Pats to have easiest SOS next year.

[Disco Volante]

First off, anyone drooling at the mouth with their fingers furiously hovering over their keyboard wating to type 'FOCUS ON THIS YEAR' feel free to leave now.

Every thread I see referring to the Pats future has some type of reply like this, and it’s really unnecessary. Of course we’re all absolutely loving this season but when you have a 24/7 Patriots talk outlet all subjects will come up.

Anywho, just a little look into the crystal ball for next season. The math may not be perfect (but is very close), and knowing how quickly the NFL changes from year to year, take these with a grain of salt.

AFC EAST

Buffalo: 115-141 (.449)
Miami: 119-137 (.465)
New England: 99-157 (.387)
New York Jets: 117-139 (.457)

AFC NORTH

Baltimore: 141-115 (.551)
Cincinnati: 140-116 (.547)
Cleveland: 140-116 (.547)
Pittsburgh: 153-103 (.598) (Strongest SOS in the NFL)

AFC SOUTH

Houston: 143-113 (.559)
Indianapolis: 152-104 (.594)
Jacksonville: 143-113 (.559)
Tennessee: 139-117 (.543)

AFC WEST

Denver: 114-142 (.445)
Kansas City: 112-144 (.438)
Oakland: 116-140 (.453)
San Diego: 108-148 (.422)

NFC EAST

Dallas: 134-122 (.523)
New York Giants: 133-123 (.520)
Philadelphia: 133-123 (.520)
Washington: 134-122 (.523)

NFC NORTH

Chicago: 136-120 (.531)
Detroit: 139-117 (.543)
Green Bay: 136-120 (.531)
Minnesota: 141-115 (.551)

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta: 118-138 (.461)
Carolina: 119-137 (.465)
New Orleans: 115-141 (.449)
Tampa Bay: 120-136 (.469)

NFC WEST

Arizona: 119-137 (.465)
St. Louis: 125-131 (.488)
San Fransisco: 124-132 (.484)
Seattle: 122-134 (.477)

 

[RhodyPatriot]

But it's completely ridiculous how HALF their road games are on the West coast.
Any East coast team forced to make FOUR trips to the West coast is ridiculous and very unfair. I'm hoping maybe a couple of them will be back to back and the team can just stay out there for the week.
Unfair scheduling and puts the Patriots at a big disadvantage when they need to take an entire day traveling out and an entire day traveling back and they've got to do it 4 times. And we don't know yet if any of these West coast games are Sunday or Monday night games.
Ridiculous!!
:rocker: No doubt this will piss the team off and we all know what happens when you piss off the New England Patriots :rocker:

 

[SunnyDenmark]

Glad to just focus on JUST next year - no problemo for me......but I have to take serious issues with anyone looking at our schedule (strength of) and saying it will be be the easiest. The math may say 'Yes' but the truth (next year) is far different....consider:
1) Much of the SOS calculation is biased toward the division opponents as we play them 6 games. Does anyone think the Fins will be as bad as they were this year? We historically split games with them. Also will the Jests be as bad as well. Furthermore, the Bills seem to be heading in the right direction and if they dont suffer all the injuries - I could even see a split with them...No way we go 6-0 against our division opponents next year.

2) Our schedule calls for LONG road trips this year. We play the following opponents ON THE WEST COAST : Seattle, 49'ers, Oakland and San Diego. All of those are away games and the 3 hours plus flights and resulting jetlag are not to be taken lightly.

Cheers and Happy New Year.

 

[borg]

Glad to just focus on JUST next year - no problemo for me......but I have to take serious issues with anyone looking at our schedule (strength of) and saying it will be be the easiest. The math may say 'Yes' but the truth (next year) is far different....consider:
1) Much of the SOS calculation is biased toward the division opponents as we play them 6 games. Does anyone think the Fins will be as bad as they were this year? We historically split games with them. Also will the Jests be as bad as well. Furthermore, the Bills seem to be heading in the right direction and if they dont suffer all the injuries - I could even see a split with them...No way we go 6-0 against our division opponents next year.

2) Our schedule calls for LONG road trips this year. We play the following opponents ON THE WEST COAST : Seattle, 49'ers, Oakland and San Diego. All of those are away games and the 3 hours plus flights and resulting jetlag are not to be taken lightly.

Cheers and Happy New Year.

Only 3 hour flights?
I guess Kraft bought an SST.

 

[FibSeq13478]

Glad to just focus on JUST next year - no problemo for me......but I have to take serious issues with anyone looking at our schedule (strength of) and saying it will be be the easiest. The math may say 'Yes' but the truth (next year) is far different....consider:
1) Much of the SOS calculation is biased toward the division opponents as we play them 6 games. Does anyone think the Fins will be as bad as they were this year? We historically split games with them. Also will the Jests be as bad as well. Furthermore, the Bills seem to be heading in the right direction and if they dont suffer all the injuries - I could even see a split with them...No way we go 6-0 against our division opponents next year.

2) Our schedule calls for LONG road trips this year. We play the following opponents ON THE WEST COAST : Seattle, 49'ers, Oakland and San Diego. All of those are away games and the 3 hours plus flights and resulting jetlag are not to be taken lightly.

Cheers and Happy New Year.

3. Don't forget, we need to add something like 0.2 to the strength of schedule since every one of the 16 teams will be upping their game against the Patriots since they will be trying to knock off the benchmark team or trying to payback for perceived running up the score.

