Around the NFL
January 02, 2015
Quality opponents
Steelers have won six in a row against non-losing teams
In measuring these 12 playoff teams, we can look at how they play against quality opposition. That is, who cares if a team wins against Washington, Tampa Bay or Jacksonville? It’s wins against capable, functioning opposition that count.
In the regular season, it was the Broncos and Steelers that did the best in such games.
Denver went 9-3 in games against teams that didn’t finish with losing record (that is, 12 games against teams that went at least 8-8). The Steelers had the best percentage, going 6-1 against relevant opponents.
The Ravens and Panthers were the worst in these games. Baltimore went only 2-6, while the Panthers went just 1-5-1.
Here’s the team-by-team breakdowns, with scores of games against opponents that went at least 8-8 in the regular season.
Arizona | (6-4) | |
San Diego | win | 18-17 |
San Francisco | win | 23-14 |
at Denver | loss | 20-41 |
Philadelphia | win | 24-20 |
at Dallas | win | 28-17 |
Detroit | win | 14-6 |
at Seattle | loss | 3-19 |
Kansas City | win | 17-14 |
Seattle | loss | 6-35 |
at San Francisco | loss | 17-20 |
Baltimore | (2-6) | |
Cincinnati | loss | 16-23 |
Pittsburgh | win | 26-6 |
at Indianapolis | loss | 13-20 |
at Cincinnati | loss | 24-27 |
at Pittsburgh | loss | 23-43 |
San Diego | loss | 33-34 |
at Miami | win | 28-13 |
at Houston | loss | 13-25 |
Carolina | (1-5-1) | |
Detroit | win | 24-7 |
Pittsburgh | loss | 19-37 |
at Baltimore | loss | 10-38 |
at Cincinnati | tie | 37-37 |
at Green Bay | loss | 17-38 |
Seattle | loss | 9-13 |
at Philadelphia | loss | 21-45 |
Cincinnati | (4-4) | |
at Baltimore | win | 23-16 |
at New England | loss | 17-43 |
at Indianapolis | loss | 0-27 |
Baltimore | win | 27-24 |
at Houston | win | 22-13 |
Pittsburgh | loss | 21-42 |
Denver | win | 37-28 |
at Pittsburgh | loss | 17-27 |
Dallas | (4-3) | |
San Francisco | loss | 17-28 |
Houston | win | 20-17 |
at Seattle | win | 30-23 |
Arizona | loss | 17-28 |
Philadelphia | loss | 10-33 |
at Philadelphia | win | 38-27 |
Indianapolis | win | 42-7 |
Denver | (9-3) | |
Indianapolis | win | 31-24 |
Kansas City | win | 24-17 |
at Seattle | loss | 20-26 |
Arizona | win | 41-20 |
San Francisco | win | 42-17 |
San Diego | win | 35-21 |
at New England | loss | 21-43 |
Miami | win | 39-36 |
at Kansas City | win | 29-16 |
Buffalo | win | 24-17 |
at San Diego | win | 22-10 |
at Cincinnati | loss | 28-37 |
Detroit | (2-4) | |
Green Bay | win | 19-7 |
Buffalo | loss | 14-17 |
Miami | win | 20-16 |
at Arizona | loss | 6-14 |
at New England | loss | 9-34 |
at Green Bay | loss | 20-30 |
Green Bay | (4-3) | |
at Seattle | loss | 16-36 |
at Detroit | loss | 7-19 |
at Miami | win | 27-24 |
Philadelphia | win | 53-20 |
New England | win | 26-21 |
at Buffalo | loss | 13-21 |
Detroit | win | 30-20 |
Indianapolis | (4-5) | |
at Denver | loss | 24-31 |
Philadelphia | loss | 27-30 |
Baltimore | win | 20-13 |
at Houston | win | 33-28 |
Cincinnati | win | 27-0 |
at Pittsburgh | loss | 34-51 |
New England | loss | 20-42 |
Houston | win | 17-10 |
at Dallas | loss | 7-42 |
New England | (7-4) | |
at Miami | loss | 20-33 |
at Kansas City | loss | 14-41 |
Cincinnati | win | 43-17 |
at Buffalo | win | 37-22 |
Denver | win | 43-21 |
at Indianapolis | win | 42-20 |
Detroit | win | 34-9 |
at Green Bay | loss | 21-26 |
at San Diego | win | 23-14 |
Miami | win | 41-13 |
Buffalo | loss | 9-17 |
Pittsburgh | (6-1) | |
at Baltimore | loss | 6-26 |
Houston | win | 30-23 |
Indianapolis | win | 51-34 |
Baltimore | win | 43-23 |
at Cincinnati | win | 42-21 |
Kansas City | win | 20-12 |
Cincinnati | win | 27-17 |
Seattle | (7-3) | |
Green Bay | win | 36-16 |
at San Diego | loss | 21-30 |
Denver | win | 26-20 |
Dallas | loss | 23-30 |
at Kansas City | loss | 20-24 |
Arizona | win | 19-3 |
at San Francisco | win | 19-3 |
at Philadelphia | win | 24-14 |
San Francisco | win | 17-7 |
at Arizona | win | 35-6 |
—Ian Allan