2011 NFL Schedule: Green Bay Packers and 4 Super Bowl Contenders with Rough Path

The Green Bay Packers proved Thursday night why they are one of the top teams in the NFL, but their schedule doesn't get much easier.

Fortunately for the Packers, they aren't the only Super Bowl contenders with a difficult schedule. NFL teams are getting much better as the years go on, which not only makes it harder to win but makes it more fun for fans to watch.

We want to see exciting thrillers like the NFL season opener on Thursday night, and we definitely will throughout this season.

Here are the top five Super Bowl contenders with the most difficult road ahead. Their ranking are not based on who is favored more, but rather who has the hardest path to reach the Super Bowl. 

1. San Diego Chargers 

The Chargers open the season against the Minnesota Vikings, which won't be as easy as most people think. Donovan McNabb has a lot to prove, and the Vikings will make the Chargers work hard for all four quarters.

The AFC West isn't the toughest in the NFL, but it's no cakewalk. The Chiefs will give the Chargers a run for their money, and remember that the Oakland Raiders swept San Diego in 2010.

Phillip Rivers will have his hands full trying to win on the road against the New England Patriots, New

York Jets, Chicago Bears and yes even the Detroit Lions will be a hard fought battle. Tough non division games at home for the Chargers are against the Green Bay Packers and the Baltimore Ravens.

A lot of folks are buying into the Chargers and picking them to reach the Super Bowl, but with the hardest schedule of all the favorites, the 2011 season will be very challenging for San Diego.  

2. New York Jets 

The Jets have to live up to Rex Ryan's guarantee, which just adds to the pressure of their difficult schedule. The division isn't the hardest in the NFL since New York won't have any trouble against the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, but facing the New England Patriots is not easy task. 

New York opens the season against the Dallas Cowboys, which will come down to the the wire. The Jets have to hit the road to play the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles, and also will have to host the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants.

They believe they can win it all, but with a daunting schedule ahead of them, winning the AFC East or the Wild Card won't be easy.

3. Green Bay Packers 

The defending Super Bowl champs are the top team in the league right now, but they aren't a runaway favorite. The Packers were impressive in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, but they needed a goal line stand to hang on for the win. 

The schedule only gets harder because they play in the hardest division in the entire league. Winning the NFC North is no easy task as the Bears, Vikings and Lions will put the Packers to the test this season. 

With an intimidating road schedule, the Packers will have rough time at the Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. The home schedule isn't much easier against the St. Louis Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their division rivals.

Aaron Rodgers will have to be on his A game every week because 2011 will feature a lot of challenges for the defending champs.

4. New England Patriots 

Facing Rex Ryan and the New York Jets twice a year is hard in itself, but Tom Brady and the Patriots must also face other big time AFC teams. Bill Belichick added solid players in the offseason, but this isn't a team that will cruise their schedule like in year's past. 

New England is the best team in the AFC, and if Brady has another MVP like season then they will go far. However, don't expect the Patriots to coast because they have to host the Chargers, Cowboys, Giants, Chiefs and Colts.

The away schedule doesn't look any better as the Patriots will travel to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and you can expect those to be late game thrillers.

The Patriots have the best quarterback in the NFL, which makes life easier, but the schedule doesn't look very pretty.

5. Philadelphia Eagles 

Labeled the "dream team", the Eagles have high expectations to live up to, and winning the NFC East again will be harder than a year ago because the Cowboys are back. 

Michael Vick is a paid man again, but he isn't going to have the same season he did a year ago. Their offensive line needs help, and they'll have a tough time on the road against the Rams and Falcons in the first two weeks of the season.

The Eagles away schedule isn't that bad, but they will host a bevy of talented teams. The Patriots, Bears, Cardinals, and Jets will all try to knock off the Eagles in Lincoln Financial Field. 

After a ton of offseason moves, a lot of hype was built up around the Eagles, and they will have a hard time living up to it.

These five teams aren't the top five favorites for the Super Bowl this year, but they are the five contenders with the hardest road to the biggest game of them all. 

All of these teams are extremely talented, which is why it will be very interesting to see how they handle such intense schedules.