10 NFL Teams with the Toughest Away Schedules

Being at home has its advantages. Home is familiar, it's comfortable, and in the National Football League, it can make for one heck of an advantage. Unfortunately, NFL teams only get to spend half of their regular season at home.

It's those eight road games that can truly test an NFL franchise. Playing on the road can be incredibly difficult, and a tough gauntlet of away games and can mean the difference between a competitive season and one that ends in a playoff run.

Of course, not all away schedules are created equal, and this season, some are downright brutal. Today, we're going to take a look at what we believe to be the 10 toughest away schedules for the 2016 season. Our choices are based on factors like quality of opponents, geographical distances and the timing of road trips.

Every team is going to spend time on the road this coming season. However, these 10 teams are in for an especially rocky ride, so wish them a little luck. They're going to need all the help they can get.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The Buccaneers open their season with two straight road games, including one against the rival Falcons.

Buccaneers 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	@Falcons
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	@Cardinals
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	Rams
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	Broncos
5	Monday, Oct. 10	@Panthers
6	BYE	—
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	@49ers
8	Sunday, Oct. 30	Raiders
9	Thursday, Nov. 3	Falcons
10	Sunday, Nov. 13	Bears
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	@Chiefs
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	Seahawks
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	@Chargers
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Saints
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	@Cowboys
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	@Saints
17	Sunday, Jan. 1	Panthers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a chance this season to build on the 6-10 campaign Jameis Winston and Co. delivered in 2015. However, the team faces an incredibly difficult overall schedule—for example, both the defending NFC and AFC champions are on the schedule before the team's Week 6 bye.

What makes the road schedule for Tampa so daunting is the fact that both the AFC West and the NFC West are on the slate this year. This means the Buccaneers will have to travel to the western end of the country a total of four times this season.

One of those cross-country trips comes in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. This matchup with a 2015 playoff team comes a week after Tampa's season opener, against the Falcons in Atlanta.

In addition to a number of lengthy trips west, the Buccaneers also have to deal with having an early Monday night game against the Carolina Panthers. Not only are the Panthers the defending NFC champions, but the team lost only once in the regular season last year, and Pro Football Focus rated the Panthers first overall as a team.

The Carolina game will mark the third road contest for the Buccaneers in the first five weeks of the season.

Coincidentally, the Buccaneers will also face three road games over the final five weeks of the season. The team will travel to San Diego to take on the Chargers at the beginning of December and then will face back-to-back road games against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints two weeks later.

The Buccaneers could be in for a rocky start and a rocky finish in 2016, thanks to the team's road schedule.

San Francisco 49ers

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San Francisco's first two road games involve the Panthers and the Seahawks.

49ers 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Monday, Sept. 12	Rams
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	@Panthers
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	@Seahawks
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	Cowboys
5	Thursday, Oct. 6	Cardinals
6	Sunday, Oct. 16	@Bills
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	Buccaneers
8	BYE	—
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	Saints
10	Sunday, Nov. 13	@Cardinals
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	Patriots
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	@Dolphins
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	@Bears
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Jets
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	@Falcons
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	@Rams
17	Sunday, Jan. 1	Seahawks

This offseason, the San Francisco 49ers experienced their second head-coaching change in as many years. The new man in charge is Chip Kelly, and it looks like he and the 49ers are in store for an eye-reddening road schedule in 2016.

Of course, it doesn't help that San Francisco's strength of schedule is the toughest in the league—at .555 based on 2015 winning percentages. It also doesn't help that the 49ers will be traveling to the Eastern time zone for half of their road contests.

The entire San Francisco road schedule starts out with a brutal two-game stretch in Weeks 2 and 3. First, the 49ers will make their way to Carolina to take on the defending NFC champion Panthers. Then, the team will have to travel back west to take on the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks on the road.

San Francisco will have to go east again in Week 6 to face the Buffalo Bills. Week 10 brings a road game against the Arizona Cardinals, while Week 12 brings—you guessed it—another trip east.

In Week 12, the 49ers will face off against the Miami Dolphins. The following week, San Francisco then moves to Chicago to confront the Bears. If this wasn't enough, the 49ers will be back east in Week 15 to take on the Atlanta Falcons.

Week 16 brings a road game against the Los Angeles Rams. Though the 49ers will finish their season at home, an absolutely ruthless road schedule is likely to make the finale relatively meaningless.

Indianapolis Colts

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The Texans will be just one of three road opponents for Indianapolis in October.

Colts 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	Lions
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	@Broncos
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	Chargers
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	@Jaguars (UK)
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	Bears
6	Sunday, Oct. 16	@Texans
7	Sunday, Oct 23	@Titans
8	Sunday, Oct. 30	Chiefs
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	@Packers
10	BYE	—
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	Titans
12	Thursday, Nov. 24	Steelers
13	Monday, Dec. 5	@Jets
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Texans
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	@Vikings
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	@Raiders
17	Sunday Jan. 1	Jaguars

At first glance, it might not seem like the Indianapolis Colts have one of the tougher road schedules in the league this season. However, a closer look reveals a number of interesting challenges.

