2012 NFL Schedule: Teams with the Easiest Schedules Next Season

While we're not likely to get the full NFL schedules for the 2012 season until Tuesday, teams already know who their opponents will be. All we don't know is how the NFL plans to organize those matchups into a full schedule.

Given the information we do know, however, we can make sound predictions on the schedules that should be the easiest and hardest. Here are the five teams that figure to have the easiest schedules next season:

Green Bay Packers (.469 winning percentage)

What does going 15-1 in the 2011 regular season get the Packers the following year? Just the league's second-easiest schedule based on win-loss record.

Green Bay faces just six playoff teams from a year ago, if you count the Detroit Lions twice; the others are the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans. The Chicago Bears will be better in 2012, but this isn't going to be an overly taxing schedule for the Packers next season. 

New England Patriots (.453)

A trip to the Super Bowl doesn't change much either for the Patriots, who boast the league's easiest overall schedule. 

The home schedule won't be a cakewalk, as the 49ers, Texans and Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos march into Foxborough next season. But on the road? New England has just a trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens as a difficult looking out of division game. 

If New England can take care of business in the division, this could be another 13- or 14-win season for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

Buffalo Bills (.473)

The AFC East, as a whole, gets a boost from playing the NFC West and AFC South, which were two of the weaker divisions in football last season. Even beyond that, however, the Bills have one of the game's easiest-looking slates. 

Outside of the two games against New England, Buffalo plays just two playoff teams from a season ago. There are also games against the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.

If there was ever a year for Buffalo to take a big step forward and crack the playoff field, it's 2012.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.484)

The Bucs broke out in 2010 with 10 wins in part because of a favorable schedule. They'll get another crack at a big improvement next season with a slate of games that looks manageable.

Tampa Bay hosts the Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers as big home games, and the road docket has trips to the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.

If the Bucs can stay competitive within their division, they'll have a chance at doubling their win total from 2011.

Houston Texans (.473)

A team that will come into the 2012 season as Super Bowl contenders will also face one of the game's softest schedules. 

Highlighted home games include trips from the Packers and Ravens, but the road schedule has the Patriots and Broncos. But in a division that should be one of the NFL's worst next season, Houston should cruise back into the playoffs as the AFC South champion. 

Splitting the big out-of-division games gives the Texans a real shot at 11-12 wins.