The NFL released the official 2018 schedule yesterday and even though we haven't even hit the draft yet we are going to take a look at which teams will have easy paths and which teams will have a hard time this fall. While this could likely change as soon as next week with the draft we take into account each team staying relatively healthy and not having major impacts in the draft but that is likely to change so more than likely there will be a few teams that are dramatically different than our predictions.
AFC East: New England should have a very easy run this year, the only reason Buffalo is even at 7 wins is because Miami and New York will be bad and they will get some easy wins there.
New England: 12-4
Buffalo: 7-9
New York Jets: 3-13
Miami: 2-14
AFC South: Houston has a favorable schedule and nobody else in their division is great. If they can stay healthy and take 5/6 in their division as I project I see them having the best record in the league and making a deep playoff run. This division is likely to product the best 4th place team in the league as it is possible no teams have a losing record.
Houston: 13-3
Indianapolis: 9-7
Tennessee: 9-7
Jacksonville: 8-8
AFC North: Baltimore could be a team to watch out for as they nearly made the playoffs last year. Pittsburgh may have some question marks with Bell and Big Ben but they should still make the playoffs as the rest of the division will be weak and they are talented. On another note Cleveland should get 4 or 5 wins this year and Cincinnati will be bad again.
Pittsburgh: 10-6
Baltimore: 10-6
Cleveland: 4-12
Cincinnati: 3-13
AFC West: This division will most likely come down to the week 17 match up between Kansas City and Oakland. The rest of the division will be irrelevant so it will be down to if the Raiders can have a bounce back year, and if Patrick Mahomes can be who the Chiefs think he is.
Kansas City: 11-5
Oakland: 11-5
Denver: 6-10
LA Chargers: 3-13
NFC East: Philly will have a tougher schedule and I don't see them repeating their regular season run they had last year. Dallas should be better but I have little hope for New York and Washington. Four wins may be low for Washington as I could see them win 6 or 7 but there were a lot of questions I had and when the match ups came up I only saw them winning four.
Philadelphia: 11-5
Dallas: 7-9
Washington: 4-12
New York Giants: 2-14
NFC South: This will be a very tight race again and will come down to the last week. I still see Tampa struggling and three teams in the playoffs from this division would not surprise me. Atlanta I think gets the edge this year but this could be New Orleans last shot at winning it all under Brees as he is not getting any younger.
Atlanta: 11-5
New Orleans: 11-5
Carolina: 10-6
Tampa: 3-13
NFC North: Minnesota will get off to a slow start due to a tough schedule but may end up winning their last 8 games to get hot into the playoffs. The Packers will be back with Rogers and the Bears could be a playoff team if they weren't in such a tough division. The NFC North may be the division with the most wins as even Detroit will be good but will get beat up by the other three in the division.
Minnesota: 12-4
Green Bay: 10-6
Chicago: 8-8
Detroit: 6-10
NFC West: The Rams will be the heavy favorites here but San Francisco is a team to look out for. I think the schedule sets up nice for the 49ers to make a run at the wild card. Seattle still has a lot of talent which should get them around the .500 mark and Arizona will be down unless they can find a quarterback quickly.
LA Rams: 12-4
San Francisco: 10-6
Seattle: 8-8
Arizona: 5-11
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