 

[chrisfx811]

The West coast road trips will be very taxing, playing in Seattle & SD, especially.
This year, the Pats SOS was supposed to be much tougher than it actually turned out. Remember all the media pundits proclaiming how tough their road was, and with injuries, the Pats would be lucky to get through the 1st part of the schedule above .500?

No one thought the Ravens would go from 13-3 to crap. Same with the Jets, Bengals, and Eagles.

I agree, that our division will be tougher next year. If the Pats complete the perfect season, next year will be even tougher than what they saw this year.

 

[Patjew]

Only 3 hour flights?
I guess Kraft bought an SST.

Right, it's closer to 5 hrs.

 

[patsox23]

And I suspect both Miami and the jets will be better next season, by a lot. These records and stats are "fun," but they're rarely very accurate.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

3. Don't forget, we need to add something like 0.2 to the strength of schedule since every one of the 16 teams will be upping their game against the Patriots since they will be trying to knock off the benchmark team or trying to payback for perceived running up the score.

Add another .2 - .3 for the escalating pressure that will be building through the season as we move towards 32-0

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

But it's completely ridiculous how HALF their road games are on the West coast.
Any East coast team forced to make FOUR trips to the West coast is ridiculous and very unfair. I'm hoping maybe a couple of them will be back to back and the team can just stay out there for the week. :rocker:

It happens once every 12 years. They rotate the NFL so the Pats play a division every 4 years and in the AFC other than the team finishing in the same position, (first vs first in other divisions, second versus second ) they play each division every three years. By quirk, this is the year they play both west coast teams. If they keep the format the same, it won't happen again until 2020.
I noticed that the toughest SOS belongs to the steelers and teams in that division, I guess they have to face the NFC East next year as the Pats did this year. Dallas, Wash, NYG and Philly and 3 playoff teams is he toughest interconference schedule......Oh well, I guess it's less likely that the wild card teams come from that division.

 

[AFPatsFan12]

The west coast trips do suck, but to be fair, teams like Seattle consistenly travel more during the season, and we don't hear the outcry for them. I'd be compelled to complain if the opponents weren't set years and years in advance....

 

[JoePats]

Us having the easiest SOS makes no sense.

We have 14 of 16 games that are the same as everyone else in our division, but since we came in first place, we play first place teams in the AFC South and AFC North, while Miami plays the last place teams in those divisions.

Thus Miami has the easiest SOS next year.

 

[Ethan 55]

Us having the easiest SOS makes no sense.

We have 14 of 16 games that are the same as everyone else in our division, but since we came in first place, we play first place teams in the AFC South and AFC North, while Miami plays the last place teams in those divisions.

Thus Miami has the easiest SOS next year.

Simple math...we're one of two teams that gets the benefits of playing the Jets and Dolphins twice each. However, unlike the Bills, we don't have a 16-0 team on our schedule twice.

Miami has a harder schedule than us because we get a 1-15 team twice and they get a 16-0 team twice.

 

[fnordcircle]

Only 3 hour flights?
I guess Kraft bought an SST.

Read->Comprehend->Post

He said '3 hours plus flights' which means, yes more than 3 hours.

 

[FrontSeven]

Of course we’re all absolutely loving this season but when you have a 24/7 Patriots talk outlet all subjects will come up.

That is true, as I've experienced it. All subjects, all the time ..... there is no stopping the human mind or imagination or curiosity.

Unfortunately, some people seem to want to control this and desire to "just savor" the victory. I kinda think that you might make the same request about a meal. No talk, no reading, no looking at the blonde at the next table, just eat and shut up. Just savor the meal.

Well, no. I really like to do meals my way, but thanks for your does of food religion.

 

[ALP]

just keep one thing in mind...that SOS depends on this year....

we wont really know how strong the schedule is until we see how the teams do next yr...

whon knows, maybe the fins will go 14-2 (joke....big joke here, LOL)

 

[AzPatsFan]

Its time that the Pats FO consider chartering a Jet equipped with Pullman type sleeper berths. That way the team could sleep their way back and forth across country. When I used to do lots of transcontinental flights I much preferred doing it on the "Red Eye" and found it much less disruptive as far as Jet lag was concerned.

Unfortunately there were no sleeperettes, (even First Class recliners don't work well), so you had to try to sleep in a seat or across several lumpy seats if there was room in an empty plane. Not great, but better than the alternative.

The Pats will need 8 cross country flights; back and forth. Might not be a bad Idea!

Bob Kraft, what do you say?

 

[FrontSeven]

Any East coast team forced to make FOUR trips to the West coast is ridiculous and very unfair.

It's much easier than coming east to play (time zone differences).

 

[arrellbee]

Not only are the teams in the schedule predetermined, but which team is home and which is away is also preset and flip-flops each time the Patriots play that division. So the west coast trips are not just some schedulers' arbitrary burden on the Patriots.

In 2005, Oakland and San Diego traveled to Foxborough, so this year, the next time they play AFC West, the Patriots get the pleasure of travelling to them. It would have been fairer for the AFC West schedule to have Oakland paired with Denver or KC so there would only be one West coast trip - but when the rotation was cast in concrete, somebody didn't think about that.

 

[Prefect]

I noticed that the toughest SOS belongs to the steelers and teams in that division, I guess they have to face the NFC East next year as the Pats did this year. Dallas, Wash, NYG and Philly and 3 playoff teams is he toughest interconference schedule......Oh well, I guess it's less likely that the wild card teams come from that division.

The Steelers also have to face the AFC South on top of the NFC East. Both divisions had all 4 teams end up at least .500. But at least from that perspective it isn't any less likely that the wild card teams couldn't still come from the same division since the AFC South and NFC East aren't playing each other.