The NFL released its schedule for next season yesterday, and people are already analyzing which teams have the EASIEST and the TOUGHEST schedules.
But obviously, due to the parity of the league, what looks like an easy schedule on paper now could end up being a lot harder five or six months from now. The Eagles went 7-9 a year before winning the Super Bowl . . . so anything can happen.
Here are the 11 NFL teams with what looks like the EASIEST schedules . . . and no, they didn't just list all the teams the Cleveland Browns play, although that was surely part of the process.
1. The Houston Texans . . . They'll play the Browns once.
2. The Tennessee Titans . . . They DON'T play the Browns.
3. The Cincinnati Bengals and the Oakland Raiders are tied for third . . .
The Bengals play the Browns TWICE, and the Raiders do once.
5. The Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Denver Broncos are all tied for fifth . . . The Steelers play the Browns twice, the Jets and Broncos play Cleveland once, and the Jaguars won't get to face them.
9. The Los Angeles Chargers . . . They'll play the Browns once.
10. The Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots are tied for 10th . . .
Neither of these teams have the good fortune of playing Cleveland.
The 11 NFL teams that look like they have the TOUGHEST schedules next season include the Cleveland Browns, which is a given. When you're 4-49 over your last 53 games, EVERYTHING is tough.
Here's the Top 11, according to NFL.com and "USA Today".
1. The Green Bay Packers
2. The New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions are tied for second.
4. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. The Cleveland Browns, the Seattle Seahawks, and the L.A. Rams are all tied for fifth.
8. The New York Giants, the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears, and the Arizona Cardinals are all tied for eighth.
(Hit up USAToday.com for more info on each of these team's schedules.)