2020 NFL schedule – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Ranking the 10 best quarterback duels on the 2020 NFL schedule

Let’s watch as Brady, Brees and Rodgers try to hold off an exiting new class of stars.

In today’s pass happy NFL, a game is only as good as the two starting quarterbacks participating in it. Think back to all of the memorable games over the last decade or so. Sure, there are probably some defensive struggles mixed in here and there; but, for the most part, it’s the epic quarterback duels that stick in our minds.

Well, in 2020 the NFL schedule makers have blessed us with more than few mouth-watering matchups. At the top of the list is the new divisional rivalry between the league’s greatest quarterback, Tom Brady, and its most prolific quarterback, Drew Brees. But for this list, I’ve left out divisional matchups and focused on those that we don’t see twice a year.

Let’s kick things off with a battle of two unproven passers whose careers will be forever linked…

10. Joe Burrow v. Tua Tagovailoa, Week 13

Unless something goes horribly wrong, the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2020 NFL draft should be in the starting lineup by the time we hit Week 13 in what could be the first game in a long-time rivalry. It’s a new matchup for NFL fans, but it will be the third year in a row Burrow and Tua face off. The series is tied at one apiece. We’ll get the rubber match in December.

9. Philip Rivers v. Ben Roethlisberger, Week 16

This is probably the last time we’ll see these draft classmates go head-to-head in what could be a matchup of two AFC contenders. Fortunately for us, these two vets aren’t afraid the throw the ball downfield, so this should be an exciting one — even if there are a few interceptions thrown in there.

8. Russell Wilson v. Dak Prescott, Week 3

These might be the two most under-appreciated quarterbacks in the league. We know Wilson is elite, but his coaching staff doesn’t call plays as if that were the case. And Prescott inched closer to that level with a tremendous 2019 campaign. I wouldn’t be surprised if these two are battling for the MVP award by the end of the season, and this September game could decide that race.

7. Tom Brady v. Aaron Rodgers, Week 6

The last time we saw Brady and Rodgers face off, in November 2018, it was kind of a dud. Rodgers did not play well and got no help from his supporting cast. Hopefully that will change in what could be the last matchup between these two greats. Based on reputation alone, this matchup should probably be higher, but it’s been a few years since both of theses guys were at the top of their games.

6. Lamar Jackson v. Deshaun Watson, Week 2

As excited as I am to watch this one, I already feel bad for Watson. On one side, we’ll see a team that has done everything in its power to support its young quarterback. On the other, you have the Texans, who traded away Watson’s best receiver for a washed up running back. But if anyone is capable of overcoming a weak supporting cast, it’s Watson.

5. Deshaun Watson v. Patrick Mahomes, Week 1

When Watson and Mahomes faced off last year in Kansas City, the former was the best player on the field. The latter has more weapons to work with so this could end up being a mismatch, but watching Watson trying to keep his team in the game should make for a great watch in Week 1.

4. Patrick Mahomes v. Tom Brady, Week 12

This will be the third matchup between Brady and Mahomes, with the Pats QB holding a 2-1 advantage. But it will be the first time Brady has the weapons to match what the Chiefs have to offer. Mahomes is clearly the better quarterback at this point, but the Bucs receivers should help level the playing field for the old man.

3. Drew Brees v. Aaron Rodgers, Week 3

It’s been nearly six years since Brees and Rodgers last played against one another. In that game, the two future hall of famers combined for 728 passing yards and averaged 10.3 per attempt. And that wasn’t even the best matchup between these two! That came in the 2011 season opener when the Packers outscored the Saints 42-34. I don’t know if these two still have it in them to produce a scoreline like that, but it will be fun watching them try.

2. Lamar Jackson v. Patrick Mahomes, Week 3

This will be the third installment in this budding rivalry. Both players have an MVP trophy, but Jackson has yet to beat Mahomes. He came close in 2018 and almost pulled off a late comeback last season. Both of those games were in Kansas City. This time, they’ll play in Baltimore. If Lamar is going to turn this into a great rivalry, he needs to protect his home field.

