[IE]

Brad Dushkin asks via Twitter: Should the lockout force teams to miss the first month of the season, which AFCS team benefits most based on schedule?

OK, we start with the premise that we don’t know what any of these teams will ultimately look like since we’re doing this prior to free agency and move ahead from there.

Unscientifically, I picked games I wouldn’t want to lose if I’m the team in question and games I wouldn’t mind seeing disappear. I left division games out of it, as they kind of cancel themselves out.

So my subjective opinion is that the Texans and Jaguars will benefit the most (two you’d want out of, one you’d miss), while the Titans will be hurt the most, losing one they’d want out of and two they’d want to play.

Texans

First four: Colts, at Dolphins, at Saints, Steelers

Crossing the Saints and Steelers off offers a big break, the biggest in the division I think. If you’re looking for a sure-thing win here, the closest you’ll find is Miami.

Colts

First four: at Texans, Browns, Steelers, at Buccaneers

Losing the Steelers game could be a break. But playing a home game against a team you envision yourself competing with for playoff seeding isn’t a bad thing. You’d rather not lose the Browns game.

Jaguars

First four: Titans, at Jets, at Panthers, Saints

The games at New York and against the Saints look, at this stage, to be quite challenging. No one in the league is going to want to miss a chance to play Carolina this year, and that’s one Jacksonville should turn into a road win.

Titans

First four: at Jaguars, Ravens, Broncos, Browns

The Titans first-year staff would benefit from playing two of its first four against other first-year staffs in Denver and Cleveland, both at home. A visit from Baltimore is the only one they'd like to lose from this batch.