SOS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Projected Difficulty
CHI drew the toughest 2026 slate, CLE the softest, by the model’s projected opponent strength over the real schedule.
CHI
TOUGHEST SLATE
CLE
EASIEST SLATE
+0.038
HARDEST-TO-EASIEST GAP
WEEK 0
Projected from the model’s 2026 ratings over the real schedule. Switches to live opponent-EPA once games are played.
| # | TEAM | PROJ WINS | OPP STRENGTH | DIFFICULTY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CHI Chicago Bears | 8.4 | +0.022 | BRUTAL |
| 2 |  MIA Miami Dolphins | 7.1 | +0.019 | BRUTAL |
| 3 |  CAR Carolina Panthers | 6.6 | +0.018 | BRUTAL |
| 4 |
DIVISION DIFFICULTY
AVG PROJECTED OPPONENT STRENGTH#1AFC East
+0.014
BRUTAL#2NFC West
+0.013
HARD#3NFC North
+0.012
METHODOLOGY
Projected strength of schedule = the average model strength of each team’s 2026opponents over the real schedule (rank 1 = toughest). Red = brutal, green = soft. Once games are played this switches to opponents’ actual net EPA per play, updated weekly.
