seahawks: The end of the season could be a rough ride for Seattle. Starting in Week 15, the Seahawks will have four straight games against teams that made the playoffs last season and three of them will be on the road: at Eagles, Rams, at Panthers, at Rams. The Seahawks are one of just two teams -- along with the Dolphins -- that will close the year with four straight games against teams that made the playoffs last year. 

The Eagles game is on a Saturday, so Seattle will have fly cross country on a short week. The Rams game is on Christmas, so that's another short week after flying back from Philadelphia. After the Dec. 25 game, the Seahawks have to turn around and fly cross country again for the Carolina game. And then after all of that, they have to close the season in L.A. This four-game gauntlet will likely decide whether the Seahawks repeat as NFC West champs.  

San Francisco 49ers

One good thing for the 49ers: The NFL didn't really do the Rams any favors following the Week 1 Australia game, but the 49ers definitely got hooked up. After playing in Melbourne, they'll play three straight home games (Dolphins, Cardinals, Broncos). As a matter of fact, from Week 2 thru Week 9, they'll only leave the Pacific Time Zone once during that eight-week span (at Falcons in Week 7). Also, four of San Francisco's first eight games will come against teams that have a new head coach (Dolphins, Cardinals, Falcons, 49ers), which is another advantage. It wouldn't be surprising if the 49ers have six wins or more heading into Week 10. 

One bad thing for the 49ers: Four teams have combined to win the past five Super Bowls and the 49ers will face all four of those teams during a six-game span starting in Week 12. 

Week 12: Seahawks (Super Bowl LX) Week 13: at Giants Week 14: Rams (Super Bowl LVI) Week 15: at Chargers (Thursday) Week 16: at Chiefs (Super Bowl LVII and LVIII) Week 17: Eagles (Super Bowl LIX)

The two most winnable games in that span come with their own headaches. The Giants game starts at 10 a.m. PT and the 49ers will only get three days of rest before facing the Chargers. And let's not forget, the Seahawks game will come one week after the 49ers will have just played in Mexico City (Week 11 vs. the Vikings). The 49ers need to stack wins early in the season because the final stretch could get bumpy.