Four weeks left in the regular season, and based on win-loss records so far, it looks like the Broncos, Jaguars, Patriots and Kansas City will play the easiest schedules the rest of the way. The Rams, Raiders and Cardinals will play the hardest schedules.
Here's what the remaining schedules look like (and they include Week 17 games).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE, Weeks 14-17 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
Denver | 16 | 32 | 0 | .333 |
Jacksonville | 19 | 29 | 0 | .396 |
Kansas City | 20 | 28 | 0 | .417 |
New England | 20 | 28 | 0 | .417 |
Buffalo | 21 | 27 | 0 | .438 |
Green Bay | 21 | 27 | 0 | .438 |
Dallas | 21 | 26 | 1 | .448 |
Detroit | 21 | 26 | 1 | .448 |
Indianapolis | 22 | 26 | 0 | .458 |
Tennessee | 22 | 26 | 0 | .458 |
Cincinnati | 22 | 25 | 1 | .469 |
Miami | 23 | 25 | 0 | .479 |
NY Jets | 23 | 25 | 0 | .479 |
Chicago | 23 | 24 | 1 | .490 |
Philadelphia | 23 | 24 | 1 | .490 |
Pittsburgh | 23 | 24 | 1 | .490 |
San Francisco | 24 | 24 | 0 | .500 |
Washington | 24 | 24 | 0 | .500 |
Cleveland | 25 | 23 | 0 | .521 |
Seattle | 25 | 23 | 0 | .521 |
Atlanta | 25 | 22 | 1 | .531 |
Carolina | 26 | 22 | 0 | .542 |
Houston | 26 | 22 | 0 | .542 |
New Orleans | 26 | 22 | 0 | .542 |
NY Giants | 26 | 22 | 0 | .542 |
Tampa Bay | 26 | 22 | 0 | .542 |
Baltimore | 27 | 20 | 1 | .573 |
Minnesota | 28 | 20 | 0 | .583 |
San Diego | 28 | 20 | 0 | .583 |
Arizona | 29 | 19 | 0 | .604 |
Oakland | 29 | 19 | 0 | .604 |
St. Louis | 30 | 18 | 0 | .625 |
We can use the same info to look at which teams have benefited so far from playing easy schedules.
The Ravens, Lions and Steelers have played the easiest schedules through Week 13. Baltimore's opponents have gone 58-73-1 (that doesn't include the Ravens' own games -- toss those in and they'd be at 64-79-1).
The Bucs, Broncos, Giants and Falcons have played the hardest schedules. The Bucs, for example, have played the Saints and Panthers twice each, as well as the Seahawks. The Broncos have played New England and a pair at Kansas City.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE, Weeks 1-13 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
Baltimore | 58 | 73 | 1 | .443 |
Detroit | 57 | 72 | 3 | .443 |
Pittsburgh | 60 | 71 | 1 | .458 |
Oakland | 61 | 71 | 0 | .462 |
Chicago | 60 | 69 | 3 | .466 |
Green Bay | 61 | 70 | 1 | .466 |
Philadelphia | 61 | 70 | 1 | .466 |
Cincinnati | 62 | 69 | 1 | .473 |
Cleveland | 62 | 68 | 2 | .477 |
Kansas City | 63 | 69 | 0 | .477 |
NY Jets | 64 | 68 | 0 | .485 |
Carolina | 64 | 67 | 1 | .489 |
Seattle | 64 | 67 | 1 | .489 |
San Diego | 65 | 67 | 0 | .492 |
Minnesota | 65 | 66 | 1 | .496 |
New England | 66 | 66 | 0 | .500 |
Tennessee | 66 | 66 | 0 | .500 |
Washington | 65 | 65 | 2 | .500 |
Indianapolis | 67 | 65 | 0 | .508 |
Miami | 67 | 65 | 0 | .508 |
Dallas | 67 | 64 | 1 | .511 |
San Francisco | 68 | 63 | 1 | .519 |
Jacksonville | 69 | 63 | 0 | .523 |
New Orleans | 69 | 63 | 0 | .523 |
Arizona | 70 | 62 | 0 | .530 |
Buffalo | 70 | 62 | 0 | .530 |
Houston | 70 | 62 | 0 | .530 |
St. Louis | 70 | 62 | 0 | .530 |
Atlanta | 71 | 61 | 0 | .538 |
NY Giants | 70 | 60 | 2 | .538 |
Denver | 73 | 59 | 0 | .553 |
Tampa Bay | 76 | 56 | 0 | .576 |
(All of these figures assume the Seahawks hang on to beat New Orleans in the MNF game -- they're up big in the third quarter).
--Ian Allan