NFL Playoff Hopefuls with Most Favorable Second-Half Schedules | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Dozens of factors will affect NFL playoff races, but a healthy dose of schedule luck can provide a critical boost.

Looking at the Week 10 standings, seven postseason contenders hold a considerable edge in that department.

For example, the second half of the 2022 season may be awfully kind to the Baltimore Ravens, who have a single opponent with a winning record left on the docket. That kind of advantage could lead the Ravens to a first-round bye, not to mention the NFC North crown.

And, of course, the entire NFC South is full of favorable slates because none of those teams have winning records.

Each franchise included has no more than three remaining games against teams with a winning percentage of .500 or better.

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Winners of four straight, the 6-3 Seattle Seahawks must be loving their current position.

After this Sunday’s clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Germany, Seattle has an off weekend. When they return to action, the Seahawks wrap up the campaign with a handful of home dates in a seven-game stretch.

Best of all? That includes the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) and Carolina Panthers (2-6) soon after the Week 11 rest.

It’s imperative the Seahawks don’t have a letdown, though. The season-ending stretch of the San Francisco 49ers (4-4), Kansas City Chiefs (6-2), New York Jets (6-3) and Los Angeles Rams (3-6) is significantly tougher. San Francisco and New York have great defenses, Kansas City’s offense is excellent and the Rams are notoriously a thorn for Seattle.

Compared to most postseason hopefuls, it’s an easier slate. But the Seahawks have to hold off San Francisco, too.

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Hello, segue.

San Francisco is also preparing for a valuable home-heavy end to the regular season.

Not only are the 4-4 Niners looking at just three remaining trips, but the opponents are the Arizona Cardinals (3-6), Seahawks—a team San Francisco beat 27-7 earlier this season—and the Raiders.

Otherwise, the NFC West squad is home for clashes with the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3), New Orleans Saints (3-6), Miami Dolphins (6-3), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5), Washington Commanders (4-5) and Cardinals (3-6).

In short: the Niners’ toughest games left are in the Bay Area.

San Francisco needs to take advantage of this slight benefit. If the Niners clip the Seahawks again, there’s a decent possibility they’ll become the clear front-runner in the NFC West.

AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio

On Sunday, Tampa Bay was an improbable last-minute touchdown drive from a fifth loss in six games. If you’re not feeling optimistic, that is understandable.

Thankfully for the Bucs, they’re in a messy NFC South.

After meeting Seattle in Germany during Week 10 and resting in Week 11, Tampa alternates road and home games for the remainder of the season. Traveling to San Francisco will be tough, but none of the Cleveland Browns (3-5), Cardinals or Atlanta Falcons (4-5) are worrying trips.

Now, that’s not to say a flawed Tampa team will sweep the trio. Still, they’re not registering a big number on the panic meter.

If the Bucs can scrap to a 9-8 mark—especially if they knock off the Falcons again—it’ll probably be enough to win the division.

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

How about these Falcons? Despite some pretty glaring weaknesses, they keep hanging around.

Seriously, it’s incredible. Atlanta ranks 30th in passing yards per game and 31st in yards allowed per play. Only the Cardinals have surrendered more red-zone opportunities. The numbers look damning, yet the Falcons have clawed out a trio of close wins to reach 4-5.

And, quite literally, Baltimore is their lone remaining opponent with a .500 record or better.

The next four matchups—the Panthers, Chicago Bears (3-6), Commanders and Steelers—are an enormous opportunity for the Falcons. If Atlanta can win three of those contests, it would hit a long-awaited idle weekend with a 7-6 record before a still-not-terrible closing run against the Saints, Ravens, Cardinals and Bucs.

Sustainability is a question, but unquantifiable resilience has carried the Falcons so far. Why not ride the wave—and the schedule—to a division title?

AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann

As if the 6-2 Chiefs need any additional help, right?

Behind an offense averaging an NFL-best 30.4 points, Kansas City will likely be favored in all nine remaining games.

One drawback of the schedule is the Chiefs travel for games against the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (5-4). Kansas City is the lone featured team to have two road contests with above-.500 opponents.

That said, it’s fair to suggest the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6), Denver Broncos (3-5) (twice), Houston Texans (1-6-1) and Raiders (2-6) more than offset that negative.

Throw in playing the Rams and Seahawks at home, and the Chiefs have an obvious path to 12 or 13 wins.

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

The bad news is Lamar Jackson might be running out of pass-catchers. The good news is— for now—it might not matter.

This season, the AFC North’s crossover division is the NFC South, which, as we’ve covered here, is decidedly bad. Baltimore has already toppled Tampa and New Orleans on the road, and the Ravens still get to host Carolina and Atlanta.

Also coming to Baltimore are Denver and Pittsburgh, two of the worst offenses in the league.

If the 6-3 Ravens simply win at home against sub-.500 teams, they’re guaranteed 10 victories. And that’s before mentioning road games at the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) and Steelers.

Baltimore missing the playoffs would be downright shocking.