The NFL’s schedule release is more than just a list
It’s the game master letting you know how many giant boulders and spike-filled pits will be out there.
Before we get started, yes, it is ridiculous that the NFL turns the RELEASE of the SCHEDULE into some big hairy deal that you will watch on TV. In the universal perspective, nothing could be more banal than the release of a list that is already made and out there! However… The NFL schedule is in fact different, because compared to all other sports, the schedule matters VERY much.
An absurd amount! The schedule in the NFL is, to a very large extent, rigging the game. Yes, in baseball some teams have fewer long stretches without off days than others.
In basketball some teams have more back-to-backs than others. But the NFL? It’s BONKERS.
I’m not even sure it’s possible to quantify just how different a schedule the Cleveland Browns will play in 2026 compared to the Miami Dolphins. In 2025, the Browns went 5-12 and were outscored by 100 points while the Dolphins were 7-10 and were outscored by 77 points. They’re really not that different, yet this upcoming season, the poor Dolphins will face the second most difficult schedule in the league by opposing winning percentage last year (.