For starters, Indianapolis' road opener comes in Week 2 against the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Denver is always a tough place for a visiting team to enter, and the home crowd could be especially energized if the Broncos fall in their opener to the Carolina Panthers.

The Colts' next road game comes against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Not only will this game be played across the pond, but it will be the first of three divisional road games for Indianapolis in the month of October.

Oh, and the Colts won't even get a bye week following their trip abroad. This makes Indianapolis the first NFL team to not receive a bye the week after a London trip, though this seems to be by design. According to NFL Media's Kevin Patra, the Colts specifically requested to have their bye later in the season. 

The problem here is that the lengthy trip overseas and a lack of bye could significantly impact Indianapolis' next two road games, both coming against AFC South rivals.

Right before the Colts do get their bye, they'll face a tough trip to Lambeau to take on the Green Bay Packers. A few weeks later, Indianapolis will battle the Jets in New York on a potentially cold Monday night.

Two of Indianapolis' final three games also come on the road. The Colts will face the Vikings in Minnesota in Week 15, then a week later will travel to face the Oakland Raiders. This final road stretch could make it difficult for the Colts to finish their 2016 season strong.

Miami Dolphins

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The Dolphins draw road games against the Seahawks and Patriots to open the 2016 season.

Dolphins 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	@Seahawks
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	@Patriots
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	Browns
4	Thursday, Sept. 29	@Bengals
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	Titans
6	Sunday, Oct. 16	Steelers
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	Bills
8	BYE	—
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	Jets
10	Sunday, Nov. 13	@Chargers
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	@Rams
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	49ers
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	@Ravens
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Cardinals
15	Saturday, Dec. 17	@Jets
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	@Bills
17	Sunday, Dec. 1	Patriots

The Miami Dolphins are going to have a new feel and a new direction under new head coach Adam Gase. Unfortunately, the new-look Dolphins are also pulling one of the most brutal openings to a season in recent memory.

Miami will kick off its season on the West Coast against the Seattle Seahawks. As if that weren't bad enough, the Dolphins then have to travel back east for a road game against the New England Patriots.

In Week 4, the Dolphins get to take on the Bengals in Cincinnati on a short week. Ouch.

For the 2015 season, Pro Football Focus rated the Patriots and Seahawks No. 2 and No. 4 overall, respectively. The Bengals were rated sixth overall. If these three teams are close to what they were last season, the Dolphins are going to have a difficult time avoiding a 1-3 start.

The back half of Miami's schedule is equally imposing in terms of road obstacles. The Dolphins face back-to-back road games in Weeks 10 and 11, against the San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, respectively. Consecutive road games pop up again in Weeks 15 and 16. These two are AFC East rivalry games involving the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

The Dolphins also have a trip to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in Week 13.

Miami does get to finish its season at home against the Patriots, but a particularly unforgiving road schedule could leave little at stake for the Dolphins in their finale.

New York Giants

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The Giants have never won a season opener in Dallas.

Giants 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	@Cowboys
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	Saints
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	Redskins
4	Monday, Oct. 3	@Vikings
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	@Packers
6	Sunday, Oct 16	Ravens
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	@Rams (UK)
8	BYE	—
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	Eagles
10	Sunday, Nov. 14	Bengals
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	Bears
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	@Browns
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	@Steelers
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Cowboys
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	Lions
16	Thursday, Dec 22	@Eagles
17	Sunday, Jan 1	@Redskins

The New York Giants had a disappointing 6-10 season a year ago, a year that ended with head coach Tom Coughlin and the team parting ways. The Giants will have a prime opportunity to turn things around this season under new head coach Ben McAdoo, but they will need to navigate a daunting road schedule in order to pull it off. 

New York opens the season with a tough road game against the Dallas Cowboys, which could provide a chance for redemption.

“It’s a great opportunity opening the season at Dallas,” McAdoo recently said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “All of us in the building are looking forward to it.”

Unfortunately, the Giants are 0-8 when opening their season in Dallas.

New York then kicks off October with back-to-back road games against 2015 playoff teams. They will play in front of a national audience in Week 4 against the Vikings in Minnesota, and a week later, they travel to face the Green Bay Packers, again in prime time.

Another back-to-back road trip comes in Weeks 12 and 13 against the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively. The Browns may look like an easy out, but the unpredictable winter weather in Cleveland could provide a real challenge. Facing the Steelers on the road definitely will.

