NFL strength of schedule: Giants, Lions, Bears have toughest 2025 games
The NFL landscape has changed significantly compared to this time one year ago.
Few NFL fans would've expected a Sam Darnold-led offense and top defense to power the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins. Even fewer would've foreseen the Commanders reach the franchise's first NFC championship game since 1993 behind a rookie quarterback and new coaching staff.
Every year, multiple surprise teams outplay expectations and some underperform. In 2024, the Los Angeles Chargers won 11 games in year one under coach Jim Harbaugh. Defending NFC champion San Francisco finished last in the NFC West after a lackluster, injury-filled 6-11 campaign.
It can be hard to accurately predict all of the contending teams for the upcoming season. There are the mainstays: Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Detroit will likely contend thanks to top quarterback play and/or a deep roster.
We can use strength of schedule to understand what the rest of the league is facing in 2025. A weaker schedule could make a turnaround much easier just as a tougher schedule could make things harder for a team following a breakout year.
Here's how the league ranks by strength of schedule in 2025:
NFL hardest schedules 2025
This ranking uses combined 2024 win percentage to make a ranking.
1. New York Giants (0.574)
New York gets no breaks in a massive season for coach Brian Daboll. The Giants face the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia and NFC runner-up Washington twice and face the NFC North and AFC West. Six of the eight teams in those divisions had a winning record in 2024; five made the playoffs.
Their other three matchups are against New Orleans, New England and San Francisco. All three could be better in 2025 than in 2024.
T-2. Chicago Bears (0.571)
All four NFC North teams are on here which is no surprise considering the division was a combined 45-23 last season. Outside their divisional games, the Bears take on the AFC North and NFC East. Those two divisions produced four combined playoff teams, including the champion Eagles.
Chicago also faces San Francisco, Las Vegas and New Orleans. New coach Ben Johnson will have his work cut out to push the Bears close to playoff contention.
T-2. Detroit Lions (0.571)
Detroit's up here as well thanks to the tough divisional slate and a ridiculous slate of road games. The Lions play nine road games in 2025 and just one is against a team with a losing record from last season (Chicago). Besides the Bears, the Lions will face just two teams who finished below .500 in 2024: Cleveland (3-14) and the New York Giants (3-14).
4. Philadelphia Eagles (0.561)
The defending champions have a tough schedule with the NFC North and and AFC West on the slate. The other three non-divisional games on the schedule include matchups against Buffalo, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams.
Their road slate of games outside of NFC East play are all teams that finished above 0.500 in 2024. Five of those six non-divisional road games are against defending playoff teams. The Eagles could have a tough road to repeating as division champions, let alone the Super Bowl.
T-5. Dallas Cowboys (0.557)
NFC East teams continue to lead the top 10 toughest schedules with the Cowboys checking in tied for fifth. Non-division road games against reigning playoff teams like Detroit and Denver will be tough outs. They'll be tested even more at home with matchups against Kansas City, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Chargers.
T-5. Green Bay Packers (0.557)
The final two NFC North teams are tied for fifth in the toughest schedules. The NFC East and AFC North will be no easy out and Green Bay rounds out the schedule with games against Denver, Arizona and Carolina. The Panthers at home could be a reprieve but the other two could be tough road matchups.
T-5. Minnesota Vikings (0.557)
Minnesota rounds out the NFC North squads thanks to the divisional, NFC East and AFC North games. Outside of those games, the Vikings have a home tilt against Atlanta and road games against Seattle and the Los Angeles Chargers. All three could be contending for a playoff spot once again.
8. Washington Commanders (0.550)
Washington invested heavily on offense this offseason and that should come in handy this season. Their games against the NFC North and AFC West will likely require plenty of points to come out on top. Beyond those 14 matchups, the Commanders will face Seattle at home as well as Miami and Atlanta on the road.
9. Baltimore Ravens (0.533)
Baltimore has a tougher schedule than other teams in the AFC North because of their three games against division winners last season. In addition to AFC North home and road games, Baltimore plays the NFC North, AFC East and division winners Houston (AFC South), Kansas City (AFC West) and the Los Angeles Rams (NFC West). Road games in Buffalo and Kansas City will be tough matchups but among the most exciting to watch.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (0.526)
Like the Ravens, the Steelers take on NFC North and AFC East teams in 2025. Because they finished second in their division, they'll also face division runners-up Indianapolis and Seattle at home and the Chargers on the road.
T-11. Kansas City Chiefs (0.522)
The toughest portion of Kansas City's schedule is the AFC West slate against two other playoff teams from a year ago. Outside of AFC West play, the Chiefs play the NFC East and AFC South. The former includes a rematch of Super Bowl 59. Outside of those games, they have tough tests on the road against Buffalo and at home against Detroit and Baltimore.
T-11. Los Angeles Chargers (0.522)
The Chargers similarly have a tough schedule against the rest of the AFC West, the NFC East and the AFC South. They'll be playing an international game in Brazil to open the season. Los Angeles is also facing Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Miami due to the NFL's rotation schedule.
