It's a good thing the Cincinnati Bengals finally regained their footing after a 1-3 start. The team's four-game winning streak has put them back into contention, but the road is only going to get tougher for Joe Burrow and Co. as they look to make it back to a third straight AFC title game.
Cincinnati has the second-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL, with eight remaining games against teams with winning records. Fortunately, the Ravens, the team Cincinnati is chasing in the AFC North division standings, has the second-hardest remaining schedule.
On the other side of the coin, the Atlanta Falcons have the NFL's easiest remaining schedule. That should come as welcomed news for a team that has lost three of its last four games after a 3-2 start. Losers of two straight games, the Falcons will get a golden chance to get back on track this weekend against the 1-8 Arizona Cardinals.
Here's a look at the toughest and easiest remaining strength of schedules among playoff contending teams. Given the amount of teams that are technically still in the hunt, we put the cutoff at teams that are one game under .500, which disqualified 3-5 teams like Tampa Bay and Green Bay. We'll also predict which teams in each category will make the postseason.
Toughest remaining strength of schedules
- Bengals (.632)
- Ravens (.591)
- Raiders (.580)
- Bills (.574)
- 49ers (.545)
- Dolphins (.529)
- Cowboys (.526)
- Commanders (.522)
- Browns (.520)
- Chargers (.519)
- Seahawks (.513)
Predicted playoff teams: Bengals, Ravens, Bills, 49ers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Seahawks
The Bengals have a tough road in front of them that includes seven remaining games against teams with winning records. Four of those games are against AFC North division foes that include two matchups with Pittsburgh. On paper, the Bengals' easiest remaining games are this Sunday against the Texans and their home matchup with Indianapolis in Week 14. The Bengals' toughest stretch will be back-to-back road games in Pittsburgh and Kansas City in Weeks 16-17.
Will the Ravens hold on to capture their first AFC North title since 2019? It may come down to what happens over the next two weeks with upcoming home games against division foes Cleveland and Cincinnati. If the Ravens win both, they'll be 9-2 overall and 4-1 in the division with a bye on the horizon. The Bengals game is specifically key, as Cincinnati -- the AFC North champ each of the last two years -- lost a close game to Baltimore back in Week 2 and is the Ravens' biggest challenger to win the division.
It's way too early to say the Bills are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs, but at 5-4 and with a tough remaining schedule in front of them, Buffalo doesn't have much margin for error. You could, however, call this Sunday's game against Denver a must-win given the Bills' upcoming games against the Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Dolphins. Buffalo's easiest remaining games are against Denver, the Jets in Week 11 and the Patriots in Week 17.
Philadelphia, by virtue of having the NFC's second-toughest remaining stretch of schedule among playoff-contending teams, has a challenging road ahead to earn the conference's coveted No. 1 seed again. The Eagles' next five opponents have a combined record of 27-15. Philadelphia does wrap up the season with two games against the 2-7 Giants and a game with the one-win Cardinals.
Easiest remaining strength of schedules
- Falcons (.362)
- Saints (.406)
- Lions (.442)
- Colts (.448)
- Texans (.459)
- Eagles (.464)
- Steelers (.487)
- Jaguars (.493)
- Jets (.506)
- Chiefs (.507)
- Vikings (.507)
Predicted playoff teams: Saints, Lions, Eagles, Steelers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Vikings
Unfortunately for Atlanta, division rival New Orleans also has an easy second-half schedule. In fact, the Saints' last five opponents have a combined record of 13-30. That includes a Week 18 showdown at home against the Falcons.
The Colts also have an easy path, which is critical for them given their 4-5 record. The AFC South will probably only get one team into the postseason, unless the Colts are able to go on a run. Their biggest obstacles from a second-half run are games against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and pesky Houston.
Conversely, it does appear that the Vikings may be able to parlay an easy schedule into a playoff berth, especially after Sunday's improbable win with newcomer Joshua Dobbs under center. The Lions (twice), Bengals and Saints are the only remaining teams the Vikings will face that currently have winning records.
You probably noticed that the Jets did crack the list, which is notable given Aaron Rodgers' hopes of playing again this season. While it's technically not a difficult schedule, don't tell that to Robert Saleh. New York has back-to-back road games coming up against Las Vegas and Buffalo, followed by a home game against the 6-3 Dolphins. Atlanta, Washington and New England are the Jets' only remaining games against teams with losing records. It'll be imperative for the Jets to win these games if they're going to have a shot at making the playoffs.
