The NFC South is sending three teams to the postseason, and that’s particularly impressive when you consider those teams were not only good, they all also had to play each other twice. Those teams played harder schedules than the other teams in the postseason.
Those teams, in fact, played the hardest schedules in the league. Atlanta and Carolina tied for the hardest schedule overall, and New Orleans was just a game back (tied with Chicago).
Tennessee and Jacksonville, meanwhile, played the league’s easiest schedules. Tennessee’s opponents went only 104-136 in their other 240 games. Jacksonville also benefitted from getting to play twice against Houston and Indianapolis (both of those teams went 4-12).
Here are the 32 teams, with playoff teams tagged.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (wins) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | Pct |
• Tennessee | 104 | 136 | .433 |
• Jacksonville | 105 | 135 | .438 |
Baltimore | 106 | 134 | .442 |
Cincinnati | 110 | 130 | .458 |
LA Chargers | 110 | 130 | .458 |
Indianapolis | 111 | 129 | .463 |
• Pittsburgh | 113 | 127 | .471 |
Denver | 115 | 125 | .479 |
• Philadelphia | 115 | 125 | .479 |
• Kansas City | 116 | 124 | .483 |
Arizona | 117 | 123 | .488 |
Cleveland | 117 | 123 | .488 |
• Buffalo | 119 | 121 | .496 |
Seattle | 119 | 121 | .496 |
Dallas | 120 | 120 | .500 |
Detroit | 120 | 120 | .500 |
Houston | 120 | 120 | .500 |
• New England | 121 | 119 | .504 |
Oakland | 121 | 119 | .504 |
San Francisco | 121 | 119 | .504 |
NY Jets | 122 | 118 | .508 |
• Minnesota | 123 | 117 | .513 |
NY Giants | 123 | 117 | .513 |
• LA Rams | 124 | 116 | .517 |
Green Bay | 129 | 111 | .538 |
Miami | 129 | 111 | .538 |
Washington | 129 | 111 | .538 |
Tampa Bay | 131 | 109 | .546 |
Chicago | 132 | 108 | .550 |
• New Orleans | 132 | 108 | .550 |
• Atlanta | 133 | 107 | .554 |
• Carolina | 133 | 107 | .554 |
If you want to use points rather than wins, Tennessee still comes out No. 1. The Titans’ opponents allowed an average of 22.6 points in their other 240 games.
Green Bay, Detroit and Washington tended to play the schedules featuring defenses allowing the fewest points.
Among playoff teams, the Saints, Rams and Panthers tended to play the toughest defenses.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (points) | |
---|---|
Team | Avg |
• Tennessee | 22.60 |
Arizona | 22.58 |
• Jacksonville | 22.52 |
Indianapolis | 22.39 |
Seattle | 22.28 |
LA Chargers | 22.27 |
NY Giants | 22.14 |
• Buffalo | 22.12 |
Baltimore | 22.09 |
Cincinnati | 22.04 |
• New England | 21.96 |
Denver | 21.94 |
Dallas | 21.91 |
San Francisco | 21.78 |
• Kansas City | 21.73 |
• Minnesota | 21.73 |
NY Jets | 21.63 |
Oakland | 21.57 |
• Philadelphia | 21.57 |
Miami | 21.53 |
Chicago | 21.49 |
• Pittsburgh | 21.45 |
• Atlanta | 21.43 |
Cleveland | 21.40 |
Houston | 21.37 |
• Carolina | 21.35 |
• LA Rams | 21.33 |
Tampa Bay | 21.30 |
• New Orleans | 21.16 |
Washington | 20.99 |
Detroit | 20.71 |
Green Bay | 20.67 |
—Ian Allan