13. Cleveland Browns (0.519)
Cleveland finished last in the AFC North but doesn't get much of a respite in their 2025 schedule. They'll face two defending playoff teams in divisional play (Pittsburgh and Baltimore) and then take on the NFC North, which had three double-digit win teams last year.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (0.509)
Cincinnati also has a tough slate in the AFC North and the NFC North on the slate. They'll have road matchups against Buffalo and Denver, which likely won't be easy. Home matchups against the Jaguars, Jets and Bears - all with new coaching staffs - could be a spot of relief.
15. Denver Broncos (.505)
Denver takes on two playoff teams twice in AFC West play and takes on another two in their NFC East slate of games. The AFC South makes things a bit easier, and because they finished third in their division in 2024 they'll face Green Bay and Cincinnati at home as well as the Jets on the road.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (.502)
The Raiders take on three playoff teams in divisional play as well as the NFC East and AFC South this season. They'll get a bit of a break with their other games, though, with home tilts against the Browns and Bears and a road game against the Patriots.
17. Los Angeles Rams (.491)
The reigning NFC West champions take on zero defending playoff teams in-division. They'll face the NFC South and AFC South, which produced just two combined playoff teams in 2024. Their other three games are tough with road matchups against Philadelphia and Baltimore as well as a home game against Detroit.
T-18. Houston Texans (.481)
Houston won the AFC South again last season and they have the easiest divisional slate of games by strength of schedule in the league. They'll also take on the NFC West and the AFC West, which combined for four total playoff teams in 2024. Outside of that, they have games against reigning division winners Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Baltimore.
T-18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.481)
The NFC South had the second-fewest total wins in 2024, only ahead of the AFC South. Divisional games make the Buccaneers' schedule one of the easier slates. They'll also face the AFC East and NFC West; only three of the eight combined teams from those divisions hit 10 wins last season. Tampa Bay will also host Philadelphia and head on the road against Detroit and Houston.
20. Atlanta Falcons (.478)
Like Tampa Bay, Atlanta's divisional slate puts them down the order of strength of schedule. Because they finished second in the division, their slate of games outside of the NFC South, AFC East and NFC West is slightly easier. The Falcons will host Washington and head on the road to face Indianapolis and Minnesota.
T-21. Miami Dolphins (.474)
Miami faces the NFC South and AFC North in addition to their divisional slate which features just one team that finished above .500 in 2024 (Buffalo). Outside of those matchups, Miami faces the Chargers and Commanders at home as well as the Colts on the road.
T-21. Seattle Seahawks (.474)
Seattle's slate against the NFC West, NFC South and AFC South means they have an easier schedule right off the bat. Things are a bit easier for the Seahawks compared to the Rams, as they'll face the Steelers, Vikings and Commanders instead of the Ravens, Lions and Eagles.
T-23. Buffalo Bills (.467)
Buffalo's divisional slate puts them in a good spot in these rankings as the rest of the AFC East combined for just 17 wins (compared to 13 for Buffalo alone) in 2024. They'll also face the NFC South. The AFC North games give them a bit of trouble and some of the toughest matchups are the three against defending division winners Houston, Philadelphia and Kansas City.
T-23. Jacksonville Jaguars (.467)
As an AFC South team, the Jaguars' division slate is one of the easiest by strength of schedule. They will face the AFC West and NFC West which makes things a bit tougher. However, that's balanced out by games against the Jets and Panthers.
25. Indianapolis Colts (.464)
Like the Jaguars, the Colts' divisional slate is one of the easiest by strength of schedule. The AFC West will be tough and the NFC West features a pair of 10-win teams from last season. The Colts' remaining three matchups come against the Steelers, Dolphins and Falcons.
26. New York Jets (.460)
The Jets take on AFC runner-up Buffalo twice and face defending playoff teams Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Denver. Beyond that, it's a relatively easier slate with games against the rest of the AFC North, NFC South as well as Jacksonville and Dallas.
T-27. Arizona Cardinals (.457)
Arizona faces the NFC West, NFC South and AFC South in their rotation this season. Only four of the combined 12 teams from those divisions had at least 10 wins in 2024 and three of them made the playoffs. Beyond that, the Cardinals have games against the Cowboys, Packers and Bengals.
T-27. Carolina Panthers (.457)
The NFC South slate provides a good start for the Panthers in 2025. Matchups against the NFC West and AFC East include just two playoff teams from last year. Carolina rounds out the schedule with games against the Packers, Cowboys and Jaguars.
29. Tennessee Titans (.450)
The Titans tied for the worst record in the league last season and get an easier schedule in return. The AFC South includes just one 10-win team which balances out Tennessee's games against the AFC West. Tennessee also faces the NFC West as well as the Browns, Patriots and Saints.
30. New England Patriots (.429)
The Patriots take on the NFC South and AFC North in addition to their AFC East slate of games. Home matchups against the Raiders and Giants as well as a road game against the Titans balances out their tougher games.
31. New Orleans Saints (.419)
Games against the NFC South set the Saints up well, and finishing last in their division means they get games against the Giants, Titans, and Bears. New Orleans faces the AFC East and NFC West to round out the schedule which produced just two total playoff teams in 2024.
32. San Francisco 49ers (.415)
San Francisco gets the easiest slate in the league thanks to a number of factors. They face the NFC South and AFC South, the two worst divisions by total wins in 2024. Because they finished last in the NFC West, San Francisco will also face the Bears, Giants and Browns who went a combined 11-40 in 2024.