Playing around with the numbers, I notice the Packers just played the 2nd-easiest schedule by any team in the last three years. Not that they’re not a great and deserving team, but this could be supporting evidence that they’re not quite as awesome and flawless as some believe.
Green Bay’s opponents in the regular season went a combined 106-146-1. That’s is, they went 3-13 against the Packers, but just 106-133-1 against the rest of the league. That about as soft of a schedule as you’ll see.
Below are the 39 easiest schedules of the 32-team era (since the league moved to the eight-division format in 2002).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (2003-2020) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | W | L | T | Pct |
2010 | Kansas City | 100 | 140 | 0 | .417 |
2007 | Seattle | 100 | 140 | 0 | .417 |
2007 | Arizona | 103 | 137 | 0 | .429 |
2017 | Tennessee | 104 | 136 | 0 | .433 |
2007 | Cleveland | 104 | 136 | 0 | .433 |
2003 | Kansas City | 104 | 136 | 0 | .433 |
2017 | Jacksonville | 105 | 135 | 0 | .438 |
2012 | Atlanta | 105 | 135 | 0 | .438 |
2008 | San Francisco | 105 | 134 | 1 | .440 |
2018 | Chicago | 104 | 132 | 4 | .442 |
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 |
2004 | Atlanta | 106 | 134 | 0 | .442 |
2020 | Green Bay | 106 | 133 | 1 | .444 |
2015 | NY Jets | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2008 | Buffalo | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2006 | Chicago | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2005 | Seattle | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2004 | Seattle | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2003 | St. Louis | 107 | 133 | 0 | .446 |
2016 | Seattle | 107 | 132 | 1 | .448 |
2014 | Houston | 107 | 132 | 1 | .448 |
2013 | Detroit | 106 | 130 | 4 | .450 |
2012 | San Diego | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2012 | Indianapolis | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2012 | Oakland | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2010 | Jacksonville | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2010 | Arizona | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2009 | Arizona | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2009 | Green Bay | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2007 | San Francisco | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2006 | Atlanta | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2004 | Arizona | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2004 | Chicago | 108 | 132 | 0 | .450 |
2013 | Green Bay | 108 | 131 | 1 | .452 |
2020 | Indianapolis | 108 | 131 | 1 | .452 |
2020 | Washington | 107 | 130 | 3 | .452 |
Among playoff teams this, Buffalo played by far the hardest schedule, with its opponents going a combined 128-112 in other teams (a remarkably good record, since the Bills played two games against the 2-14 Jets). Only a couple of other playoff teams managed to inch over .500.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (Weeks 1-17) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | Pct |
Green Bay | 106 | 133 | 1 | .444 |
Indianapolis | 108 | 131 | 1 | .452 |
Washington | 107 | 130 | 3 | .452 |
Cleveland | 109 | 128 | 3 | .460 |
Seattle | 110 | 129 | 1 | .460 |
Dallas | 109 | 128 | 3 | .460 |
New Orleans | 113 | 126 | 1 | .473 |
Arizona | 113 | 126 | 1 | .473 |
Miami | 113 | 126 | 1 | .473 |
LA Chargers | 114 | 125 | 1 | .477 |
Tennessee | 116 | 123 | 1 | .485 |
Chicago | 117 | 123 | 0 | .488 |
Kansas City | 117 | 123 | 0 | .488 |
Pittsburgh | 116 | 121 | 3 | .490 |
NY Giants | 117 | 120 | 3 | .494 |
Detroit | 119 | 121 | 0 | .496 |
Tampa Bay | 120 | 120 | 0 | .500 |
Minnesota | 120 | 120 | 0 | .500 |
LA Rams | 120 | 119 | 1 | .502 |
Baltimore | 120 | 117 | 3 | .506 |
Cincinnati | 124 | 116 | 0 | .517 |
Carolina | 125 | 115 | 0 | .521 |
Jacksonville | 125 | 114 | 1 | .523 |
New England | 126 | 114 | 0 | .525 |
Philadelphia | 126 | 114 | 0 | .525 |
Houston | 126 | 113 | 1 | .527 |
Buffalo | 128 | 112 | 0 | .533 |
Atlanta | 129 | 111 | 0 | .538 |
Las Vegas | 130 | 110 | 0 | .542 |
San Francisco | 130 | 109 | 1 | .544 |
Denver | 134 | 106 | 0 | .558 |
NY Jets | 138 | 102 | 0 | .575 |
—Ian Allan