1. Patrick Mahomes v. Drew Brees, Week 15

Barring a rematch in the Super Bowl — which is very possible — this could be the first and only matchup between Brees and Mahomes in their careers. The Saints quarterback is going to end his career with just about every passing record there is, and Mahomes is on track to challenge them all. With Andy Reid and Sean Payton calling the shots, this one is going to live up to the hype.

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Ranking the 10 best coaching matchups of the 2020 NFL season

A lot of Reid and Belichick on this list.

One of the reasons we love the sport of football is the intricate strategy that goes into each and every play. More so than any other sport, coaching matters in the NFL. A game pitting two brilliant coaching minds can be just as fascinating to watch as a game featuring a handful of great players

With that in mind, I’ve looked over the 2020 NFL schedule and picked out the X’s and O’s matchups that I’m most looking forward.

For the purpose of this list, I’ve focused on inter-divisional matchups that we don’t already see every season. And I’m only looking at coaching matchups that pit an offensive-minded coach against a defensive minded coach, so you won’t see a matchup like Bill Belichick v. Pete Carroll on here, even if those two are considered to be two of the very best coaches this league has to offer.

So with that out of the way, let’s look at the 10 best X’s and O’s matchups on the 2020 NFL schedule.

10. Bruce Arians v. Vic Fangio, Week 3

We’ve seen these two square off in the NFC West, but this is the first time these respected minds will go head-to-head as head coaches. Fangio’s complex coverages have given even the best quarterbacks problems, but how will he will he try to slow down the NFL’s greatest quarterback ever and the league’s most intimidating receiving corps? And what designer route concepts will Arians have drawn up to mess with Denver’s coverage rules and create big plays downfield? We won’t have to wait long to find out with the Buccaneers visiting the Broncos early in the season.

9. Kellen Moore v. Don ‘Wink’ Martindale, Week 13

Wink Martindale of the Baltimore Ravens is your defensive coordinator’s favorite defensive coordinator. What makes him such a fun coach to watch? It’s his disguised coverages and exotic blitz looks, which always make it difficult to figure out what the defense is up to before the snap. To tell you the truth, it doesn’t get much easier after the snap, either. But Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore showed in his first season as a play-caller that he knows how to unlock the secrets of a defense with the help of pre-snap motions and shifts. In this matchup, the pre-snap chess matchup might be more interesting than what happens after the snap.

8. Todd Bowles v. Andy Reid, Week 12

This might be the most underrated matchup on the list. The X’s and O’s battle will be fun, but it’s the aggression with which these two call plays that has me most excited. We know Andy Reid likes to throw the ball over the field on any down and distance and Todd Bowles is his defensive equal when it comes to fearless calls. The Bucs defensive coordinator has endeared himself to Bruce Arian for a reason: You don’t need to encourage him to take risks. Bowles will blitz anywhere on the field and he’s not afraid to ask his corners to man-up on receivers with no safety help deep. We’ll see how that works out against Patrick Mahomes and that loaded receiving corps.

7. Kyle Shanahan v. Sean McDermott, Week 13

I love watching well-coached defenses, and Sean McDermott’s teams are always at the top of that list. The thing that stands out about this Bills defense is how disciplined it is, no matter what an offense throws at it. Well, that discipline is going to be put to the test by Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense, which is based on manipulating certain defenders. Typically, Shanahan focuses on the weak links of a defense, but take a look at the Bills’ defensive depth chart. Good luck finding a true weak link there.

6. Bill Belichick v. Greg Roman. Week 10

Last season’s Patriots game was a proving ground for Lamar Jackson and this unique Ravens offense. There were still plenty of skeptics out there before Greg Roman’s group took it to Bill Belichick’s defense in the first half before New England found its footing in the second half. The rematch will be fascinating now that Belichick has a better understanding of how Roman will attack his run fronts. We know the Patriots coach will have some new tricks for Lamar and his offensive coordinator. What will those two have in store for the greatest defensive mind in sports? We won’t find out until November.

5. Bill Belichick v. Kliff Kingsbury, Week 12

Just a warning: Belichick is going to show up a few more times on this list. He is the greatest coach in league history after all, and the 2020 season might be his greatest challenge yet.

