(Note: We posted this article back in January but are resurfacing it to go along with our schedule release coverage)
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings and Steelers meeting in the 2015 Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 9 won't have a bearing on the regular season, but will the results of 2014?
John Breech, of CBSSports.com, has calculated the 2015 strength of schedule for all 32 NFL teams, based on the records that their upcoming opponents posted the season before.
Based on a 138-118 record (.539 winning percentage) in 2014 by the teams Minnesota will play in 2015, the Vikings have the 12th-toughest schedule awaiting them this fall.
The number crunching revealed that Pittsburgh has the toughest upcoming slate because of a 147-107-2 (.579 winning percentage) that its 2015 opponents had after all 256 games had been played.
Because of the commonality of opposing schedules, it's quite common to see divisional opponents near each other in the list.
The NFC North teams will play each other twice, each team from the NFC West and AFC West once and one team each from the NFC East and NFC South that corresponded with the divisional order of finish.
2014 records of teams' 2015 opponents:
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 147-107-2, .579
- Cincinnati Bengals: 144-112, .563
- San Francisco 143-112-1, .561
- Seattle Seahawks 142-112-2, .559
- Arizona Cardinals: 142-113-1, .557
- St. Louis Rams: 141-114-1, .553
- (tie) Oakland Raiders: 139-116-1, .545
(tie) Kansas City Chiefs: 139-116-1, .545
- Cleveland Browns: 138-116-2, .543
- Denver Broncos 138-117-1, .541
- Baltimore Ravens: 137-117-2, .539
12. Minnesota Vikings: 138-118, .539
- Chicago Bears: 136-120, .531
- Green Bay Packers: 135-120-1, .529
- Detroit Lions: 135-121, .527
- San Diego Chargers: 132-123-1, .518
- Miami Dolphins: 126-130, .492
- New York Jets: 125-131, .488
- Buffalo Bills: 124-131-1, .486
- (tie) Washington Redskins: 122-133-1, .478
(tie) New York Giants: 122-133-1, .478
- New England Patriots: 122-134, .477
- Philadelphia Eagles: 121-134-1, .475
- Dallas Cowboys: 119-136-1, .467
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 118-137-1, .463
- Tennessee Titans: 111-144-1, .435
- Carolina Panthers: 111-145, .434
- New Orleans Saints: 109-145-2, .429
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 108-146-2, .425
- Houston Texans: 106-148-2, .417
- Indianapolis Colts: 106-149-1, .417
- Atlanta Falcons: 104-150-2, .409
