The NFL has officially released its schedule for the 2023 season. As is the case every season, because the season only being 17 weeks and teams have to play their divisional opponents twice throughout the season, some teams have tougher schedules than others. While this is something that teams can not control, it can have major implications if teams are fighting for wild card spots or fighting for a divisional crown. There are four teams that got the short end of the stick and will have the toughest regular season schedule in 2023 based on their opponent’s combined 2022 win percentage.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off of a tough loss in last year’s Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, with the incredible offseason that they put together and the acquisitions they made, they have a strong case to once again appear on the NFL’s biggest stage in 2023. To get there, they will have to go through a gauntlet of a regular season. The Eagles clock in with an opponent win percentage of 56.6% which is the highest in the league.
They will take on the Washington Commanders, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings at home.
While they will have to face the Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.
This will be a very tough go and will put the Eagles to the test as nine of their opponents made the postseason last season. Out of those nine opponents that made the playoffs, they will have to play two of them twice.
2. Miami Dolphins
The team with the second toughest schedule heading into the 2023 season is the Miami Dolphins. Over the offseason, Miami made a great move by acquiring future Hall of Fame cornerback Jalen Ramsey to join Xavien Howard in their secondary. Pairing this with their elite offense, the Dolphins could be a team to watch out for. However, they are the AFC East which will be one of the most competitive divisions in the entire league this season. With the division being one that could come down to a very slim margin to determine the winner, this was a very unfortunate year for the Dolphins to end up with such a tough schedule.
They will face the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers at home this season.
On the road, they will see the Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens.
Last season, Miami’s 2023 opponents combined for a win percentage of 55.4%, and seven of them made the postseason. The Buffalo Bills are the only team that made the playoffs last year that Miami will have to play twice.
3. New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys
In the final spot for the third toughest schedule coming into the 2023 season, there was a two-way tie between the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys with a combined opponent win percentage in 2022 of 54.9%. Both teams are in very competitive divisions this season, and while they made some very solid moves over the offseason, it may end up being an uphill battle to win their divisions.
The New England Patriots play the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and New Orleans Saints at home. While they take on the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Pittsburgh Steelers on the road.
The Patriots are currently projected to finish in last place in the AFC East this season, and their tough schedule through the regular season does them no favors. Seven of their opponents made the postseason last year, and out of those seven, they will have to face two of them twice (Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins).
The Dallas Cowboys take on the Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions at home. While they will be traveling to the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Cowboys will likely be once again struggling to keep up with the Eagles for the NFC East crown. Last season, seven of the Cowboys’ 2023 opponents made the playoffs in 2022, and they will have to face off against two of them (Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants) twice.