He’ll get a brand new challenge in Week 12 when Kliff Kingsbury brings his version of the Air Raid offense to Gillette Stadium. Belichick is always on the cutting edge when it comes to defensive scheme, so he’ll be prepared for Kingsbury’s various RPO’s and option run plays. Maybe he’ll give his buddy Nick Saban a call this offseason to pick up some tips on how to better deal with a college-inspired spread. The Cardinals adding a true No. 1 receiver in DeAndre Hopkins adds another layer to what should be a tremendously fun X’s and O’s battle.

4. Kliff Kingsbury v. Sean McDermott, Week 10

Everything I said about the McDermott-Shanahan matchup applies to this one. The Bills’ defensive gameplan for the Ravens’ college-inspired scheme was one of the best of the 2019 season. The challenge will be somewhat similar for Buffalo in this one — fitting the run while still having enough numbers to defend the pass — but Kingsbury attacks defenses in a different way, using every inch of the field to put pressure on the opponent. McDermott is a coach who isn’t afraid to switch things up every week, so we should be in store for a unique gameplan from one of the NFL’s best defensive coaches.

3. Kyle Shanahan v. Bill Belichick, Week 7

The last time we saw these two great coaching minds face off, we got maybe the greatest Super Bowl ever. After Shanahan overwhelmed the Pats defense for the first 40 minutes, Belichick adjusted and helped engineer the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. This will be the first time these two will match wits as head coaches. Shanahan’s offense has changed since then and he’s picked up a few new tricks that will test the discipline of Belichick’s team. Staying sound against the run while not being sucked in by play-action fakes will be the key to the matchup for the Pats. As always, it’ll be fascinating to see how Belichick deploys his personnel in order to strike the right balance.

2. Andy Reid v. Bill Belichick, Week 4

These two have had so many classic battles, it almost feels like this is a matchup we see every year. But we don’t know how many more of these Belichick-Reid showdowns we’ll get, so we better start appreciating them. The challenge will be the same for Belichick: How will he cover all of the weapons Reid has at his disposal? How aggressive will he be with the pass rush vs. Mahomes? And which Chiefs receiver will he look to take away on high-leverage downs? We’ll find out in Week 4.

1. Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo v. Sean Payton and Dennis Allen, Week 15

This game is a two-for-one with Sean Payton’s machine-like attack going up against Steve Spagnuolo’s diverse scheme and Reid’s air show taking on Dennis Allen’s defense, which has quietly become one of the most interesting units in the league. It’s always fun to watch two great offensive play-callers go back-and-forth, but Reid and Payton will get challenges from the opposing defensive coordinators. Spagnoulo will use his two star safeties (yes, I think Juan Thornhill is already a star) to try to take out Michael Thomas — good luck with that — and Allen has the players and scheme to matchup with Kansas City’s loaded receiving corps. With all that talent on the field and four smart minds on the sidelines, this is the early frontrunner for game of the year.

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Predicting the Ravens’ 2020 record: Big and bold edition

With the schedule out and most teams finalizing their rosters, we can better predict what the Baltimore Ravens’ final record will be.

The NFL released the full 2020 schedule and with it, the schedule for the Baltimore Ravens. Though we’ve known which opponents the Ravens would face this season, the order in which they came and how many primetime games Baltimore would be featured in will have a dramatic impact on what their final record could be.

With most teams putting the final touches on their 90-man rosters, we have a much better idea of the talent levels for each of the Ravens’ 2020 opponents. With that in mind, the writers here at Ravens Wire each threw out their prediction for the season, with some of us going pretty bold.

Matthew Stevens – 12-4

The already strong teams on Baltimore’s schedule didn’t really get any weaker and the bad teams will take time to improve. What looks to be the easiest schedule in the NFL might not prove to be that by the time the season finishes but the Ravens have some pretty easy cakewalks this year as long as they show up hungry and ready to play every week. I already tossed out my game-by-game final score predictions and have Baltimore once again destroying a bunch of teams en route to a solid 12-4 record.

