Pats Strength of Schedule....3rd toughest!

[Va_Pats_Fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2830466

 

[Fixit]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

It'll build character!

 

[bb07]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

at least easier than Colts. Theirs look the toughest.

 

[Kdo5]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Hey the idiot Clayton is at it again.

The Patriots won't have as easy a ride to the AFC title game as they did in 2006. They won 12 games last season, thanks in part to having a 127-129 schedule.

Wait we beat the #1 seeded team, 14-2 Chargers and you can even consider it easy. Classic Patriot hater.

 

[PromisedLand]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

These are the most misleading, most often misquoted stats ever.

First of all, to borrow a phrase from the securities industry, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results." Why don't they ever look at strength of schedule retrospectively, instead of projecting LAST year's results into the future?

Then there is the disturbing fact that we all tend to place huge significance on minor statistical variations. For example, the difference between our strength of schedule, .535, vs. the Colts, .516, is less than 2%. If we played the SAME schedule except for the game against each other, their schedule would be easier because we won 2 fewer games than them last year (12 vs. 14). If a given team's 15 opponents each play 16 games then each win or loss represents 1/(16*15) = .4% of the given team's strength of schedule, so the fact that Indy had two more wins than us explains nearly half of the two team's strength of schedule difference.

Etc.

The only good thing I have to say about this subject is that it keeps us talking about football during a long, long offseason!

 

[Michigan Dave]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Good. It's always good to beat the best.

 

[Fixit]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

These are the most misleading, most often misquoted stats ever.

First of all, to borrow a phrase from the securities industry, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results." Why don't they ever look at strength of schedule retrospectively, instead of projecting LAST year's results into the future?

Then there is the disturbing fact that we all tend to place huge significance on minor statistical variations. For example, the difference between our strength of schedule, .535, vs. the Colts, .516, is less than 2%. If we played the SAME schedule except for the game against each other, their schedule would be easier because we won 2 fewer games than them last year (12 vs. 14). If a given team's 15 opponents each play 16 games then each win or loss represents 1/(16*15) = .4% of the given team's strength of schedule, so the fact that Indy had two more wins than us explains nearly half of the two team's strength of schedule difference.

Etc.

The only good thing I have to say about this subject is that it keeps us talking about football during a long, long offseason!

Yeah, but how about them Sox?

 

[BelichickFan]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

That is totally non sensical. Partly for the reasons already given.

But our situation is pretty much identical to last year. We were the 4th seed. 4th. If we win our division (which we should) but aren't a top three seed (which the claim is we won't be based on SoS) then we are EXACTLY where we were going into the playoffs last year. So then the path the AFCCG in 2006 vs. 2007 becomes 4th seed vs. 4th seed which is . . . the same.

That wasn't that tough to figure out.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Really means nothing. The strength of schedule means very little in the NFL when you are using the previous year as an indicator. You would have had a relatively easy schedule last year (based on the previous year's records) if you had the Saints, Ravens, Jets, and Titans on your schedule.

Teams can get significantly better or worse from year to year. Only a handful of teams either stay consistently bad (Texans, Browns) or good (Pats, Colts). So it is impossible to know how tough your schedule is going to be in the upcoming season in April.

 

[DarrylS]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Prefer a tougher schedule, we always play better against the good teams and play down to crappy teams... imo this is a good thing.

 

[frankiesfly]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

at least easier than Colts. Theirs look the toughest.

I totally agree. The Colts do have the hardest schedule and they should because they just won the superbowl. I don't understand why so many Pats fans are complaining about how hard the schedule is. Even if the Patriots lost to the Colts, Ravens, and Chargers they still would be 13-3. Which means the Pats would be 4-1 after wek 5. There is no NFc team that can beat us, they are weak. The Jets and Dolphins can't beat us, so I don't know what the big worry is. I really don't think our schedule is that bad. I just don't like the Pats playing on Sunday or Monday nights, they seem to not play well at night or on Monday's and if anything that might have an effect on our record. If we lose any other games besides the ones mentioned they will be games we play late in the evening.

 

[SunnyDenmark]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

These are the most misleading, most often misquoted stats ever.

First of all, to borrow a phrase from the securities industry, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results." Why don't they ever look at strength of schedule retrospectively, instead of projecting LAST year's results into the future?

