The Bucs were pretty terrible last year – 2-14 – but quick turnarounds are always possible in today’s NFL. Rosters turn over quickly, and teams can benefit greatly from playing softer schedules. In the case of Tampa Bay, it projects to play the easiest schedule in the team.

If you add up the yards and touchdowns allowed by defenses in 2014, then blend those numbers into the 2015 schedule, and the Bucs will play a schedule that’s the most favorable in the league – for both rushing and passing.

Tampa Bay’s opponents allowed an average of 118 rushing yards per game last year, and they allowed a league-high 238 rushing touchdowns (that’s 16 teams playing in 16 games each). So it’s the No. 1 rushing schedule (at least on paper). The Rams, Bengals, Packers and Bears project to play the hardest schedules in terms of rushing.

2015 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (rushing)
TeamYardsTDPoints
Tampa Bay118.9317.4
Carolina117.9217.2
Houston119.8517.0
Atlanta117.8616.9
Washington114.8816.6
New Orleans113.8916.6
Tennessee116.8016.4
NY Jets116.7716.3
Dallas113.8016.1
Jacksonville114.7816.1
Indianapolis114.7816.1
Philadelphia111.8216.0
NY Giants110.8215.9
Buffalo114.7315.8
Baltimore114.7115.6
New England110.7615.5
Denver114.6715.4
Detroit113.6815.3
Miami110.7115.2
San Diego111.6815.2
San Francisco108.7115.0
Pittsburgh110.6715.0
Kansas City108.6914.9
Seattle108.6814.9
Oakland110.6314.8
Minnesota107.6814.8
Arizona106.6714.6
Cleveland106.6614.6
Green Bay105.6614.4
Chicago106.6314.4
Cincinnati108.6014.4
St. Louis105.6314.2

The Bucs also come out No. 1 in scheduling for passing. Their opponents allowed 264 passing yards per game last year, with a combined 412 passing touchdowns. That comes in just ahead of two other NFC South teams (New Orleans and Atlanta).

Nobody is suggesting that Tampa Bay’s quarterback (Jameis Winston, presumably) will be a top-15 fantasy quarterback right out of the box, but a softer schedule could help him put up serviceable numbers in at least some games. And an easy schedule makes it look more likely that Mike Evans might continue to build on a great rookie year.

Three AFC North teams project to face the toughest pass schedules. At the very bottom are the Steelers, which is circumstantial evidence that the Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown combo that torched secondaries last year could be due for a downturn.

2015 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (passing)
TeamYardsTDPoints
Tampa Bay2641.6136.0
New Orleans2641.6036.0
Atlanta2571.6935.8
NY Giants2581.6635.8
Carolina2611.6035.7
Washington2621.5735.6
Dallas2561.6435.5
Philadelphia2581.5935.3
Indianapolis2551.6335.3
Buffalo2531.6535.2
New England2511.6635.1
Miami2541.5934.9
Jacksonville2531.6034.8
Tennessee2531.5934.8
Detroit2481.6334.6
NY Jets2511.5834.5
Seattle2541.5134.5
Houston2511.5434.4
Minnesota2491.5734.3
San Diego2471.6134.3
St. Louis2491.5634.3
Kansas City2471.6034.2
Green Bay2461.5734.0
Oakland2441.6034.0
Cleveland2491.5234.0
Denver2451.5733.9
Arizona2481.5033.8
Chicago2431.5733.8
San Francisco2531.4133.7
Cincinnati2461.4933.5
Baltimore2441.4933.3
Pittsburgh2451.4333.1

Both charts here are based on the scoring system of 6 points for touchdowns on 1 point for every 10 yards.

—Ian Allan