i think this site updates throughout season
2022 NFL Strength of Schedule rankings for all 32 teams have been calculated for the upcoming season, and a couple of different methods are available.
The first method, the winning percentage method, is not an exact science due to player trades, free agency, injuries, and the draft. This method is based solely on the combined record of a team’s opponents from the previous season.
The Los Angeles Rams, the reigning Super Bowl champions, have the toughest schedule in 2022 using the winning percentage method, just ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. Cincinnati is third, followed by Tampa Bay in fourth and San Francisco and Kansas City in a tie for fifth.
The distance from first (LA Rams) to fifth-place (San Francisco, Kansas City) is 10 games in the win column.
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have the easiest schedule in 2022, according to the winning percentage method. The remainder of the NFC East, the New York Giants (29th) and Philadelphia Eagles (30th), round out the bottom four.
Sharp Football Analysis offers an alternative NFL strength of schedule ranking this season based on projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers.
Sharp uses 2022 projected win totals because this method is “…much better than so many widely used metrics that use the previous season’s record.” Below are their rankings using that method.
If you're curious about the scheduling formula, here's how the NFL does it. Under the formula implemented in 2002 (and updated this year), every team plays 17 games as follows:
2022 NFL Strength of Schedule rankings for all 32 teams have been calculated for the upcoming season, and a couple of different methods are available.
The first method, the winning percentage method, is not an exact science due to player trades, free agency, injuries, and the draft. This method is based solely on the combined record of a team’s opponents from the previous season.
The Los Angeles Rams, the reigning Super Bowl champions, have the toughest schedule in 2022 using the winning percentage method, just ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. Cincinnati is third, followed by Tampa Bay in fourth and San Francisco and Kansas City in a tie for fifth.
The distance from first (LA Rams) to fifth-place (San Francisco, Kansas City) is 10 games in the win column.
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have the easiest schedule in 2022, according to the winning percentage method. The remainder of the NFC East, the New York Giants (29th) and Philadelphia Eagles (30th), round out the bottom four.
Sharp Football Analysis offers an alternative NFL strength of schedule ranking this season based on projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers.
Sharp uses 2022 projected win totals because this method is “…much better than so many widely used metrics that use the previous season’s record.” Below are their rankings using that method.
If you're curious about the scheduling formula, here's how the NFL does it. Under the formula implemented in 2002 (and updated this year), every team plays 17 games as follows:
- 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 intra-conference 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.
- One interconference game based on the prior year's standings on a rotating four-year cycle (one game). These games match a first-place team from one division against a first-place team in an opposite conference division that the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place and fourth-place teams in each division are matched in the same way each year. The home conference for this game will rotate each season.
| 1 | Rams | 164-125-0 | .567 |
| 2 | Cardinals | 157-132-0 | .543 |
| 3 | Bengals | 154-133-2 | .536 |
| 4 | Buccaneers | 154-134-1 | .535 |
| T-5 | 49ers | 154-135-0 | .533 |
| T-5 | Chiefs | 154-135-0 | .533 |
| T-7 | Raiders | 152-136-1 | .528 |
| T-7 | Saints | 152-136-1 | .528 |
| 9 | Falcons | 151-137-1 | .524 |
| 10 | Chargers | 150-139-0 | .519 |
| 11 | Seahawks | 149-139-1 | .517 |
| T-12 | Steelers | 148-141-0 | .512 |
| T-12 | Panthers | 147-140-2 | .512 |
| T-12 | Bills | 147-140-2 | .512 |
| 15 | Broncos | 147-142-0 | .509 |
| 16 | Patriots | 143-144-2 | .498 |
| T-17 | Jets | 142-145-2 | .495 |
| T-17 | Browns | 142-145-2 | .495 |
| 19 | Texans | 141-148-0 | .488 |
| 20 | Vikings | 139-148-2 | .484 |
| 21 | Dolphins | 138-149-2 | .481 |
| 22 | Packers | 137-150-2 | .478 |
| 23 | Ravens | 136-151-2 | .474 |
| T-24 | Bears | 135-152-2 | .471 |
| T-24 | Titans | 136-153-0 | .471 |
| T-26 | Jaguars | 135-153-1 | .469 |
| T-26 | Colts | 135-153-1 | .469 |
| 28 | Lions | 135-154-0 | .467 |
| 29 | Giants | 134-154-1 | .465 |
| 30 | Eagles | 133-154-2 | .464 |
| T-31 | Commanders | 133-155-1 | .462 |
| T-31 | Cowboys | 133-155-1 | .462 |