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Bye weeks are an essential component of the NFL season as they give teams a much-needed break during the grueling, 16-game season. Although bye weeks are not the most interesting part of the season, they do have a sizable impact on the league and associated industries like fantasy football.
Fantasy football owners pay special attention to bye weeks as it helps them analyze fantasy draft boards and make smart selections on draft day.
This article is a comprehensive guide to the 2019 NFL bye week schedule. I provide a statistical analysis of team performance following their bye weeks for the last five seasons (2014 through 2018), detailing this in a shareable infographic for every team in the league.
2019 NFL Bye Weeks
Week | Teams |
|---|---|
4 | |
5 | |
6 | |
7 | |
8 | |
9 | |
10 | |
11 | |
12 |
League Bye Week Schedules and Shareable Graphics
I created several bye week graphics to represent the 2019 bye week schedule in various formats:
- Full Season Bye Weeks: Provides a bird's eye view of the bye weeks over the entire NFL season.
- Bye Schedule by Week: For those tracking byes on an NFL schedule.
- Bye Weeks by Division: Easily see when each team (and their division opponents) gets their break.
Full Season Bye Weeks
This graphic a high-level view of how the NFL assigned 2019 bye weeks to teams from week 4 through week 12. Just like in 2018, the NFL has scheduled bye weeks between week 4 and week 12.
2019 Bye Week Schedules By Week
This graphic illustrates team by weeks in a table-based format.
2019 Bye Weeks by Division
For those who are more interested in bye weeks for intra-division or intra-conference play, this is the image for you. In this graphic, I grouped bye weeks by conference and ultimately division.
For some historical perspective, the graphic also shows each team's 2018 (as a smaller, faded number next to the 2019 bye week). Only five teams have the same bye week as they did in 2018: Pittsburgh, Houston, Denver, Dallas, and Seattle.
2019 Bye Weeks by Division and Team
These graphics provide historical context by detailing how each of the thirty-two NFL teams has performed on the game following their bye week over the last five seasons. I grouped these team graphics according to division.
For each of the past five years, you can see who each team played after their bye week, whether they won or lost the game, and the final score. In the sections that follow, I'll aggregate this data to reveal some interesting trends.
Ravens' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens' bye week is during week 8 of the regular season. They'll face the NE Patriots after their bye week,
The Ravens have been one of the better teams in the league following a bye week, winning their last three in a row. Their only loss in the previous five years was a close game against Jacksonville in 2015.
Bengals' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Bengals' bye week is during week 9 of the regular season. In week 10, they'll face the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals have been one of the worst teams following a bye week. They have only a single win against the Steelers in 2016 while sustaining four losses, including two blowouts against the Saints and Patriots.
Browns' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Browns' bye week is during week 7 of the regular season. In week 8, they'll face the New England Patriots.
Surprisingly, the Browns have been in the middle of the pack in post-bye week performance. Although neither of their wins was exceedingly impressive, it shows that playing after a bye week has its advantages.
Steelers' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Steelers' bye week is during week 7 of the regular season. In week 8, they'll face the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers have two wins in the last two years following a bye week. But in the previous three years, they lost games against some tougher competition including the Ravens, Seahawks, and Saints.
Bills' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Bills' bye week is during week 6 of the regular season. In week 8, they'll face the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo has been on a four-game winning streak since 2015 following their byes, reeling off wins against the Jags, Bucs, Bengals, and Dolphins. Their sole loss was against the Chiefs in 2014.
Dolphins' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Dolphins' bye week is during Week 5 of the regular season. In week 6, they'll face the Washington Redskins.
The Dolphins have been on a roller-coaster ride in their post bye week performances over the last five years. They're 3-2 during this period, although most of their games have been close.
Patriots' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Patriots' bye week is during week 10 of the regular season. In week 8, they'll face the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not surprisingly, the Patriots have been one of the better teams in the league following bye weeks. When you win most of your games, it only makes sense. Their sole loss was versus the Seahawks in 2016.
Jets' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Jets' bye week is during week 4 of the regular season. In Week 5, they'll face the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jets have lost their last three games after a bye week, falling to the Jets, Panthers, and Patriots. They had a convincing win against the Redskins in 2015, their only win over the last five years.
Texans' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Texans' bye week is during week 10 of the regular season. In week 11, they'll face the Baltimore Ravens.
The Texans have won four of their last five games after a bye week. Their only loss was a close game against a 2015 Bengals team that finished the season 12-4.