Then there is the disturbing fact that we all tend to place huge significance on minor statistical variations. For example, the difference between our strength of schedule, .535, vs. the Colts, .516, is less than 2%. If we played the SAME schedule except for the game against each other, their schedule would be easier because we won 2 fewer games than them last year (12 vs. 14). If a given team's 15 opponents each play 16 games then each win or loss represents 1/(16*15) = .4% of the given team's strength of schedule, so the fact that Indy had two more wins than us explains nearly half of the two team's strength of schedule difference.

Good point. Can't count past performance as indicitive of this years performance especially with alot -more than usual - amount of trades happening this year (plus the usual free agent moves). Several of the better teams we face will have to adjust to new coaches and systems (Bolts and Dallas come foremost to mind).

Furthermore, I think the schedule is actually quite kind to the Pats this year. We can't expect to play the NFC North every year so by playing the NFC East this year - it was bound to increase the strength of schedule numbers.

Our weekly schedule looks quite fine:
1) Well placed bye week
2) No West Coast trips or trips to Denver, KC, etc.
3) No team plays us that just came off a bye week
4) only once do we have back to back away games
5) three home dates in the chilly (wooly moth) month of December
etc.

While others may see the glass half empty - I see the glass half full.

 

[notex]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

It pays to be in the NFC North: One year after having the NFL's easiest schedule, the Bears check in with the second-easiest schedule (.465) this season. Chicago's three divisional foes were a combined 17-31 (.354) in 2006.

from the same article....

let me quote this line specifically....."Chicago's three divisional foes were a combined 17-31 (.354) in 2006."

so that has alot to do with the easy schedule because they play in a cake division. but it seems like all the bears had to do was show up last year.

Similarly .... how do the raiders get the hardest schedule this year...they could barely even snap the ball last year let alone win some games.

On a final note...Poor Bills

 

[carolinatony]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Prefer a tougher schedule, we always play better against the good teams and play down to crappy teams... imo this is a good thing


Thank you. I agree 100% with you

 

[zippo59]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

It'll build character!

Puts hair on your chest.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Oh my Gosh, how will the Pats perform now that they've lost Adam V., Givens, McGinest and Branch?????
Wait, that was last year's mainstream media mantra.......
Let's see how this year gets spun ad nauseum........

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

Hey the idiot Clayton is at it again.


Wait we beat the #1 seeded team, 14-2 Chargers and you can even consider it easy. Classic Patriot hater.

Wait a minute.
We had a 12-4 record against teams with a 127-129 record.
That means when they werent playing against us, they were 123-117.
We won 12 games against teams that otherwise won more than they lost. How is above .500 easy?
I guess we should have gone 0-16, so we could say we played a tough schedule against teams that went 139-117, huh?

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

from the same article....

let me quote this line specifically....."Chicago's three divisional foes were a combined 17-31 (.354) in 2006."

so that has alot to do with the easy schedule because they play in a cake division. but it seems like all the bears had to do was show up last year.

Similarly .... how do the raiders get the hardest schedule this year...they could barely even snap the ball last year let alone win some games.

On a final note...Poor Bills

The Raiders have the toughest schedule because it includes 6 division games against teams who went a combined 12-0 (2-0 x 3 that they play twice each) against them.
The toughest schedule thing is usually driven by your division. If you are awful and in a good division, you get atough schedule next time around.
There are only 2 games on every teams schedule that have anything to do with where they finished last year.

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

The Raiders have the toughest schedule because it includes 6 division games against teams who went a combined 12-0 (2-0 x 3 that they play twice each) against them.
The toughest schedule thing is usually driven by your division. If you are awful and in a good division, you get atough schedule next time around.
There are only 2 games on every teams schedule that have anything to do with where they finished last year.

By the same token our schedule is 'tougher' because we play the NFCE, the only decent division in the NFC, and because we have no teams in our division that were horrendous.

 

[jbb9s]

Re: Pats Strength of Sched....3rd toughest!

I just don't like the Pats playing on Sunday or Monday nights, they seem to not play well at night or on Monday's and if anything that might have an effect on our record. If we lose any other games besides the ones mentioned they will be games we play late in the evening.

Don't think the advertisers want to see Pats beating the Lions or Texans on MNF by 3 touches. Hardest games will be those night games always. Especially now with the swing schedule for Sunday nights.