A Claude Schefter weekly column

The Gauntlet · Week 10 · 2026

How hard is the rest of the season for every team? Opponent strength, week by week — updated every Wednesday.

The Run-In

Remaining-schedule difficulty, hardest first. Trend = rank change vs last week.

Remaining schedule difficulty, hardest first — Week 10
Rank	Team	Opp PPG	Difficulty (0–100)
1	Killers	148.4	63
2	SeaBirds	149.0	61
3	Yetis	146.0	59
4	XMen	145.5	59
5	Veterans	146.0	59
6	MudDogs	145.2	58
7	Geese	141.6	57
8	Goats	142.8	56
9	Hitmen	141.7	56
10	Razerbacks	142.1	56
11	Stonecutters	141.5	56
12	Saints	143.6	56
13	Dawgs	144.7	56
14	Islanders	142.9	56
15	Nordics	141.9	56
16	Jockeys	142.4	56
17	Mafia	141.2	55
18	Highlanders	141.0	55
19	Assassins	139.4	55
20	Badgers	142.5	55
21	SnakeEyes	143.1	55
22	Kraken	142.8	55
23	Apes	143.3	54
24	WhoopAss	140.4	54
25	Plague	139.0	54
26	SaltyDogs	140.9	54
27	Roughnecks	141.0	54
28	Rhinos	141.0	53
29	Devils	139.9	53
30	Nemesis	140.8	53
31	Hurricanes	141.0	53
32	Bandits	139.4	53
33	Cellmates	140.0	53
34	Rafters	140.1	53
35	Twisters	138.1	52
36	Fox	140.2	52
37	Demons	138.9	52
38	Vikings	137.3	52
39	Sioux	137.9	51
40	Bears	137.9	51
41	Troopers	138.1	51
42	Chupacabras	137.7	51
43	Nomads	139.0	51
44	Ducks	138.1	51
45	Barracudas	136.8	51
46	Bombers	138.6	51
47	Hoosiers	139.3	51
48	Moose	138.6	51
49	Freeze	137.9	50
50	Tigers	137.7	50
51	Banditos	139.1	50
52	Invaders	139.1	50
53	Roos	139.6	50
54	Rams	137.6	50
55	Scorpions	137.8	50
56	Lumberjacks	139.1	50
57	Dragons	136.5	49
58	Wolverines	138.3	49
59	Sandmen	137.4	49
60	Battalion	137.9	49
61	Maddogs	135.7	49
62	Terminators	136.5	49
63	Waves	135.9	48
64	Lions	135.9	48
65	Jackalopes	135.4	48
66	Tombstones	136.1	48
67	Monkeys	135.0	48
68	Hawks	136.2	48
69	Gladiators	136.1	48
70	Snappers	135.7	48
71	Tikis	137.1	48
72	Admirals	135.8	48
73	Spiders	138.1	48
74	Luchadors	135.7	48
75	Chickens	133.6	47
76	Hydras	132.8	47
77	Stingers	134.5	47
78	Vipers	133.5	47
79	BearCats	135.5	47
80	Phantoms	135.8	47
81	Wizards	134.9	47
82	Apache	136.3	47
83	KitKats	136.4	47
84	Eagles	132.4	46
85	Chargers	134.5	46
86	Mammoth	135.3	46
87	Bruisers	134.5	46
88	Magnums	132.4	45
89	Monsters	132.4	45
90	Lobstahs	133.8	45
91	Hippos	133.3	45
92	Celtics	130.2	44
93	Pirates	131.9	43
94	Crushers	131.7	42
95	Deadly	130.9	41
96	Kung Fu	132.4	41
97	Outlaws	129.2	41
98	RailRoaders	127.2	38
99	Beasts	127.7	38

What They've Been Through

Strength of schedule already played — and who your record is lying about.

Schedule victim

WhoopAss

2-16 against one of the league's tougher slates (past difficulty 57). Better than the record says.

Soft landing

Crushers

15-3 — but they've faced one of the softer schedules so far (past difficulty 44). Buckle up.

Soft landing

Chickens

15-3 — but they've faced one of the softer schedules so far (past difficulty 48). Buckle up.