The Giants also finish their season with a third multigame road trip, this one against NFC East rivals. The team will face the Philadelphia Eagles on a short week in Week 16 and then will end the year against the Redskins in Washington.

Oh, and did we mention the Giants' Week 7 matchup comes against the Los Angeles Rams in London? That's going to be a rough one, though the Giants will fortunately spend the following week on bye.

Buffalo Bills

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The Bils get to finish a brutal schedule on the road against the Jets.

Bills 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	@Ravens
2	Thursday, Sept. 15	Jets
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	Cardinals
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	@Patriots
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	@Rams
6	Sunday, Oct 16	49ers
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	@Dolphins
8	Sunday, Oct 30	Patriots
9	Monday, Nov. 7	@Seahawks
10	BYE	—
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	@Bengals
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	Jaguars
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	@Raiders
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Steelers
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	Browns
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	Dolphins
17	Sunday, Jan. 1	@Jets

The Buffalo Bills are looking at a demanding 2016 road schedule for a couple of reasons. The first is that their AFC East foes are a talented bunch that posted a combined 28-20 record in 2015. The second is that the Bills draw opponents from the AFC North and NFC West this season. These two divisions sent a total of four teams to the postseason a year ago.

Buffalo kicks its season off with a road game against the Baltimore Ravens. A few weeks later, it's time for a road game against the hated New England Patriots. Right after the Patriots game, the Bills have to travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. Two weeks after that, its a road game against the Miami Dolphins.

Week 9 brings another trip to the West Coast to battle the Seattle Seahawks.

In all, the Bills will play five of their first nine games on the road. Two of those games are against 2015 playoff teams, two are on the West Coast and two are against divisional opponents. It could be a bumpy ride into the Week 10 bye for the Bills.

Buffalo faces another touch road game against the Cincinnati Bengals directly after the bye. Two weeks after facing Cincinnati, the Bills will be back on the West Coast to face the Oakland Raiders.

The Bills will finish their regular season on the road against the New York Jets.

If the Bills can survive a vicious early road schedule and some tough traveling assignments, then perhaps that finale will be meaningful. Of course, doing so will be easier in theory than in practice.

Cincinnati Bengals

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The Bengals are looking at back-to-back road games to open the 2016 season.

Bengals 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	@Jets
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	@Steelers
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	Broncos
4	Thursday, Sep. 29	Dolphins
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	@Cowboys
6	Sunday, Oct 16	@Patriots
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	Browns
8	Sunday, Oct. 30	Redskins (UK)
9	BYE	—
10	Monday, Nov. 14	@Giants
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	Bills
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	@Ravens
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	Eagles
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	@Browns
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	Steelers
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	@Texans
17	Sunday, Jan. 1	Ravens

The Cincinnati Bengals will have a chance to make the postseason for the sixth consecutive year—and possibly even pick up a playoff win—in 2016. However, a rough road schedule is going to make the path to the postseason difficult.

The Bengals open the season with back-to-back road games, the second one coming against their hated AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. In early October, Cincinnati then faces another two-game road stretch. This one involves the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots.

That Patriots contest is likely to be a tough one and could have a heavy impact on the AFC playoff race later in the year.

Though the Bengals won't face back-to-back road games again after their Week 9 bye, the team isn't going to have consecutive home games either. Cincinnati will face the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on the road during the second half of the season.

Week 16 will bring a Christmas Eve matchup against the Texans in Houston.

Oh, and it isn't going to help that the Bengals surrendered a home game in order to play the Washington Redskins in London in Week 8.

“We’re excited to take our team to London and take on the Washington Redskins," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said last season, per the team's official website. "We’re proud to show off the NFL game."

The Bengals may be excited and proud to be playing in London this season, but the game abroad isn't likely to help the team have an easier time reaching the postseason. Losing a home game is never a blessing, especially for a team battling in the savage AFC North.

Cleveland Browns

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The Browns' daunting 2016 schedule will come to an end in Pittsburgh.

Browns 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	@Eagles
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	Ravens
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	@Dolphins
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	@Redskins
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	Patriots
6	Sunday Oct. 16	@Titans
7	Sunday, Oct. 23	@Bengals
8	Sunday, Oct. 30	Jets
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	Cowboys
10	Thursday, Nov. 10	@Ravens
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	Steelers
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	Giants
13	BYE	—
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Bengals
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	@Bills
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	Chargers
17	Sunday, Jan. 1	@Steelers

The Cleveland Browns are about to embark on the eighth restart since the franchise returned to the league as an expansion team in 1999. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear the schedule-makers were itching to allow this reset to get off to an easy start.

Cleveland faces a stiff early schedule, especially on the road. The team opens in Philadelphia against the Eagles and will play five of its first seven games on the road. The Browns will have back-to-back road games against the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively. The Week 3 game could draw extra motivation from Washington if Robert Griffin III is under center for Cleveland.

