2011 NFL Schedule: Top 10 Roughest Slates in the League

The fun part of off-season signings is determining the teams that have improved and the franchises that have gotten worse. However, predicting where each team will finish this season in each division solely by this based on last season is not the best indicator.

Schedules can catapult teams to more wins or more losses. Comparing teams' schedules from the previous year to this season is a better way to see the future.

Statistics say that half of the teams that made the playoffs in 2010 won't return in 2011. Seeing how there are more different opponents than roster changes from year-to-year, the schedule plays a bigger role in the difference of wins. These rankings will not hold up at the end of the season, but here are the hardest schedules in 2011 going into the season and how it'll affect each team listed.

10. Cleveland Browns

Who they'll face: AFC North twice, AFC South, NFC West, Dolphins, Raiders

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .492

Forget about the outside divisions the Browns must play. For four games every year, the team has to play Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two teams that can be described as the most physical in the league.

Three of their road trips include going to Arizona, Oakland, and Houston. The Browns are physical, but that's what many of their opponents are as well.

If Cleveland fans expect a playoff push, here's something that will dim the optimism: in Cleveland's last five games, they face Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice and they make the trip to Arizona in between.

The difficulty for Cleveland rests on if one thinks the NFC West will be as terrible as it was last season. Don't expect it.

9. Denver Broncos

Who they'll face: AFC West twice, AFC East, NFC North, Titans, Bengals

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .520

Forgetting everything else, Denver is the least talented team in the AFC West thanks to Josh McDaniels. Facing the running attacks of Oakland and Kansas City twice a year will be difficult to say the least with what the Broncos call an interior defensive line. San Diego also calls the AFC West home.

Denver will literally lose sleep over their slate of games: they switch time zones in six games, with two being in the eastern time zone. Those two teams, Miami and Buffalo, can be beaten but it's a huge disadvantage.

Getting to the studs, the Broncos will play New England, Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota and the New York Jets. Broncos fans should expect about the same record as last season.

8. Miami Dolphins

Who they'll face: AFC East twice, NFC East, AFC West, Browns, Texans

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .516

The vaunted NFC East is what makes the Dolphins schedule tough. Chad Henne doesn't need to throw interceptions like he did last season because the defense can be a good unit when they don't have to bail him out.

If Miami does play well up to Week 14, their playoff chances will be over after that. Three of their last four games are against the Eagles, Jets, and Patriots.

7. New York Jets

Who they'll face: AFC East twice, NFC East, AFC West, Ravens, Jaguars

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .520

The Jets do play Miami and Buffalo for four total games, but the NFC East is on their schedule. The other good news is that New York only makes two cross-country trips to Oakland and Denver, two beatable teams by their standards. Their opposing teams' 2010 win percentage is .520, but New York could be able to manage.

It is a fair fight against New England for Gang Green though: Rex Ryan and company plays Jacksonville and Baltimore for their other two games while Belichick and Brady play Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. New England's only two West coast trips are against the same teams as New York's.

6. Kansas City Chiefs

Who they'll face: AFC West twice, AFC East, NFC North, Colts, Steelers

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .520

While many don't expect the Chiefs to win the AFC West again, the San Diego Chargers have the same opponents' win percentage of .520. Kansas City's schedule opens up with Buffalo and Detroit and ends the year against Oakland and Denver.

However, the Chiefs will face teams that made the playoffs last year in weeks 11-15 that include the Super Bowl Champions and Matt Cassel's former employer, the New England Patriots. Three of those games are away as well. Don't expect Kansas City to have the same amount of success with the ground game as last year. Charlie Weis leaving doesn't help Matt Cassel either.

5. Detroit Lions

Who they'll face: NFC North, AFC West, NFC South, Cowboys, 49ers

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .520

The AFC West and NFC South are on Detroit's plate for 2011. Every team in those divisions other than San Diego should have good ground games, and while the defensive line for the Lions can stop the run, the other two levels can't.

With that said, the schedule is spread out to where the Lions won't face the strongest teams in consecutive weeks. The Lions open up at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that will be angry about Detroit keeping them out of the playoffs last season. Matthew Stafford will have to stay upright for the team to fulfill somewhat high expectations for 2011.

4. Indianapolis Colts

Who they'll face: AFC South twice, NFC South, AFC North, Patriots, Chiefs

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .520

Even if Peyton Manning starts sixteen games, the Colts will have a difficult time. It can be expected that Indianapolis will get five wins out of the AFC South, but it's difficult outside of that.

Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New Orleans, New England and Atlanta are the heavyweights on the plate. Three or four losses may result because Indianapolis won't be able to match the physicality the majority of those games.

If Peyton really isn't as great in cold weather games, he won't have to fear too much. He has three road games in December with one being in Florida against Jacksonville. Picking the AFC South winner is a two-team prediction, and going against Peyton Manning isn't wise.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Who they'll face: AFC South twice, NFC South, AFC North, Jets, Chargers

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .520

Playing the Colts and Texans twice each takes its toll on the poor secondary for Jacksonville. Now throw in the NFC South and AFC North. The other two games that fill the schedule are against the New York Jets and San Diego Chargers. 

The only games Jacksonville will be favored in against those opponents will be the Browns, Panthers and Titans. The physical style the Jags have will keep them in games, but David Garrard won't win them against superior quarterbacks like Manning, Roethlisberger, Brees, Ryan, Flacco and Freeman. Maurice Jones-Drew's knee has to be good to go or else the Jaguars won't even win five games.

2. Buffalo Bills

Who they'll face: AFC East twice, NFC East, AFC West, Bengals, Titans

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .535

Don't blame Roger Goodell and friends for this one. The competition in the AFC East is what makes the 2011 schedule hard for the Bills, especially if Chad Henne plays better than expected.

The only noticeable cupcakes for Buffalo come against Cincinnati, Washington, Tennessee, and Denver. Those three teams plan on pounding the ball, which Buffalo was not good at stopping in 2010, ranking dead last against the run. Marcell Dareus will improve the run defense, but the linebackers is where the issue is, and losing middle linebacker Paul Posluszny won't help.

If Shawne Merriman can find his old form, the offensive line can improve, and Ryan Fitzpatrick can have a similar season as 2010, the Bills can finish ahead of the Dolphins.

1. Carolina Panthers

Who they'll face: NFC South twice, AFC South, NFC North, Redskins, Buccaneers

Opponents' 2010 Win Percentage: .555

Oh, how great it is to be in the NFC South! All three teams in the division won ten plus games last year.

The .555 win percentage last season for the opponents the Panthers will face in 2011 actually doesn't tell the story. Losers from last year that include Arizona, Detroit, Minnesota expect to be better this year.

Hopefully Panthers fans get Cam Newton rather than Jimmy Clausen to go through the tough grind that will be the 2011 season. Either way, the offensive line and running backs need to stay healthy to aid whichever quarterback is behind center.