2023 NFL schedule release: 5 teams with the toughest docket

The 2023 NFL schedules have officially been released for all 32 teams, and as fans view which games they want to circle on the calendar, some teams are looking at their opponents knowing it is going to be tough sledding to make the playoffs after 18 weeks. 

Strength of schedule is determined based on the win percentage of projected opponents from the previous season, which usually provides a baseline for how hard wins are going to come by for each team in the NFL. In this case, these five teams have it harder than most of their peers. 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at which teams will be facing the hardest schedules in 2023 

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5. Dallas Cowboys (.549 opponent win percentage in 2022)

A recurring theme in this group is NFC East and AFC East teams facing tough opponents, and it begins with "America’s Team." Their first two games are against the two New York teams in the division-rival Giants on Sunday night in Week 1 followed by the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets. 

Then, after facing the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, Dallas is looking at a very tough stretch of the San Francisco 49ers, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season, and the Los Angeles Chargers both on the road followed by their bye week. Then, they return home to face the Los Angeles Rams before going back on the road to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. The Giants await them in Week 10 at AT&T Stadium. 

The Cowboys also have to see the Seattle Seahawks, Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins – all playoff teams in 2022 – from Weeks 13-16.

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4. New England Patriots (.549)

Bill Belichick may not think this way, but it is apparent that the Patriots, on paper, are arguably the worst team in the AFC East, which has not been the case for quite some time. Dealing with the Bills, Jets and Dolphins twice a year is not going to be easy, and it does not help that the NFC East is the division they must play this season as well. 

The schedule begins with the Eagles, the reigning NFC champions, in Week 1 followed by the Dolphins, Jets and Cowboys to round out their first four weeks. That’s a hard stretch.

New England will also be facing the Chargers and Chiefs in their home building, while having to travel to face the Giants, Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Only five of the 17 weeks the Patriots play (their bye week is Week 11) did not make the playoffs last season. 

3. New York Giants (.549)

Congratulations, Brian Daboll. You made it to the playoffs in your first season as head coach. Now, it is time to see if you can repeat with a tough schedule and a historic one at that. 

It is not historic in the best way, though, as the Giants will be on the road for seven of their first 10 games, which is the first time it has happened since the NFL reinstated bye weeks in 1990. That includes a West Coast trip in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Cardinals and 49ers, and then Weeks 5 and 6 against the Dolphins and Bills. 

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The Giants also head to Las Vegas for the first time in Week 9 against the Raiders to kick off a three-week road trip that also includes the Cowboys and Washington Commanders. 

Their bye week in Week 13 is also pretty late, so it will certainly be a test for Daniel Jones and company to see if they have what it takes to power through the lack of home fans in those games. 

2. Miami Dolphins (.554)

The Dolphins are heading to Germany….to face the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. That will be in Week 9, and it is a doozy of a schedule before that. 

Week 1 comes on the road against the Chargers followed by the Patriots and Broncos. They will also have to face the Bills, Giants and Eagles before heading to Frankfurt. 

With a Week 10 bye, the Dolphins will return against the Raiders at home followed by the Jets, Commanders, Titans, Jets again, Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and finishing things against the Bills in Week 18, which could have division implications. Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa will try to weather that storm after making the playoffs last season as a wild card team. 

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1. Philadelphia Eagles (.566)

It is never good to see your team at the top of this list, but if there was ever a team to power through the hardest schedule in the league based on this projection, the Eagles are it. 

Led by Jalen Hurts at quarterback and Nick Sirianni on the sideline, the Eagles had the best regular-season record last year and went all the way to the Super Bowl where they eventually fell in a close one to the Chiefs. 

They return many of their players from that team this season and got even better in the NFL Draft as well, especially on the defensive side of the ball. 

The biggest tests will likely come in a gauntlet from Weeks 6-15, where they face the Jets, Dolphins, Commanders and Cowboys before coming off their bye week in Week 10 to go on and face the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, Cowboys and Seahawks. Three of those games – Miami, Kansas City and Dallas – are primetime as well. 

Oh, and the Giants, who the Eagles have notoriously beat up, make up two of the team’s last three games. It is still a division opponent that wants some revenge and playoff implications could be there, too. 

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Normally, fans would tremble at such a schedule, but Eagles fans should be confident as long as their team stays healthy through it all.