Colts' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Colts' bye week is during week 6 of the regular season. In week 7, they'll face the Houston Texans.
The Colts have been average in their games following a bye, going 3-2 over the last five years. Most of these were decided by a touchdown or less, except a 2014 blowout loss against the New England Patriots.
Jaguars' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Jaguars' bye week is during week 10 of the regular season. In week 11, they'll face the Indianapolis Colts.
The Jaguars have been hit and miss over the last five years in their post bye week performances. In 2019, they'll play the Colts for the third time in six years following their bye week.
Titans' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Titans' bye week is during week 11 of the regular season. In week 12, they'll face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Titans have won their last three games following a bye week, reeling off wins against the Cowboys, Ravens, and Broncos. These games followed two consecutive post bye week losses in 2014 and 2015.
Broncos' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Broncos' bye week is during week 10 of the regular season. In week 11, they'll face the Minnesota Vikings.
The Broncos have an above-average record in games after bye weeks over the last five years. They have two convincing wins against the Packers and Cardinals go to with a close win against the Chargers.
Chiefs' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Chiefs' bye week is during week 12 of the regular season. In week 13, they'll face the Oakland Raiders.
The Chiefs only post bye week loss over the last five years was a three-point loss against the Giants in 2017. In 2019, they'll play the Raiders after their bye week for the third time in four years.
Raiders' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Raiders' bye week is during week 6 of the regular season. In week 7, they'll face the Green Bay Packers.
The Raiders endured two convincing post bye week losses against the Colts and Patriots in recent years. But in the three preceding years, they won games against the Texans and the Chargers (twice).
Chargers' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Chargers' bye week is during week 12 of the regular season. In week 13, they'll face the Denver Broncos.
The Chargers have rotated between wins and losses over the last five years. During this time they've gone 3-2, with the only one-sided game being a 3-33 loss to the Chiefs in 2015.
Bears' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Bears' bye week is during week 6 of the regular season. In week 7, they'll face the New Orleans Saints.
The Bears are one the only two teams that haven't won a game following a bye week over the last five years. When the Saints come marching in this year, things won't get any easier.
Lions' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Lions' bye week is during Week 5 of the regular season. In week 6, they'll face the Green Bay Packers.
The Lions are 4-1 since 2014 following their bye weeks. Their only loss over the last five years came against a 2017 Steelers team that only lost three games.
Packers' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Packers' bye week is during week 11 of the regular season. In week 12, they'll face the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers have played poorly following their bye weeks over the last four years, recording only one win against the Giants in 2016. Although, they do have a convincing post bye week win against the Bears in 2014.
Vikings' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Vikings' bye week is during week 12 of the regular season. In week 3, they'll face the Seattle Seahawks.
The Vikings have rotated between wins and losses following their byes since 2014. This included two losses against the Bears, and wins against the Redskins, Eagles, and Chiefs.
Cowboys' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Cowboys' bye week is during week 8 of the regular season. In week 9, they'll face the New York Giants.
The Cowboys are 3-2 in their post bye week performances since 2014. In 2019, they'll play the Giants after their week 8 bye week, the third time they'll play them post-bye in six years.
Giants' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Giants' bye week is during week 11 of the regular season. In week 12, they'll face the Chicago Bears.
The Giants have been middle of the road in their post bye week performances since 2014, compiling a 2-3 record. Both of their wins came in close games, with two of the losses being blowouts.
Eagles' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Eagles' bye week is during week 10 of the regular season. In week 11, they'll face the New England Patriots.
The Eagles have gone 2-3 over the last five years following their bye weeks. This includes playing the Cowboys in three of those five games. In 2019, they'll have their hands full playing the Pats in week 11.
Redskins' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Redskins' bye week is during week 10 of the regular season. In week 11, they'll face the New York Jets.
The Redskins haven't been great following by weeks since 2014. They've gone 2-3, with each of their losses being by at least 17 points. They did manage to tally two wins against the 49ers and Vikings.
Falcons' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Falcons' bye week is during week 9 of the regular season. In week 10, they'll face the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons have rotated wins and losses following their bye weeks since 2014. Almost all of their bye weeks have been on Week 8 or after, except for 2017 when they lost to Miami after a Week 5 bye week.
Panthers' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Panthers' bye week is during week 7 of the regular season. In week 8, they'll face the San Francisco 49ers.