But at this point, the regular season isn’t really the important part. They’ll be judged solely by how they perform in the postseason. Baltimore is talented enough to practically guarantee a playoff spot barring some serious misfortunes. But they’ll need to prove they can step up in the postseason, something they haven’t done the last two years.

It doesn’t matter if they go 16-0 or 10-6 this season, if they’re one-and-done in the playoffs, fans will be livid.

Neil Dutton – 14-2

There are a couple of games on the docket where, with a critical eye, you could see Baltimore dropping. Away at the Philadelphia Eagles is never easy, the New England Patriots still own a talented defense and the Tennessee Titans may have permanently scarred the Ravens after their playoff win over them. But I have faith in this Baltimore team to overcome those obstacles. The two games I have them actually losing are to the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, as well as the Thanksgiving clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But even that is assuming Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and playing at a competent level.

A seven-game win streak between Week 4 and Week 12 will break the back of this schedule and put the Ravens in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Kevin Oestreicher – 15-1

It’s pretty hard to imagine a more dominant team than the one the Ravens had in 2019, but I believe that they are well positioned for an even better year in 2020. The team faces the easiest strength-of-schedule in the entire NFL based on 2019 records. Plus Baltimore revamped the defensive line and added more weapons for quarterback Lamar Jackson, making this team better on paper than it was last year.

I believe Baltimore’s only loss comes in Week 1 to the Cleveland Browns, but then a 15-game win streak put the Ravens right where they left off last year: in prime position to make a Super Bowl run.

Alex Bente – 11-5

Consider me a tad cautions here, but the Ravens seem to have a history of falling short when expectations shoot through the roof. For the latest example, look no further than the January playoff debacle against the Titans.

That said, they’ve also had a tendency to go above and beyond when counted down and out. And this Ravens team has done that in spades under Lamar Jackson, proving doubters wrong time and again as the young quarterback and his team have progressed in their early relationship. Maybe times have truly changed.

Do I see a repeat of the lighting they captured in a bottle last season? No. But on paper, they are still the best team in the division (by a wider margin now), and that alone gives them the edge to take the title again. But the Ravens have a target on their backs, no question, and as a result, they may drop an unsuspecting game or two in their 2020 campaign.

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Justin Reid is fired up for Texans-Chiefs in Week 1

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid can’t wait for the rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season.

Justin Reid is waiting all year for Thursday night.

That is Sept. 10, and that is when the 101st season of the NFL kicks off with the Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the AFC South champion Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium.

Houston and Kansas City had exciting battles at Arrowhead twice in the 2019 campaign. In Week 6, the Texans executed a fourth quarter comeback and beat the Chiefs 31-24. In the divisional playoffs, the Chiefs rallied from a 24-0 deficit and embarrassed the Texans 51-31.

Reid indicated in tweets Sunday night that his wearing a shoulder brace in Week 6 and the divisional playoffs compromised his ability to challenge jump balls.

“Yeah we gone see what happens just throwing the ball up when I have my shoulder brace off this year,” Reid quote-tweeted of a video from the NFL’s official Twitter account hyping Texans-Chiefs in Week 1.

Just to clear up any confusion… HELL YEA I’m mad about this play and HELL YEA I’m mad about the playoffs! We are all pissed about it. I haven’t stopped being upset since January.

& this exactly how I’m supposed to feel. I refuse to let it go. I’m taking it with me all 2020

— Justin Reid (@jreid_viii) May 11, 2020

Reid followed up with another tweet.

Reid wrote: “Just to clear up any confusion… HELL YEA I’m mad about this play and HELL YEA I’m mad about the playoffs! We are all pissed about it. I haven’t stopped being upset since January & this exactly how I’m supposed to feel. I refuse to let it go. I’m taking it with me all 2020.”

If Reid is a representative sample of the Texans’ defense, then the Chiefs may not have as easy of a time picking apart Houston in the rematch.

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Why Seattle’s Week 4 game in Miami could be toughest on Seahawks slate

The Seattle Seahawks were dealt a fairly favorable schedule for the 2020 NFL season, but their Week-4 matchup in Miami could be challenging.

The National Football League revealed the 2020 NFL regular-season schedule last week, assuming sports will be able to be played starting the fall. The Seahawks were dealt a fairly favorable schedule, which includes four prime-time games, three of which will be played at home.

