New York Jets: Week 8 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Time will tell if the New York Jets did enough to help quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason. They focused on the offensive line throughout free agency, but were not done when the draft rolled around, as they selected Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton with their first-round pick. They also added the speedy Denzel Mims, perhaps giving Darnold a nice replacement for Robby Anderson.
Schedule-wise, the Jets have one of the league’s tougher schedules according to strength of schedule. Like the rest of their AFC East rivals, they face a NFC West slate of games, which includes trips to play the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams in back-to-back weeks, as well as visits from the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers. They also get the New England Patriots twice of course. But they have a mid-October run of games that includes a trip to Los Angeles to play the Chargers in Week 6, a home game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 7, a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, and then a visit from Bill Belichick and the gang in Week 9. If they can survive that stretch – specifically that game at Kansas City – then perhaps they did get Darnold enough help.
Philadelphia Eagles: Week 16 @ Dallas Cowboys
The selection of quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round certainly stunned many observers – and led to the creation of some incredible memes – but the Philadelphia Eagles and their “QB Factory” might just have a plan. When you look at the wide receivers the team added over draft weekend (Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, Quez Watkins and Marquise Goodwin via trade) it becomes clear that they are building a more downfield system. Something that Carson Wentz – and Hurts – fit well.
They’ll get to put this new look to the test over a slate of games with some stiff challenges. They’ll face the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints over a three-week stretch starting in Week 12 that could be critical to their playoff chances. They also get a trip to the West Coast to play the San Francisco 49ers back in Week 4 that will be a tough test. But of course, any Eagles schedule begins with their games against the Dallas Cowboys, and in Week 16 – likely with the NFC East on the line – they make the trip to Texas to play their bitter rivals. That game might be their toughest challenge of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Week 7 @ Baltimore Ravens
If Ben Roethlisberger can stay healthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain a dangerous team in the AFC. Pittsburgh missed out on the playoffs a season ago despite losing their veteran quarterback early in the year with an elbow injury, and they return largely the same nucleus of players around Roethlisberger for the coming season.
They also face a fairly favorable schedule on paper, given their meetings with NFC East teams this year. They also face games against the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, but both of those contests are at home. In fact, perhaps their two toughest games on the schedule are sandwiched around their bye week. In Week 7 they travel to Baltimore to take on their bitter rivals the Baltimore Ravens, and after a bye in Week 8 they travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Both games are tough, but those rivalry games with the Ravens always take on a bit more spice, especially on the road.
Seattle Seahawks: Week 4 @ Miami Dolphins
The Seattle Seahawks do things their own way, and this draft was no different. They selected linebacker Jordyn Brooks in the first round, well before anyone expected him to come off the board, and then drafted Tennessee EDGE Darrell Taylor in the second round, again ahead of projections. We shall see if those early gambles pay off for Pete Carroll and company.
Their schedule is not without some difficult games. 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. 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. 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.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Week 3 @ Denver Broncos
Perhaps no team improved themselves more this offseason than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They added Tristan Wirfs in the first round, then Antoine Winfield Jr. on Day Two who might be an absolute steal.
Oh and of course they added Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
The team has some tough games on the schedule, including two meetings with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints as well as a visit from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. But believe it or not their Week 3 trip to Denver to take on the Broncos might be their toughest game of the season. Why? Denver has been somewhat of a House of Horrors for Tom Brady. Brady actually has a losing record against the Broncos over the course of his career, with a mark of 8-9, and that includes a 1-3 record in the post-season. Brady and Bill Belichick lost their first playoff game together back in 2005 out in Denver, and then lost a pair of AFC Championship Games in 2014 and 2016 out in Denver to Peyton Manning and the Broncos.
Their might be tougher games on the schedule for Tampa Bay, but this trip to the Mile High City might be their true toughest test for the team, and their new QB.
Tennessee Titans: Week 11 @ Baltimore Ravens
The Tennessee Titans rode the right arm of Ryan Tannehill and the powerful legs of Derrick Henry to a surprise appearance in the AFC Championship Game a season ago. While they ultimately fell short of the Super Bowl, the organization is looking to run things back, as they signed their quarterback to a long-term extension and used the franchise tag on Henry.
They will face some tough games in the season ahead, including a visit from the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 and a trip to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers at the end of December, but you can be sure one game is circled on many calendars: Their Week 11 trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in a rematch of last year’s surprising Divisional Round game, where the Titans went into M&T Bank Stadium and upset the Ravens. Baltimore seemed to focus on fortifying their defensive front this offseason, adding Calais Campbell and drafting two linebackers and a defensive tackle in the first two days of the draft, so this game could be a test for the Titans, and whether Baltimore’s offseason plans worked.
Washington Redskins: Week 14 @ San Francisco 49ers
Times might be tough in the nation’s capital, but perhaps better days are on the horizon. New head coach Ron Rivera avoided chasing the shiny object down the draft rabbit hole and selected Chase Young, perhaps the best overall player in the draft, rather than forcing a quarterback selection. Despite lacking a second-round selection, Washington managed to add a dynamic offensive playmaker in the third round, drafting Antonio Gibson out of Memphis. They also drafted Antonio Gandy-Golden out of Liberty, giving Dwayne Haskins a potential ball-winner on the outside.
Some fascinating matchups dot their schedule this year, including a Week 11 visit from the Cincinnati Bengals. That sets up a reunion of sorts between Haskins and rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, who were in the same quarterback room at Ohio State before Burrow transferred to LSU. But the toughest stretch of Washington’s season comes in the weeks following that reunion. In Week 12 they visit the Dallas Cowboys on a short week for a Thankgiving tilt, then they travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in Week 13, and cap off a three-game road swing with a visit to the West Coast to play the San Francisco 49ers. Finishing a road swing with a trip to play the defending NFC Champions is certainly a difficult test.