I think scheduling played more of a factor in 2017 then in typical seasons. There were more teams with unusually easy and hard schedules, and that affected the way things played out.
The Titans, most noticeably, played the 2nd-easiest schedule of the last 10 years. That really wasn’t a good team. It was an average or below-average team that rode an easy schedule to a wild-card spot. If not for injuries to Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson, Tennessee wouldn’t have been in the playoffs.
Jacksonville and Baltimore weren’t far behind. The Jaguars won their division, but that was really more of a wild-card team that just happened to fall into a good spot. And the Ravens more realistically probably shouldn’t have been in the playoff race.
In the last 10 years, there have been 36 teams playing schedules at least 20 games under .500. That includes five teams from the 2017 season.
The win-loss records here show the combined win-loss totals of opponents in other games. That is, Jacksonville’s opponents went a combined 111-145, but they went just 6-10 against the Jaguars – so they went just 105-135 in their 240 games against the rest of the league.
EASIEST SCHEDULES, LAST 10 YEARS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | W | L | T | Pct |
2010 | Kansas City | 100 | 140 | 0 | .417 |
2017 | Tennessee | 104 | 136 | 0 | .433 |
2017 | Jacksonville | 105 | 135 | 0 | .438 |
2012 | Atlanta | 105 | 135 | 0 | .438 |
2008 | San Francisco | 105 | 134 | 1 | .440 |
2017 | Baltimore | 106 | 134 | 0 | .442 |
2012 | Cincinnati | 106 | 134 | 0 | .442 |
2010 | St. Louis | 106 | 134 | 0 | .442 |
2009 | New Orleans | 106 | 134 | 0 | .442 |
2015 | NY Jets | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2008 | Buffalo | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2016 | Seattle | 107 | 132 | 1 | .448 |
2014 | Houston | 107 | 132 | 1 | .448 |
2013 | Detroit | 106 | 130 | 4 | .450 |
2012 | Indianapolis | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2012 | Oakland | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2012 | San Diego | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2010 | Arizona | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2010 | Jacksonville | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2009 | Arizona | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2009 | Green Bay | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2013 | Green Bay | 108 | 131 | 1 | .452 |
2013 | Kansas City | 109 | 131 | 0 | .454 |
2009 | Minnesota | 109 | 131 | 0 | .454 |
2008 | Denver | 109 | 131 | 0 | .454 |
2017 | LA Chargers | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2017 | Cincinnati | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2016 | Arizona | 109 | 129 | 2 | .458 |
2015 | Jacksonville | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2015 | Miami | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2014 | Dallas | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2013 | Philadelphia | 109 | 129 | 2 | .458 |
2011 | Houston | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2011 | New Orleans | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2010 | NY Giants | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
2010 | San Diego | 110 | 130 | 0 | .458 |
The NFC South teams, meanwhile, were handicapped by the league’s hardest schedules. Atlanta’s and Carolina’s opponents both finished 26 games over .500 in their games against the rest of the league.
If you look at the 320 schedules of the last 10 years, in fact, all four of the teams in the NFC South last year rank in the top 20, making this the most competitive division of the last 10 years. By far. All the more impressive that three teams from that division were able to qualify for the postseason.
HARDEST SCHEDULES, LAST 10 YEARS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | W | L | T | Pct |
2010 | Cincinnati | 137 | 103 | 0 | .571 |
2011 | St. Louis | 137 | 103 | 0 | .571 |
2010 | Buffalo | 136 | 104 | 0 | .567 |
2010 | Cleveland | 135 | 105 | 0 | .563 |
2013 | Tampa Bay | 135 | 105 | 0 | .563 |
2008 | Cleveland | 133 | 104 | 3 | .560 |
2009 | Miami | 134 | 106 | 0 | .558 |
2016 | Philadelphia | 132 | 104 | 4 | .558 |
2016 | Denver | 133 | 106 | 1 | .556 |
2010 | Carolina | 133 | 107 | 0 | .554 |
2012 | Detroit | 132 | 106 | 2 | .554 |
2014 | Oakland | 133 | 107 | 0 | .554 |
2017 | Atlanta | 133 | 107 | 0 | .554 |
2017 | Carolina | 133 | 107 | 0 | .554 |
2012 | Arizona | 130 | 106 | 4 | .550 |
2013 | St. Louis | 132 | 108 | 0 | .550 |
2017 | Chicago | 132 | 108 | 0 | .550 |
2017 | New Orleans | 132 | 108 | 0 | .550 |
2011 | Detroit | 131 | 109 | 0 | .546 |
2017 | Tampa Bay | 131 | 109 | 0 | .546 |
2008 | Pittsburgh | 129 | 108 | 3 | .544 |
2014 | Seattle | 130 | 109 | 1 | .544 |
2008 | Cincinnati | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
2009 | Carolina | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
2009 | Tennessee | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
2011 | Minnesota | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
2013 | Arizona | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
2015 | Chicago | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
2015 | Green Bay | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
—Ian Allan