The Heat Map.

A single SOS number hides where the pain lives. This is all 18 weeks, every game shaded by how strong that opponent is — so you can spot the death marches, the soft launches, and the sell-high windows at a glance.

ATS STATS Research Desk · 32 teams × 18 weeks

How to read it

Color = opponent strength

Each cell is shaded by that opponent’s power-rating tier — not the team’s. A red week means you’re staring down one of the league’s eight best. The counts on the right tally each tier across the full slate.

Brutal – Tough – Average – Soft – BYE

Team	W1	W2	W3	W4	W5	W6	W7	W8	W9	W10	W11	W12	W13	W14	W15	W16	W17	W18	BRU	TGH	AVG	SFT
CHI	@CAR	MIN	PHI	NYJ	@GB	@ATL	NE	@SEA	TB	BYE	NO	@DET	JAX	@MIA	@BUF	GB	DET	@MIN	5	5	5	2
NE	@SEA	PIT	@JAX	@BUF	LV	NYJ	@CHI	@MIA	GB	@DET	BYE	@LAC	BUF	MIN	@KC	@NYJ	DEN	MIA	6	4	4	3
CAR	CHI	@ATL	@CLE	DET	BYE	@PHI	TB	@GB	DEN	@NO	BAL	@TB	@MIN	NO	CIN	@PIT	SEA	ATL	5	5	6	1
ARI	@LAC	SEA	@SF	@NYG	DET	@LAR	DEN	@DAL	@SEA	LAR	@KC	WSH	PHI	BYE	NYJ	@NO	LV	SF	8	4	1	4
LAC	ARI	LV	@BUF	@SEA	DEN	@KC	BYE	@LAR	HOU	@BAL	NYJ	NE	@TB	@LV	SF	@MIA	KC	@DEN	8	3	2	4
LAR	SF	NYG	@DEN	@PHI	BUF	ARI	@LV	LAC	@WSH	@ARI	BYE	GB	KC	@SF	DAL	@SEA	@TB	SEA	6	6	0	5
MIA	@LV	@SF	KC	@MIN	CIN	BYE	@NYJ	NE	DET	@IND	@BUF	NYJ	@DEN	CHI	@GB	LAC	BUF	@NE	5	4	5	3
GB	@MIN	@NYJ	ATL	@TB	CHI	DAL	@DET	CAR	@NE	MIN	BYE	@LAR	@NO	BUF	MIA	@CHI	HOU	DET	4	5	6	2
BUF	@HOU	DET	LAC	NE	@LAR	@LV	BYE	BAL	@MIN	@NYJ	MIA	KC	@NE	@GB	CHI	@DEN	@MIA	NYJ	5	4	5	3
NYG	DAL	@LAR	TEN	ARI	@WSH	NO	@HOU	BYE	@PHI	WSH	JAX	@IND	SF	@SEA	CLE	@DET	@DAL	PHI	5	4	3	5
LV	MIA	@LAC	@NO	KC	@NE	BUF	LAR	@NYJ	@SF	SEA	@DEN	@CLE	BYE	LAC	DEN	TEN	@ARI	@KC	7	3	3	4
NYJ	@TEN	GB	@DET	@CHI	CLE	@NE	MIA	LV	@KC	BUF	@LAC	@MIA	BYE	DEN	@ARI	NE	MIN	@BUF	5	3	5	4
MIN	GB	@CHI	@TB	MIA	@NO	BYE	IND	@DET	BUF	@GB	@SF	ATL	CAR	@NE	DET	WSH	@NYJ	CHI	3	4	7	3
SF	@LAR	MIA	ARI	DEN	@SEA	WSH	@ATL	BYE	LV	@DAL	MIN	SEA	@NYG	LAR	@LAC	@KC	PHI	@ARI	7	3	2	5
DAL	@NYG	WSH	BAL	@HOU	TB	@GB	@PHI	ARI	@IND	SF	TEN	PHI	@SEA	BYE	@LAR	JAX	NYG	@WSH	5	4	2	6
ATL	@PIT	CAR	@GB	@NO	BAL	CHI	SF	@TB	CIN	KC	BYE	@MIN	DET	@CLE	@WSH	TB	NO	@CAR	3	6	4	4
TEN	NYJ	PHI	@NYG	@BAL	HOU	@IND	CLE	@CIN	BYE	JAX	@DAL	@JAX	WSH	@DET	IND	@LV	PIT	@HOU	3	4	5	5
WSH	@PHI	@DAL	SEA	IND	NYG	@SF	BYE	PHI	LAR	@NYG	CIN	@ARI	@TEN	HOU	ATL	@MIN	@JAX	DAL	4	5	4	4
KC	DEN	IND	@MIA	@LV	BYE	LAC	@SEA	@DEN	NYJ	@ATL	ARI	@BUF	@LAR	@CIN	NE	SF	@LAC	LV	5	3	5	4
