Kansas City played at home in the AFC Championship game, and it can’t be said it didn’t earn it. That team played the hardest schedule in the league in the regular season.

I ran the numbers for each team, totaling up the wins and losses of the opponents that they played. Kansas City’s 17 games were against teams that went a combined 150-121-1 in their other games. That’s 7 more combined wins than the schedules of any other team.

The Bengals also made it to the AFC title game, and of course won, but their opponents went only 128-141-3 in the regular season.

The other two teams playing last Sunday had schedules against opponents that went about .500. That might seem surprising, with the NFC West being a tough division. But both the Rams and 49ers played everyone in the AFC South and NFC North, including the Texans, Jaguars, Lions and Bears.

In the chart below, it also includes scoring. Kansas City’s opponents in the regular season allowed only 22.4 points per game, 4th-fewest in the league. Cincinnati had a far friendlier schedule (up at 23.7 points per week), with only Denver seeing softer defenses.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (2021 season)
TeamWLTPctPA(rank)
Miami1261460.46323.111
Atlanta1261451.46522.918
Philadelphia1271441.46923.73
Cincinnati1281413.47623.72
Denver1291412.47824.81
Buffalo1301411.48023.015
Houston1311410.48223.016
Tampa Bay1311410.48222.430
Tennessee1311401.48322.727
New England1321400.48522.917
Jacksonville1341380.49322.725
Green Bay1331363.49423.110
LA Rams1341371.49422.822
Carolina1351370.49623.18
Indianapolis1351370.49622.821
NY Jets1351370.49621.632
Arizona1351361.49822.824
Dallas1361360.50022.726
San Francisco1371341.50623.27
Minnesota1361333.50623.19
Detroit1391330.51123.014
Cleveland1381313.51323.46
LA Chargers1391321.51322.431
Seattle1391312.51523.112
New Orleans1401320.51522.919
Chicago1391303.51723.64
Las Vegas1401311.51722.823
NY Giants1421300.52223.55
Pittsburgh1431290.52622.820
Washington1431290.52622.628
Baltimore1431263.53123.013
Kansas City1501211.55322.429

—Ian Allan