NFL schedule 2026 winners & losers: Eagles, Lions have great slates; Patriots, Packers get zero breaks

NFL schedule 2026 winners & losers: Eagles, Lions have great slates; Patriots, Packers get zero breaks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 NFL schedule was released in full on Thursday May 14, revealing when and where all 272 regular-season games will be played for the upcoming season. As usual, none of the 32 teams' slates were created equal.

There has already been plenty written on strength of schedules based on how good or bad each team's combined opponents were last season, but when and where each game is played matters quite a bit.

Here’s a breakdown of which teams got favorable draws and which ones should feel a bit snakebitten by the league in 2026.

NFL schedule release winners & losers 2026

Winners: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles open vs. Washington and Tennessee to warm up well for a key Monday night road game in Chicago. Then they get five of the next seven games as true home dates in Philadelphia, including hosting the Rams, Panthers, Cowboys and Giants. In between, there's also a neutral-site London game vs. the Jaguars.

Soon after a well-timed Week 10 bye, the Steelers, Cardinals and Colts set up as winnable spots, while both the Seahawks and Texans come to Philadelphia in Weeks 15 and 16. The Eagles had the 10th-easiest strength of schedule (.481), and it got even better with the way their games flow from beginning to end.

MORE:Full 2026 NFL schedule featuring dates, times and networks for every game

Losers: New England Patriots

Every other fan base in the NFL complained about how easy the New England Patriots slate was on their way to winning the AFC East and getting to Super Bowl 60 last season. The NFL, in a make-up call, has slapped them right back with a vengeance.

The New England Patriots are already set up for a Super Bowl-losing hangover early by facing the Seattle Seahawks right away in Seattle to open the season in Week 1. Then they draw the Pittsburgh Steelers at home before back-to-back road games at Jacksonville and Buffalo.

From Weeks 7 through 10, they see the three best teams in the tough NFC North: Chicago, Detroit (in Munich) and Green Bay. After a Week 11 bye, they still have road games at the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs before a tough AFC title rematch with the Denver Broncos at home. New England is set up to slide back to at least wild-card status.

MORE: Ranking every 2026 NFL prime-time game

Winners: Detroit Lions

The Lions picked a good time to finish in fourth place in the NFC North at 9-8 after winning it for two consecutive seasons. Their reward is a favorable schedule that can help them rebound as a strong playoff team under Dan Campbell. Around a tough trip to Buffalo in Week 2, Detroit has nice home games vs. the Saints and Jets. Before a Week 6 bye, the Lions have easier road matchups at Carolina and Arizona.

Getting the entire NFC South, later including home vs. the Buccaneers and at the Falcons, is nice. Then you add the Vikings twice, Dolphins, Titans and Giants to that early mix. The  Lions can roar back to at least a wild card or dethrone the Bears.

Jordan Love

Losers: Green Bay Packers

The Bears (.550) have the most brutal strength of schedule but it's more concerning for the Packers (.538) to be tired for the third-toughest. After a false sense of security with at Vikings, at Jets, vs. Falcons, at Buccaneers in the first month, it ramps up to seeing the Bears at Lambeau Field in Week 5.

The Cowboys, Lions and Patriots are then all on the schedule before a Week 11 bye. Then get it's rough with at Rams, at Saints. vs. Bills, while at Bears, vs. Texans and vs. Lions loom to close at the season before a respite in Week 15 vs. Jeff Hafley's Dolphins.

MORE:What are the best QB matchups on the 2026 NFL schedule?

Winners: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals start nicely with the Buccaneers at home before getting to a manageable AFC South crossover slate with a game at Houston in Week 2. Beyond getting Cleveland twice in AFC North play, the Dolphins, Titans, Falcons and Saints are opponents after a Week 6 bye and a trip to Baltimore in Week 7. Carolina and Indianapolis are also winnable road games after Cincinnati hosts Kansas City in Week 14.

MORE:Early 2026 win total and NFL playoff predictions

Justin Herbert

David Butler II-Imagn

Losers: Los Angeles Chargers

Getting the Cardinals and Raiders at home sets up the Chargers to fall hard from 2-0. After those two games it's this: at Bills, at Seahawks, vs. Broncos and at Chiefs. After a Week 7 bye, then it's this: at Rams, vs. Texans, at Ravens. There also are late home dates vs. the Patriots and 49ers. No one sould be shocked if the Chargers burn out of the playoffs.

MORE:Full 2026 Los Angeles Chargers schedule

Winners: New Orleans Saints

The Saints had the second most favorable strength of schedule (.434), and it shows in their schedule as they try to break out as a surprise NFC playoff team. Facing the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens on the road early gets the hard part out of the way. From Week 3 to Week 6 it's vs. the Las Vegas Raiders, vs. the Atlanta Falcons, at the New York Giants, vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

After a Week 8 bye, the Saints then host the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers back-to-back. While finishing out the weak NFC South slate, New Orleans also gets a Week 16 home date vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

Losers: Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings get no division breaks early with vs. Packers and at Bears back-to-back to open the season. After an unfortunate early bye in Week 6, this is the gauntlet in Week 8 through Week 11: at Lions, vs. Bills, at Packers, vs. 49ers (in Mexico City). New England also is on the docket before the late rematches with Chicago and Detroit. The Lions can shoot up with their schedule while the Vikings are bound to go further down with Kevin O'Connell.

MORE:What are the 15 best games on the 2026 NFL schedule?