IND	BAL	@KC	HOU	@WSH	@PIT	TEN	@MIN	@JAX	DAL	MIA	@HOU	NYG	BYE	@PHI	@TEN	CIN	@CLE	JAX	3	5	4	5
DEN	@KC	JAX	LAR	@SF	@LAC	SEA	@ARI	KC	@CAR	BYE	LV	@PIT	MIA	@NYJ	@LV	BUF	@NE	LAC	5	4	3	5
TB	@CIN	CLE	MIN	GB	@DAL	PIT	@CAR	ATL	@CHI	BYE	@DET	CAR	LAC	@BAL	NO	@ATL	LAR	@NO	3	5	6	3
HOU	BUF	CIN	@IND	DAL	@TEN	@JAX	NYG	BYE	@LAC	@CLE	IND	BAL	@PIT	@WSH	JAX	@PHI	@GB	TEN	3	4	5	5
PIT	ATL	@NE	CIN	@CLE	IND	@TB	@NO	CLE	BYE	@CIN	@PHI	DEN	HOU	@JAX	BAL	CAR	@TEN	@BAL	4	2	7	4
CIN	TB	@HOU	@PIT	JAX	@MIA	BYE	@BAL	TEN	@ATL	PIT	@WSH	NO	@CLE	KC	@CAR	@IND	BAL	CLE	3	4	5	5
SEA	NE	@ARI	@WSH	LAC	SF	@DEN	KC	CHI	ARI	@LV	BYE	@SF	DAL	NYG	@PHI	LAR	@CAR	@LAR	5	4	2	6
JAX	CLE	@DEN	NE	@CIN	PHI	HOU	BYE	IND	@BAL	@TEN	@NYG	TEN	@CHI	PIT	@HOU	@DAL	WSH	@IND	3	4	5	5
BAL	@IND	NO	@DAL	TEN	@ATL	@CLE	CIN	@BUF	JAX	LAC	@CAR	@HOU	BYE	TB	@PIT	CLE	@CIN	PIT	1	6	6	4
CLE	@JAX	@TB	CAR	PIT	@NYJ	BAL	@TEN	@PIT	@NO	HOU	BYE	LV	CIN	ATL	@NYG	@BAL	IND	@CIN	2	4	6	5
NO	@DET	@BAL	LV	ATL	MIN	@NYG	PIT	BYE	CLE	CAR	@CHI	@CIN	GB	@CAR	@TB	ARI	@ATL	TB	2	5	4	6
DET	NO	@BUF	NYJ	@CAR	@ARI	BYE	GB	MIN	@MIA	NE	TB	CHI	@ATL	TEN	@MIN	NYG	@CHI	@GB	1	5	6	5
PHI	WSH	@TEN	@CHI	LAR	@JAX	CAR	DAL	@WSH	NYG	BYE	PIT	@DAL	@ARI	IND	SEA	HOU	@SF	@NYG	2	5	3	7

Rows ordered toughest schedule (top) to softest (bottom). Scroll horizontally for the full season.

Betting the calendar

Reading the rows like a chart

Find the clusters. Three or four red cells in a row is a death march — a stretch where even a good team can spiral and a bad one gets buried. Those windows are where season-long narratives (and inflated lines) get made.

Hunt the soft launch. A run of blue early can flatter a mediocre team into a fast start and a pricey number — prime sell-high territory before the schedule turns. The reverse, a brutal open into a soft back half, is a buy-low setup.

Mind the bye. The grey cell matters: a rested team off a bye walking into a tired opponent is one of the oldest edges in the book. Cross-reference the grey against your opponent’s preceding red.

The Series

2026 NFL SOS · Three Parts

Part 1

The Index

All 32 teams ranked by 2026 schedule difficulty, plus the model.

Part 2

Winners & Losers

The five buried by the bracket and the five who caught a break.

Part 3

The Heat Map

Every team’s 18-week gauntlet, color-coded by opponent.

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