However, it could be one of the more surprising earlier games that could prove the most challenging for Seattle this season. Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire reasons the Dolphins matchup in Week 4 might be the thorn in the Seahawks’ side.

“Their schedule is not without some difficult games,” Schofield writes. “They’ll face some tough games in the division, and also trips east to play the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins. But it is a trip east in early October that might actually be their toughest game of all: The Miami Dolphins.”

The toughest game on every team's schedule https://t.co/PjZaXl3oRK

— Touchdown Wire (@TheNFLWire) May 10, 2020

“Sure, it sounds a bit crazy, given the Dolphins’ record a season ago, but early fall games in South Beach are no joke, and the heat and humidity can still cause an impact on visitors,” Schofield continues. “Sure, the Dolphins might not be the toughest test on paper, but when you factor in the likely conditions, this might add up to the biggest challenge the Seahawks face in 2020.”

The Seahawks will travel more miles than any other team in the league in 2020 and their farthest trip of the season just might prove to be the most disappointing of the year.

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The Counter: Why are the Cowboys hedging on Dak Prescott?

Pay him, Jerry.

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We caught up on some news in the latest edition of The Counter.

First, a look at the NFL schedule, and which teams might benefit or suffer thanks to it. (We have quite a few stories from last week that examine this, too.)
Explaining how it appears the schedule was designed to allow for flexibility should the NFL decide to shorten the season.
We also dig in on the Monday Night Football announcing team shake-up, looking at potential replacements and mapping out what we’d like to hear from the booth in the future.
The Bears didn’t pick up Mitch Trubisky’s fifth-year option, which wasn’t surprising. But that decision led to a feisty exchange on the internet in which Doug Gottlieb revealed himself to be powerfully out of touch … which also, come to think of it, was not surprising. BUT since the topic is race and quarterbacks it’s worth talking about and exploring, so we did.

Finally, we tried to figure out what the Dallas Cowboys might be thinking as they continue to string along Dak Prescott, a clear franchise QB who should be treated as one.

Steven referenced a few throws in particular in the episode, from the Cowboys’ late-season loss to the Eagles that was held up by many as a “bad” game by Prescott.

But these clips pretty clearly show a QB playing well enough to win:

This 4th-down play where he fools a defender by pointing to open space is just sublime.

Prescott’s receivers let him down time after time. Amari Cooper made just four catches on 12 targets. Michael Gallup had a strong game but this is brutal.

Look at these throws!

This one isn’t as immediately impressive but it shows a quarterback thinking the game on an advanced level. The Eagles come out in an exotic look, with Fletcher Cox lined up directly over the center with six other players in the box at least feigning like they might rush him. Prescott takes time to adjust the blocking, then sidesteps Cox after he easily wins his mismatch before making the throw.

Pay the man, Jerry.

Anyway, download/listen to/like/rate-highly The Counter at the following places, if you would. We’ll be back with another episode on Friday.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | TuneIn

ESPN predicts 9-win season for the Falcons in 2020

Not only does the NFC South look tougher than ever, the team will face the AFC West and NFC North divisions.

After missing the playoffs for the second year in a row, the Atlanta Falcons‘ road back to the postseason in 2020 won’t be an easy one. Not only does the NFC South look tougher than ever, the team will face the AFC West and NFC North divisions.

The Falcons have been more active this offseason than last year as GM Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn desperately attempt to get this team over the hump and back into the NFC playoff picture.

ESPN released its record predictions for each team, projecting the Falcons to win nine games this season. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

The Falcons have a tough start out the gates in facing the Seahawks, Cowboys and Packers in the first four weeks. Both Seattle and Green Bay made the playoffs last season, and defending Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, and Aaron Rodgers will be a tall task for the rebuilt Falcons’ defense.

Atlanta, despite having the fifth-toughest strength of schedule, probably needs to win at least ten games to make the playoffs as a wild-card team. Tampa Bay will be tougher than ever, while New Orleans has been the class of the NFC South over the past three years.

The Falcons will have to get off to a faster start than last season when they went 1-7 over their first eight games.