The Panthers have been on a roll over the last four years, winning all of their games following a bye week. In these games, they averaged 31.25 points and beat the Giants, Jets, Cardinals, and Seahawks.
Saints' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Saints' bye week is during week 9 of the regular season. In week 10, they'll face the Atlanta Falcons.
The Saints have been victorious following their bye week over the last few years, winning their three more recent games. In the two games before that, they lost to the Texans and Lions.
Buccaneers' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Buccaneers' bye week is during week 7 of the regular season. In week 8, they'll face the Tennessee Titans.
The Bucs have been middle of the road in recent years following their bye weeks, tallying a 2-3 record. Since 2014, all of their bye weeks have been early in the season, on or before week 7.
Cardinals' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Cardinals' bye week is during week 12 of the regular season. In week 13, they'll face the Los Angeles Rams.
The Cardinals have won three of their last four games following a bye week, with their only loss coming last year against the Chiefs. In 2019, they'll play the Rams after their week 12 bye week.
Rams' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Rams' bye week is during week 9 of the regular season. In week 10, they'll face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Rams have compiled several one-side victories following their bye weeks since 2015. This included convincing wins against the Lions, Giants, and Browns.
49ers' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the 49ers' bye week is during week 4 of the regular season. In Week 5, they'll face the Cleveland Browns.
The 49ers haven't compiled a single win after a bye week since 2014. With the hype surrounding the Browns this year, it looks like they may extend this streak to 0-6.
Seahawks' Bye Weeks
In 2019, the Seahawks' bye week is during week 11 of the regular season. In week 12, they'll face the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Seahawks have been one of the better teams in the league after their bye week. They've compiled four wins since 2014, with the only loss coming against the Cardinals in 2015.
Bye Week History & Statistics
NFL handicappers pay special attention to NFL bye weeks to identify bye week trends. Instinct tells us that teams returning from a bye week should have a better winning percentage than their opponents, primarily because they've had a week to rest while their opponents likely have not.
But is it true?
Let's analyze league-wide, and teams-specific statistics related to games played following a team's bye-week. To maintain some level of recency, stats only consider games played in the last five years.
Winning Percentage of Team Returning from Bye Week
Over the last five years, from 2014 through the 2018 season, teams returning from a bye week have a collective record of 84-76. That's 84 wins and 74 losses for a winning percentage of 54.5%.
This trend of teams returning from a bye week having a winning percentage slightly higher than .500 has remained consistent for several years. It supports the belief that teams with fresh legs have a small advantage over teams that didn't have the last week off.
Team-Specific Performance Following a Bye Week
It stands to reason that some teams perform better than others when returning from a bye. The following table lists each NFL team's record for games played after their bye week over the last five years.
2018 is the first time in several years that no team has a perfect 5-0 record returning from a bye.
Best Teams After a Bye Week
- Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
- Detroit Lions (4-1)
- Seattle Seahawks (4-1)
- Buffalo Bills (4-1)
- New England Patriots (4-1)
- Houston Texas (4-1)
- Carolina Panthers (4-1)
- Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
- Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
- San Diego Chargers (3-2)
- Miami Dolphins (3-2)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
- Tennessee Titans (3-2)
- Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
- New Orleans Saints (3-2)
- Denver Broncos (3-2)
Worst Teams After a Bye Week
- Cleveland Browns (2-3)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
- Green Bay Packers (2-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (2-3)
- New York Giants (2-3)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
- Washington Redskins (2-3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
- Oakland Raiders (2-3)
- Cincinnati Bengals (1-4)
- New York Jets (1-4)
- Chicago Bears (0-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (0-5)
The Best Weeks to Play Following a Bye Week
While it is true that some teams play better following a bye, it is also true that teams as a whole perform better on certain weeks following a bye. The following table and chart detail the collective record of teams playing on certain weeks which follow their bye week (again, over the last five years).
For the second year in a row, the best two weeks to play after your bye week are week 6 and week 7. That is if we ignore Week 2 as it is an anomaly. Remember this is due to the Dolphins and Bucs getting a Week 1 bye back in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma.
The graph shows that post-bye week win percentages are almost cyclical.
Win/Loss Ratio by Weeks of Teams Returning from a Bye (2014-2018)
Team-specific Game Results Following a Bye Week
The following section details the results of every post-bye-week game over the last five years. I organized teams by conference and division for easy identification.
To make it simpler to visualize game results, I highlighted wins in green, losses in red, and ties in yellow.
