With the 2017 regular season behind us, it's time to move on and do something we all love: complain about who has the easiest opponents for next season.
Thanks to the way the NFL sets up its schedule, we now know who the opponents will be for all 32 teams in 2018, and let's just say, things aren't looking so good for Baltimore and Tampa Bay.
Not only did both teams miss the playoffs this season, but they'll both be stuck playing one of the most difficult schedules next season. Both the Bucs and Ravens will play eight games against 2017 playoff teams, which is more than 29 other teams. The Saints will also be playing eight games against playoff teams in 2018, but they don't have to worry about that yet since they actually made the playoffs this season.
One of the big winners next season could be the Raiders. If Jon Gruden takes the job in Oakland, he'll have a favorable schedule that includes just four games against 2017 playoff teams.
If there's one game you'll want to make sure to watch next season, it's the Packers playing in New England. Assuming Tom Brady doesn't retire, and we don't think he will, the 2018 game between the Packers and Patriots will mark just the second -- and possibly final -- time that Brady and Aaron Rodgers will share a field together for a regular-season game.
Also, in a fact that doesn't even seem believable, the game between the Patriots and Packers will mark Rodgers' first game at Gillette Stadium. The last time the Packers played at New England came in 2010, but Rodgers didn't play in that game due to a concussion.
As for the rest of 2018, let's check out the opponents for all 32 teams.
How it works
Here's a brief explanation of the NFL scheduling formula, which was implemented in 2002:
- Home and away against its three division opponents (six games).
- The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (four games).
- The four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (four games).
- Two intraconference games based on the prior year's standings (two games). These games match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions that the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference are matched in the same way each year.
- Beginning in 2010, a change was made to how teams are paired in the schedule rotation to ensure that teams playing the AFC and NFC West divisions would not be required to make two West Coast trips (e.g., at Los Angeles and at Oakland), while other teams in their division had none (e.g., at Denver and at Kansas City).
Mark your calendars
The 2018 regular season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 6, and end after Week 17 is played on Dec. 30, 2018.
The 2018 NFL season will conclude on Feb. 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the NFC champion and AFC champion will meet in Super Bowl LIII.
2018 opponents
Here's the complete home-and-away opponent list for each NFL team. The dates and times of each game will released at some point during the spring.
| | | |
|---|---|---|
| AFC East | ||
| Patriots | Home: Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Packers, Vikings Away: Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Lions, Bears | |
| Dolphins | Home: Bills, Jets, Patriots, Jaguars, Titans, Raiders, Bears, Lions Away: Bills, Jets, Patriots, Jets, Texans, Colts, Bengals, Packers, Vikings | |
| Jets | Home: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Packers, Vikings Away: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Jaguars, Titans, Browns, Lions, Bears | |
| Bills | Home: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers, Bears, Lions Away: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Texans, Colts, Ravens, Packers, Vikings | |
| AFC North | ||
| Ravens | Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Bills, Saints, Buccaneers Away: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Titans, Falcons, Panthers | |
| Bengals | Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Dolphins, Saints, Buccaneers Away: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Colts, Falcons, Panthers | |
| Steelers | Home: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots, Falcons, Panthers Away: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders, Jaguars, Saints, Buccaneers | |
| Browns | Home: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Jets, Falcons, Panthers Away: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Texans, Saints, Buccaneers | |
| AFC South | ||
| Texans | Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Bills, Dolphins, Browns, Cowboys, Giants Away: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Broncos, Redskins, Eagles | |
| Colts | Home: Jaguars, Titans, Texans, Bills, Dolphins, Bengals, Cowboys, Giants Away: Jaguars, Titans, Texans, Patriots, Jets, Raiders, Redskins, Eagles | |
| Titans | Home: Jaguars, Colts, Texans, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Eagles, Redskins Away: Jaguars, Colts, Texans, Bills, Dolphins, Chargers, Cowboys, Giants | |
| Jaguars | Home: Colts, Texans, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Steelers, Eagles, Redskins Away: Colts, Texans, Titans, Bills, Dolphins, Chiefs, Cowboys, Giants | |
| AFC West | ||
| Broncos | Home: Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Browns, Steelers, Texans, Rams, Seahawks Away: Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Cardinals, 49ers | |
| Chargers | Home: Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, Bengals, Ravens, Titans, Cardinals, 49ers Away: Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos, Steelers, Browns, Bills, Rams, Seahawks | |
| Raiders | Home: Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Browns, Steelers, Colts, Rams, Seahawks Away: Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers | |
| Chiefs | Home: Broncos, Raiders, Chargers, Bengals, Ravens, Jaguars, Cardinals, 49ers Away: Broncos, Raiders, Chargers, Steelers, Browns, Patriots, Rams, Seahawks | |
| NFC East | ||
| Redskins | Home: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, Packers, Texans, Colts Away: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Jaguars, Titans | |
| Giants | Home: Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Bears, Jaguars, Titans Away: Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers, Texans, Colts | |
| Cowboys | Home: Redskins, Giants, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions, Jaguars, Titans Away: Redskins, Giants, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks, Texans, Colts | |
| Eagles | Home: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Falcons, Panthers, Vikings, Texans, Colts Away: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Saints, Buccaneers, Rams, Jaguars, Titans | |
| NFC North | ||
| Packers | Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Falcons, Bills, Dolphins Away: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Rams, Seahawks, Redskins, Patriots, Jets | |
| Vikings | Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, 49ers, Saints, Bills, Dolphins Away: Bears, Lions, Packers, Rams, Seahawks, Eagles, Patriots, Jets | |
| Bears | Home: Packers, Lions, Vikings, Rams, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Patriots, Jets Away: Packers, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Giants, Bills, Dolphins | |
| Lions | Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Rams, Seahawks, Panthers, Patriots, Jets Away: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Cowboys, Bills, Dolphins | |
| NFC South | ||
| Falcons | Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens Away: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Redskins, Packers, Browns, Steelers | |
| Panthers | Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks, Bengals, Ravens Away: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Redskins, Lions, Browns, Steelers | |
| Saints | Home: Panthers, Falcons, Buccaneers, Rams, Eagles, Redskins, Steelers, Browns Away: Panthers, Falcons, Buccaneers, Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, Ravens, Bengals | |
| Buccaneers | Home: Panthers, Saints, Falcons, 49ers, Eagles, Redskins, Steelers, Browns Away: Panthers, Saints, Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, Ravens, Bengals | |
| NFC West | ||
| 49ers | Home: Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals, Bears, Lions, Giants, Broncos, Raiders Away: Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Chargers | |
| Seahawks | Home: 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers Away: 49ers, Rams, Cardinals, Lions, Bears, Panthers, Broncos, Raiders | |
| Rams | Home: Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals, Packers, Vikings, Eagles, Chiefs, Chargers Away: Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals, Lions, Bears, Saints, Broncos, Raiders | |
| Cardinals | Home: Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bears, Lions, Redskins, Broncos, Raiders Away: Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Packers, Vikings, Falcons, Chiefs, Chargers | |