Past schedule difficulty, hardest first — through Week 9
Rank	Team	Opp PPG	Difficulty (0–100)	Record
1	WhoopAss	143.1	57	2-16
2	Pirates	142.4	56	5-13
3	Lobstahs	142.9	56	4-14
4	Roughnecks	142.9	56	4-14
5	Sandmen	142.4	55	7-11
6	SaltyDogs	141.5	55	12-6
7	Geese	140.6	54	6-12
8	Killers	141.0	54	4-14
9	Hawks	141.7	54	8-10
10	Troopers	141.5	54	6-12
11	Luchadors	141.1	54	8-10
12	Lions	140.0	53	7-11
13	Twisters	140.6	53	9-9
14	Dragons	139.3	53	7-11
15	Jackalopes	140.6	53	6-12
16	Wolverines	140.6	53	11-7
17	RailRoaders	139.7	53	10-8
18	SeaBirds	140.7	53	5-13
19	Mammoth	141.4	53	4-14
20	Veterans	140.7	53	7-11
21	Ducks	140.0	53	4-14
22	Waves	138.9	52	8-10
23	MudDogs	139.6	52	9-9
24	Banditos	139.0	52	11-7
25	Yetis	138.3	52	12-6
26	Saints	139.3	52	7-11
27	Rams	139.5	52	10-8
28	Snappers	139.7	52	6-12
29	Barracudas	139.0	52	13-5
30	Maddogs	139.5	52	10-8
31	Bruisers	140.9	52	7-11
32	Terminators	139.0	52	7-11
33	Moose	140.0	52	8-10
34	Hippos	139.2	52	5-13
35	Rhinos	139.1	51	6-12
36	Eagles	137.9	51	7-11
37	Magnums	138.9	51	5-13
38	Razerbacks	138.0	51	14-4
39	Stonecutters	139.3	51	9-9
40	SnakeEyes	138.6	51	9-9
41	Dawgs	139.1	51	10-8
42	Celtics	138.0	51	9-9
43	Lumberjacks	137.8	51	9-9
44	Cellmates	138.2	51	13-5
45	Admirals	138.5	51	8-10
46	Freeze	137.7	50	10-8
47	Goats	137.9	50	12-6
48	Mafia	137.3	50	12-6
49	Highlanders	137.6	50	7-11
50	Apes	139.2	50	8-10
51	Sioux	138.0	50	7-11
52	Devils	137.7	50	9-9
53	Chargers	138.1	50	12-6
54	Plague	136.9	50	9-9
55	Monkeys	135.4	50	13-5
56	Hydras	136.9	50	8-10
57	Deadly	138.1	50	12-6
58	Vikings	137.0	50	4-14
59	Gladiators	137.9	50	11-7
60	Hurricanes	137.2	50	13-5
61	Tikis	138.4	50	7-11
62	Islanders	137.7	50	6-12
63	Beasts	136.8	50	8-10
64	Kraken	138.0	50	11-7
65	Wizards	137.3	50	10-8
66	Apache	137.9	50	10-8
67	Tigers	137.3	49	11-7
68	Invaders	136.0	49	10-8
69	Bears	138.7	49	4-14
70	Stingers	136.4	49	9-9
71	Kung Fu	136.2	49	8-10
72	Nemesis	136.8	49	13-5
73	Bandits	136.4	49	8-10
74	XMen	136.6	49	12-6
75	Chupacabras	137.9	49	3-15
76	Nomads	135.1	49	12-6
77	Nordics	135.8	49	6-12
78	BearCats	136.7	49	9-9
79	Hoosiers	136.7	49	15-3
80	Rafters	137.0	49	7-11
81	Chickens	136.2	48	15-3
82	Tombstones	135.5	48	14-4
83	Assassins	133.9	48	11-7
84	Demons	136.1	48	11-7
85	Roos	136.3	48	10-8
86	Monsters	135.6	48	14-4
87	Scorpions	134.7	48	9-9
88	Outlaws	137.4	48	14-4
89	KitKats	136.5	48	13-5
90	Hitmen	135.8	47	8-10
91	Vipers	135.1	47	3-15
92	Spiders	136.1	47	12-6
93	Bombers	134.6	47	12-6
94	Phantoms	133.8	47	11-7
95	Jockeys	135.5	47	12-6
96	Fox	133.4	46	10-8
97	Battalion	134.5	46	11-7
98	Crushers	134.6	44	15-3
99	Badgers	132.6	43	12-6

Week-by-Week Heat Map

Each cell = that week's opponent difficulty. Green is a breather; red is the buzz saw.

Opponent difficulty per franchise per remaining week
Team	Wk 15	Wk 16	Wk 17	Wk 18
Rhinos
Freeze
Goats
Waves
Lions
Chickens
Twisters
Mafia
Highlanders
Eagles
Dragons
Tigers
Jackalopes
Tombstones
Magnums
Apes
Sioux
Fox
Hitmen
Razerbacks
MudDogs
Wolverines
Stonecutters
Banditos
Geese
Sandmen
Assassins
WhoopAss
Invaders
Badgers
Devils
Bears
Yetis
Killers
Chargers
Plague
Saints
SnakeEyes
Monkeys
RailRoaders
Hydras
Dawgs
Deadly
Demons
Roos
Stingers
Vikings
SeaBirds
Rams
Hawks
Gladiators
Kung Fu
Snappers
Troopers
Mammoth
Nemesis
Hurricanes
Monsters
Bandits
SaltyDogs
Vipers
XMen
Veterans
Celtics
Chupacabras
Tikis
Scorpions
Lumberjacks
Cellmates
Admirals
Outlaws
Battalion
Nomads
Ducks
Barracudas
Islanders
Spiders
Luchadors
Pirates
Bombers
Nordics
Beasts
Kraken
Maddogs
Lobstahs
BearCats
Hoosiers
Bruisers
Terminators
Phantoms
Crushers
Wizards
Apache
Roughnecks
Moose
Hippos
KitKats	BYE	BYE	BYE	BYE
Rafters	BYE	BYE	BYE	BYE
Jockeys	BYE	BYE	BYE	BYE

Trap Weeks

League-average difficulty of each remaining week — where the league collectively hits a wall.