2008 Schedule...My thoughts

[Gumby]

How to do we end up playing the "weakest schedule" anyway? Should we technically have the toughest schedule due to our record? Or does that just belong to the Super Bowl winner?

Well; all games are essentially pre-determined by 3 factors:
1. your division
2. your seeding (therefore playing vs same seeded teams)
3. the rotational divisions you play against - 1 afc & 1 nfc

Since we won our division; factor 2 means we should be playing against the best teams.

But we net a "weaker" schedule by the other 2 division factors.
1. Playing the weak sisters in our own division. (granted that is due in part to each of them having 2 guaranteed losses each year versus us)
3. AFCW and NFCW in the same year both being below average divisions. NFCW probably the weakest NFC division and AFCW the 2nd weakest last year.

I am not sure the smartest thing the league did when they created the rotational system was to set it up so an E coast team plays both AFC and NFC West coast divisions at the same time. But otherwise; it is what it is.

I guarantee it won't be the weakest schedule by the time week 17 hits next year.

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

Re: 2008 Schedule.... My thoughts

Our travel schedule is tough, but our strength of schedule is very easy. Granted strength of schedule this far before the start of the season means very little, but I haven't really seen any of the NFC or AFC West teams making themselves significantly better so far this offseason.

Seattle may have upgraded their running game, but they have no WRs. Arizona has lost a few pieces on their defense and may be forced to trade Larry Fitzgerald if they can't get a deal done. The 49ers have done some upgrades, but nothing significant. The Rams will get better by being healthy, but got a long way to go. San Deigo has done nothing. KC has done nothing. The Raiders might have been better off if they actually did nothing.

I guess many of these teams will improve in the draft, but how much. I think the Pats may have gotten a break with the schedule as far as quality of opponents and the west coast trips will be a bit of an equalizer.

As far as Indy, we played something like 4 or 5 straight regular season home games in Foxboro against them. I can't really complain about three away games in a row.

San Diego never does nothing. But that team is stacked with talent from top to bottom. Plus they added an underated Derek Smith to that ILB crew. A nice verteran who has lots of experience in the 3-4 with San Francisco.

 

[jmt57]

How to do we end up playing the "weakest schedule" anyway? Should we technically have the toughest schedule due to our record? Or does that just belong to the Super Bowl winner?

It's actually due in part to the Patriots not having to face a team that finished 16-0, like thirteen unlucky other teams have to . . .

Only two of the sixteen games are based on what place the team came in the year before. The rest are based on a rotation that started in 2002 when the NFL went from six divisions to eight. It just so happens that this year the Patriots have hit the trifecta of playing three divisions of teams who each collectively had bad records in the previous season. Two games each against the other teams in the AFC East (7-9 Bills, 4-12 Jets, 1-15 Dolphins) adds up to an opponent's record of 24-72; four games against the AFC West (11-5 Chargers, 7-9 Broncos, 4-12 Chiefs, 4-12 Raiders) adds up to an opponent's record of 26-38; four games against the NFC West (10-6 Seahawks, 8-8 Cardinals, 5-11 49ers, 3-13 Rams) adds up to an opponent's record of 26-38; two games against the remaining AFC first place teams (13-3 Colts, 10-6 Steelers) adds up to an opponent's record of 23-9.

There's no conspiracy as no teams are given "easy" or "hard" schedules. The rotation was put in place six years ago. This rotation also the extra benefit that every team gets to play every other team at least once every four years. The Patriots strength of schedule is lowered mostly by the AFC East and facing the Dolphins and Jets twice each. Two games against first place teams doesn't change the total opponent's record that much.

I'm not crazy about playing both the AFC West and NFC West in the same year, but it is one of those things that will happen with the rotation once every twelve years since you play each NFC division once every four years and every AFC division once every three years.

This link goes into more detail with the schedule rotation, it's benefits, and who will play each other next year. Seems to me it is the best setup for all fans and teams, I would expect the NFL to continue with this setup until the day comes that they decide to expand beyond 32 teams.