St. Louis Rams

The Rams drew the short straw this year. They have it bad enough being in the same division as the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. Those teams would be tough for any team to beat, and all three of those teams finished with 10 or more wins in 2013.

St. Louis has an easy slate to start the season, playing the Vikings and Cowboys at home and facing the Buccaneers on the road. Unfortunately, their bye week comes in Week 4, so they will get no rest for the remainder of the schedule, which consists of those previously mentioned six tough division games and also matchups against the explosive offenses of the Eagles, Changers, and Broncos.

The Rams have been on the upswing in the last few years, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But this schedule makes it hard just to hit .500. Fans may not want to invest too much hope in the Rams making the playoffs, as right now the team seems to only have a Hail Mary’s chance in doing so.

Seattle Seahawks

It should be no surprise that after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the powers that be who decide the schedule drew up a challenging list of teams for Seattle face in 2014. Although they are the top dog in the division, it still isn’t easy facing the 49ers and Cardinals twice a year.

On top of this, the Seahawks have many games lined up against above-average teams, including the Packers, Chargers, Broncos, Panthers, Chiefs, and Eagles. That game against the Eagles should prove particularly difficult, as it is an away game in December. The Seahawks will have to leave the mild Pacific Northwest and attempt to perform at a high level in the frigid confines of Philly. Good luck with that.

Minnesota Vikings

Mike Zimmer is due for a rude awakening for his first year as a Head Coach in the NFL. In the first few games of the season, the Vikings will have to defend against some of the league’s top quarterbacks, including Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees.

Because of their division, the Vikings are also set to play the Packers again and the Bears and Lions twice. In all of these games the Vikings will be favored to lose. Some of the middle-of-the-road teams the Vikings are set to face, particularly the Rams, Bills, and Jets, have deceptively strong defenses. Adrian Peterson has his work cut out for him.