Checking in with the weekly look at Strength of Schedule. The Week 15 games are in the books, and we can re-examine which teams have benefitted (and been hurt by) scheduling.
The Jets, Dolphins, Bucs and Falcons have played the easiest schedules. Notable for Miami and Atlanta. Those teams have been two of the bigger disappointments, and they can’t use scheduling as an excuse. In theory, they both should have been helped by the schedules they played.
The hardest schedules belong to the 49ers, Steelers, Lions and Bears. Detroit has been doubly unlucky this year. Not only did they play a harder schedule than most teams; they also lost two games in part because of poor officiating – at Seattle and against Green Bay.
Note that the Steelers and Jets are likely in contention for the final playoff spot in the AFC. Both teams are 9-5. But Pittsburgh has played the league’s hardest schedule, while the Jets have played the easiest. That New York schedule gets harder on Sunday, though; they’re hosting the Patriots.
For all of these numbers, note that the wins and losses don’t include the team’s own games. That is, Carolina’s opponents are a combined 86-110 – they are 0-14 against the Panthers and 86-96 against the rest of the league.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 1-15) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | Pct |
NY Jets | 76 | 106 | .418 |
Miami | 79 | 103 | .434 |
Tampa Bay | 80 | 102 | .440 |
Atlanta | 81 | 101 | .445 |
Jacksonville | 83 | 99 | .456 |
Arizona | 84 | 98 | .462 |
Tennessee | 85 | 97 | .467 |
Baltimore | 86 | 96 | .473 |
Carolina | 86 | 96 | .473 |
New England | 87 | 95 | .478 |
Cincinnati | 88 | 94 | .484 |
NY Giants | 88 | 94 | .484 |
San Diego | 90 | 92 | .495 |
Washington | 90 | 92 | .495 |
Cleveland | 91 | 91 | .500 |
Green Bay | 91 | 91 | .500 |
Minnesota | 92 | 90 | .505 |
Denver | 93 | 89 | .511 |
Oakland | 93 | 89 | .511 |
New Orleans | 94 | 88 | .516 |
Philadelphia | 94 | 88 | .516 |
Buffalo | 95 | 87 | .522 |
Kansas City | 95 | 87 | .522 |
Seattle | 95 | 87 | .522 |
Houston | 97 | 85 | .533 |
Indianapolis | 97 | 85 | .533 |
Dallas | 98 | 84 | .538 |
St. Louis | 98 | 84 | .538 |
Chicago | 101 | 81 | .555 |
Detroit | 101 | 81 | .555 |
Pittsburgh | 102 | 80 | .560 |
San Francisco | 102 | 80 | .560 |
—Ian Allan