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Early storylines for all 16 Bucs games to get you excited about the 2020 season

Take a look at some early storylines for each Bucs game on their 2020 schedule.

The NFL released the 2020 schedule last week, with the hope being that teams will be able to complete a full 17-week season despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

But, let’s face it, we could use something to take our minds off everything right now, so let’s go right ahead and take a look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ full schedule and some early storylines to get you excited about the season.

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Five challenges for the Vikings in 2020

Here are five challenges the Vikings face in the 2020 season.

Minnesota is coming off a year where it went 10-6 in the regular season and won a playoff game, but if the team wants similar success, it will have to do so with a lot of new faces.

Minnesota saw Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Linval Joseph, Stephen Weatherly, Mackensie Alexander and others sign elsewhere in free agency. The Vikings also traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills for draft picks.

The Vikings drafted a first-round wide receiver: Justin Jefferson. He can attempt to replace Diggs.

Later in the first round, the team drafted Jeff Gladney, who can help replace Waynes, Rhodes and Alexander at corner.

So there are rookies with potential, but the Vikings have a difficult schedule, and the team doesn’t have time for the new players to go through steep learning curves.

Here are some challenges the team will have to face:

The salary cap

One of the reasons the Vikings had to replace the team’s old players with draft picks is because of Minnesota’s current salary cap situation.

Over The Cap founder Jason Fitzgerald said the Vikings are at an estimated $7.7 million in cap space based off salary projections for draft picks. If rookies do not pan out in the way that Minnesota hopes, then the team will not have the option of signing a player in free agency at the moment.

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The toughest game on every team’s schedule

The 2020 NFL Schedule is out. What is the toughest game on every team’s schedule for the 2020 NFL season.

Now that the NFL Schedule has been released, analysts are pouring through every 16-game slate to identify interesting games, some intriguing scheme matchups, and even trying to predict win/loss records. Another interesting exercise is to look at each schedule and identify perhaps a difficult stretch of games, or even a particular contest, that might be the toughest on paper. Sometimes this has to do with a travel schedule, a matchup, or even the time of year the game is played. To that end, here is the most difficult game for each of the 32 teams.

Arizona Cardinals: Week 11 @ Seattle Seahawks

With the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins and some intriguing draft picks, the Arizona Cardinals are in a solid position to make some noise in their second season under Kliff Kingsbury. Kyler Murray has a nice new weapon in Hopkins and potentially a solid tackle in Josh Jones, acquired late in the draft by the Cardinals. Of course, they also added do-it-all defender Isaiah Simmons on the defensive side of the football.

The schedule opens up with a trip to San Francisco to take on the 49ers, the defending NFC Champions. Then a friendly slate of games takes them into October, as they host the Washington Redskins and the Detroit Lions and then play the Carolina Panthers on the road, pitting them against three other teams who picked ahead of them in the draft.

November, however, looks to be a particularly tough stretch. They host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, November 15th then play at Seattle that Thursday night, on a short week. After their mini-bye, they take on the Patriots in New England on Sunday, November 29th. That Seahawks game, the second of two games against their divisional foes, looms as likely their toughest game of the season.

Atlanta Falcons: Week 16 @ Kansas City Chiefs

Talk about ending the year on a difficult note. The Atlanta Falcons close out their 2020-2021 schedule with perhaps the toughest slate of games imaginable, given their opponents this season. They host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, December 6th. Then they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on Sunday, December 13th. They are back home the following Sunday to host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, December 20th, then they travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on the final Sunday of 2020.

Their final game of the season? A trip to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers in a game that seems sure to have playoff implications.

That is a brutal stretch on paper, and while every game looks difficult for a variety of reasons, a late-season trip to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs, given that it is sandwiched between games against Tampa Bay, seems especially difficult.

Baltimore Ravens: Week 10 @ New England Patriots

Facing a first-place schedule, there are many difficult games ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 season. A Week 3 visit from the Kansas City Chiefs certainly seems imposing on the schedule, as does a Thanksgiving night trip to Pittsburgh to take on the hated Steelers. But thanks to the scheduling quirks, the Ravens’ schedule is one of the easier in the league, when you consider the 2019 records of their opponents. With the Cincinnati Bengals on their schedule twice, plus the fact that the AFC North takes on the NFC East this year, the Ravens have some easy matchups on paper.

