The Titans don’t have Derrick Henry, and they won’t have Julio Jones for at least two more games. They do, however, have the league’s easiest remaining schedule. That gives them a decent chance of holding onto home-field advantage in the AFC.
Tennessee has played 10 games, so they’ve got only seven left. And over half of those games are against the Texans (twice), Jaguars and Dolphins. Their other remaining games are at New England and Pittsburgh, and a home game against the 49ers.
Adding up the wins and losses, Tennessee’s remaining schedule grades out as the easiest in the league – by far – with opponents having a combined win-loss record of 22-42-1.
The Jets, Eagles and Cardinals also have easier remaining schedules.
The most difficult remaining schedules, on the other hand, belong to Kansas City and the four teams in the AFC North (which all have winning records and will play a bunch of games against each other in the remaining weeks).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 11-18) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
Tennessee | 22 | 42 | 1 | .346 |
NY Jets | 30 | 45 | 0 | .400 |
Philadelphia | 26 | 37 | 0 | .413 |
Arizona | 28 | 36 | 1 | .438 |
Green Bay | 29 | 35 | 1 | .454 |
San Francisco | 34 | 40 | 0 | .459 |
Seattle | 34 | 40 | 1 | .460 |
Atlanta | 34 | 39 | 1 | .466 |
NY Giants | 35 | 40 | 0 | .467 |
Tampa Bay | 35 | 40 | 0 | .467 |
Miami | 31 | 35 | 0 | .470 |
LA Chargers | 35 | 39 | 1 | .473 |
Jacksonville | 37 | 39 | 0 | .487 |
Chicago | 36 | 37 | 1 | .493 |
Dallas | 37 | 38 | 0 | .493 |
Houston | 37 | 38 | 0 | .493 |
New Orleans | 37 | 38 | 0 | .493 |
Denver | 32 | 32 | 1 | .500 |
Washington | 38 | 37 | 0 | .507 |
Buffalo | 39 | 37 | 0 | .513 |
New England | 34 | 32 | 0 | .515 |
Carolina | 33 | 31 | 0 | .516 |
Minnesota | 38 | 35 | 2 | .520 |
Indianapolis | 34 | 31 | 0 | .523 |
Detroit | 40 | 36 | 0 | .526 |
LA Rams | 35 | 30 | 0 | .538 |
Las Vegas | 41 | 35 | 0 | .539 |
Cincinnati | 41 | 33 | 1 | .553 |
Cleveland | 35 | 27 | 2 | .563 |
Kansas City | 37 | 27 | 1 | .577 |
Baltimore | 43 | 31 | 2 | .579 |
Pittsburgh | 45 | 30 | 0 | .600 |
If we want to take a more short-term view, looking at just the next four weeks, the Titans, Jets, Dolphins and Panthers project to play the easiest schedules (though three of those teams also have a bye in there). The Patriots, Rams and Kansas City, on the other hand, have the hardest schedules over the next month (though again, with each of those teams being in the minority that still have a bye left).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 11-14) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
Tennessee | 9 | 19 | 0 | .321 |
NY Jets | 13 | 25 | 0 | .342 |
Miami | 10 | 18 | 0 | .357 |
Carolina | 10 | 18 | 0 | .357 |
Philadelphia | 10 | 17 | 0 | .370 |
San Francisco | 14 | 22 | 0 | .389 |
Denver | 11 | 16 | 1 | .411 |
Seattle | 16 | 21 | 0 | .432 |
Detroit | 17 | 21 | 0 | .447 |
Cleveland | 12 | 14 | 1 | .463 |
Arizona | 13 | 15 | 0 | .464 |
NY Giants | 18 | 20 | 0 | .474 |
Houston | 18 | 20 | 0 | .474 |
Indianapolis | 13 | 14 | 0 | .481 |
Tampa Bay | 18 | 19 | 0 | .486 |
Minnesota | 17 | 18 | 2 | .486 |
Baltimore | 18 | 19 | 1 | .487 |
Atlanta | 19 | 19 | 0 | .500 |
LA Chargers | 18 | 18 | 1 | .500 |
Green Bay | 14 | 14 | 0 | .500 |
Dallas | 19 | 18 | 0 | .514 |
New Orleans | 19 | 18 | 0 | .514 |
Washington | 20 | 17 | 0 | .541 |
Cincinnati | 19 | 16 | 1 | .542 |
Pittsburgh | 20 | 16 | 0 | .556 |
Las Vegas | 21 | 16 | 0 | .568 |
Buffalo | 22 | 16 | 0 | .579 |
Chicago | 22 | 15 | 1 | .592 |
Jacksonville | 23 | 15 | 0 | .605 |
Kansas City | 17 | 11 | 0 | .607 |
LA Rams | 18 | 11 | 0 | .621 |
New England | 18 | 10 | 0 | .643 |
—Ian Allan