Weeks 6 and 7 bring consecutive road games involving the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals.

It is important for the psyche of rebuilding teams like the Browns to find some early success. Having two multigame road trips in the first half of the season is rough, especially when one of those games comes against the in-state Bengals.

Cincinnati is just one of three AFC North rivals the Browns have had a notoriously difficult time defeating on the road. Cleveland's second divisional contest comes in Week 10, on a short week against the Baltimore Ravens.

Week 15 has the Browns traveling east to take on the Buffalo Bills in a potentially frigid environment. Cleveland's regular-season finale will come against the hated rival Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Even if the Browns can somehow manage to survive a barbaric opening road schedule, the Steelers are likely to ensure their year ends on a sour note.

New Orleans Saints

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The Saints will lay three of their final four games on the road and will finish the season in Atlanta.

Saints 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Sunday, Sept. 11	Raiders
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	@Giants
3	Monday, Sept. 26	Falcons
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	@Chargers
5	BYE	—
6	Sunday, Oct. 6	Panthers
7	Sunday, Oct. 13	@Chiefs
8	Sunday, Oct. 30	Seahawks
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	@49ers
10	Sunday, Nov. 13	Broncos
11	Thursday, Nov. 17	@Panthers
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	Rams
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	Lions
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	@Buccaneers
15	Sunday, Dec. 18	@Cardinals
16	Saturday, Dec. 24	Buccaneers
17	Sunday, Jan 1	@Falcons

The New Orleans Saints stumbled to a 7-9 record in 2015 and will be looking to rebound in 2016. The team should benefit from a favorable opening schedule, but a number of tough road scenarios could burn the Saints down the stretch.

New Orleans faces two challenging road games in the first month of the season, against the New York Giants and the San Diego Chargers. The San Diego game marks the first of two trips to California for the Saints. The team also travels to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in Week 9.

Two weeks after the 49ers game, the Saints face one of the most imposing challenges any team will face this coming season. New Orleans is going to come off a home game against the defensing Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and, on four days rest, travel to Carolina to take on the defending NFC champion Panthers.

Yes, the Broncos are coming to New Orleans for the Week 10 matchup, but it's hard to ignore the potential impact that game could have on the following road contest. Pro Football Focus rated the Panthers and Broncos No. 1 and No. 3 overall, respectively, among teams for the 2015 season.

The Saints also have a bumpy final stretch to the season to deal with. The team will play three of its final four games on the road, starting with a trip to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14.

Week 15 will bring a battle with the Cardinals in Arizona, and the Saints will finish their year with a road game against the Atlanta Falcons. Any momentum the Saints manage to gain this year could be difficult to hold onto over the final few weeks.

Los Angeles Rams

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The Rams will "host" the Giants in London this season.

Rams 2016 Schedule

Week	Day/Date	Opponent
1	Monday Sept. 12	@49ers
2	Sunday, Sept. 18	Seahawks
3	Sunday, Sept. 25	@Buccaneers
4	Sunday, Oct. 2	@Cardinals
5	Sunday, Oct. 9	Bills
6	Sunday, Oct. 16	@Lions
7	Sunday, Oct 23	Giants (UK)
8	BYE	—
9	Sunday, Nov. 6	Panthers
10	Sunday. Nov. 13	@Jets
11	Sunday, Nov. 20	Dolphins
12	Sunday, Nov. 27	@Saints
13	Sunday, Dec. 4	@Patriots
14	Sunday, Dec. 11	Falcons
15	Thursday, Dec. 15	@Seahawks
16	Sunday, Dec. 24	49ers
17	Sunday, Jan. 1	Cardinals

The Rams' first year back in Los Angeles could prove to be a tricky one, thanks to a tough road schedule that does the team few favors.

L.A. has a tough early schedule, playing three of its first four games on the road  The Rams open against the rival San Francisco 49ers and then travel all the way east to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. The Rams then have to travel back out west to take on the Cardinals in Arizona in Week 4.

In Week 6, the Rams must travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. A week later, the team has to travel to London for a game against the New York Giants.

Technically, the London game counts as a home contest for the Rams. This means the team essentially has nine road games this season—great news for British fans, not so great for the Rams.

Unfortunately, a tough opening slate and a home game played on foreign soil aren't the only road obstacles in L.A.'s path. The team's November/December schedule could be enough to derail a promising campaign.

The Rams have to travel east to battle the Jets in New York in Week 10. Two weeks after that, it's a trip to New Orleans to take on the Saints. A week later, L.A. is traveling back east to face the New England Patriots at Foxboro, a notoriously tough assignment. Week 15 brings an always-daunting road game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The good news for L.A. is that the team's final two games are at home. Thanks to a brutal road schedule, though, those two home games might not carry the kind of weight the Rams are hoping for late in the season.