One game that is sure to be a test is their Week 10 trip to New England to take on the Patriots. Sure, New England is breaking in a new quarterback and might take a step back this season, but Foxborough is always a tough place to play and the Patriots’ defense is still loaded with talent. Plus, after getting blown out by Lamar Jackson and company a season ago, you can be sure Bill Belichick will have something up his cut sleeves for the Ravens’ offense.

Buffalo Bills: Week 13 @ San Francisco 49ers

Like their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills face a tough schedule on paper. With the NFC West on the docket as well as teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs on the schedule, things look tough.

Their most difficult stretch is probably a three week run during the middle of November. They host the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks in back-to-back weeks, and then make the trip to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals. But a game that really stands out is a Monday Night Football contest in December, when the Bills travel west to take on the San Francisco 49ers. A game that #BillsMafia might hope to be a Super Bowl preview of sorts will be a great test for Buffalo next season.

Carolina Panthers: Week 9 @ Kansas City Chiefs

New head coach Matt Rhule does not get a chance to catch his breath until December. The Carolina Panthers are one of a few teams that does not get a bye week until Week 13, and only time will tell what kind of impact that has on the Panthers this season.

During that initial stretch of games, there are certainly some difficult tests awaiting the Panthers and their rookie head coach. But one stands out above the rest: A Week 9 trip to Kansas City to play the defending Super Bowl Champions. Thankfully for the Panthers, they will have played the Thursday night game the week prior, so they will have a bit of a mini-bye week before heading west to take on the Chiefs.

Chicago Bears: Week 9 @ Tennessee Titans

The Chicago Bears obviously have a massive question looming at the quarterback position. Having declined the fifth-year option on Mitchell Trubisky, it is clear the young passer is going to have to fight for his job. When the Bears added a former Super Bowl MVP in Nick Foles this offseason, it became fair to wonder just how much longer Trubisky would be under center for Chicago.

Their schedule, however, might work in their favor. The NFC North gets the AFC South in non-conference games this season, meaning teams that are coming off down years like Indianapolis and Jacksonville are on the docket, although both teams are certainly hoping to be much improved over last year. The Bears also get Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers come to town on a Thursday night, which works to Chicago’s advantage.

Besides their rivalry games against the Green Bay Packers, one game to highlight would be their Week 9 trip to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are a year removed from a trip to the AFC Championship Game and with both Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry back in the fold, they look to be stout again in 2020. That game, sandwiched between contests against the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings, might be the toughest on paper they face next season.

Cincinnati Bengals: Week 5 @ Baltimore Ravens

When you are coming off a 2-14 season and looking to break in a rookie at quarterback, every game looks daunting on paper. Of course, the Cincinnati Bengals are in just that situation, as they will be turning to first-overall selection Joe Burrow as their starting quarterback a year after finishing 2-14. With a pair of games against last year’s top seed in the AFC on the schedule, things look tough.

The first of their meetings, in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens, stands out as perhaps their toughest game of the season. Burrow’s first appearance against the Ravens (and former teammate Patrick Queen) will take place near the Inner Harbor, in Baltimore. It might not compare to playing Alabama in Tuscaloosa with the President in town, but it will certainly be a tough environment for the rookie passer.

Cleveland Browns: Week 1 @ Baltimore Ravens

On the bright side, they might get the toughest game of their entire slate out of the way early.

Like the other AFC North teams, the Cleveland Browns get the benefit of facing the NFC East in their non-conference games this season. That means a pair of games against teams that were picking in the top five of the draft last year (Washington and the New York Giants) as well as games against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The Browns also get the Cincinnati Bengals twice. They also make a trip to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans.

But they kick things off with a trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Given that this will be the first game after Baltimore’s stunning loss in the Divisional Round last season, the Ravens might have a bit more anger on their part when they take the field in Week 1. It could make for a long afternoon for Kevin Stefanski’s first game as a head coach.

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