onegameatatime

As has been stated, most recently this morning in Borges' column, the Pats are 13-0 against winning teams, and 4-9 against losing teams. It does not say, but this stat must classify .500 teams as teams with losing records.

I've always thought you should leave out an opponent's results when determining the record against opponents. So if you beat a divisional opponent twice and they go 8-8 total, you should say that you twice beat an 8-6 team. If you lost to an 8-8 team, then you lost to a team that would have had a losing record (7-8).

Under the traditional approach, the Pats are:

3-0 versus sub-.500 teams
3-0 against .500 teams
0-2 against over-.500 teams.

But leaving out the Pats own results, they are:

3-2 against othewise winning teams (3 teams are now .500)
2-0 against .500 team (Buffdalo is 3-3 witrhout Pats result)
1-0 against a sub-.500 team (Miami)

It would not have made much difference in 2005. Last year (traditional):

4-7 vs over-.500 (not great)
1-0 against .500 (Atlanta)
7-0 against sub-.500

Last year (adjusted)

5-7 vs over 500
6-0 against sub 500

What actually stands out for me is how many over .500 teams the Pats had to play!

In 2003 and 2004, the Pats beat 10-6 division opponents twice. This means that those teams, without the Pats beatings, were actually 10-4.