First, there is a reason why Michael Irvin is an ESPN reject. Yes, part of it is his drug use, but it also has to do with him saying grandeous ludicrious statements.
Second, talking about strength of schedule at this point is useless. I guarantee you that there will be teams on the Pats' schedule that people think now will be a tough game which the team will struggle to get get to and possibly miss .500 and one or two teams that people expect to suck that will be a playoff or even Super Bowl contender. Last year, everyone thought that the Vikings was going to be a tough game for the Pats and that they and San Deigo were Super Bowl contenders. Both missed the playoffs. No one thought much about the Bears before the season and they won their division against the eventual Super Bowl champs.
Third, based on last year's record, the Pats SOS in 2010 is tougher than 2011. I know Irvin has trouble admitting it to himself, but the Cowboys just aren't that good. With Romo back and Phillips gone, they should be better, but they weren't playing well before Romo got hurt and the Cowboys' defense was surprisingly mediocre. As for the Eagles, teams seemed to have started to figure out Michael Vick late in the year (hence why he went from MVP candidate to out of the discussion). The Redskins don't even have a QB. Denver is totally rebuilding with no QB since they don't seem to want Tebow. The AFC and NFC North produced more playoff teams (and both Super Bowl participants) than the AFC West and NFC East (both division winners were one and done).
Fourth, the Pats have a relatively easy December/January schedule based on last year's results. After Indy December 4th, the Pats' final four games are against teams that went .500 or below last year. Having a soft schedule at the end of the year can really be huge for a run in the playoffs.
I still don't get except for Irvin's NFC East bias and/or Patriots anti-bias how anyone can say based on what we know right now that the Pats have the hardest schedule he has seen in years. Based on what we know right now, the Pats schedule last year was far harder They faced Baltimore, Green Bay, and Chicago (Baltimore and Green Bay are stronger than anyone they will face in either the AFC West or the NFC East). I don't know if the Pats can repeat a 14-2 season, but right now they have a better shot of it than they should have had last year based on the SOS based on 2010 results. The 2011 schedule right now is significantly easier than the 2010 based on what we know now.
how could he lose something he never had. 
