New England Patriots have 12th hardest schedule in 2013

[OhExaulted1]

New England Patriots have 12th hardest schedule in 2013 | masslive.com

Road schedule looks particularly brutal. Tough guantlet.

 

[DocHoliday]

Bring it on

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

it looks a lot harder than 12th with those teams we gotta play..but that's just me. And what do you know..broncos have the easiest!

 

[chasa]

Broncos, Peyton another year older. I would have rather played them again as opposed to the ravens in the AFCCG last year, I expect a Win

The steelers are old and about to lose a ton of talent on defense Another expected Win

The saints will be a tough game, could go either way with Payton back at coach

Dolphins, Thats a win

The bucs are getting better, but our offensive speed will outmatch there defense. thats a win

The jets, A win

Bills, another new coach? that's a win

Browns new coaching, possibly scrapping there 2nd year 28 year old QB with no offensive weapons. That's a win

At home i see us going 7-1

Falcons is going to be a huge test for the defense, i see a loss here

The texans, If it isnt broke dont fix it, a Win

The ravens if they lose all the people i think they are going to lose are going to be a much easier team to face next year, Win

The bengals scare me a bit, I think their defense can cause some problems, and if their offense clicks they could put up enough points, Loss

Dolphins, bills, jets, All wins

Panthers will be an interesting matchup, but i think its a sleeper loss.

Away games 5-3

Overall record 12-4 AFC champs and the 3rd seed.

 

[YearbookCurfew]

To be the best, you've got to beat the best! GO Pats! :rocker:

 

[Nunchucks]

Strength of schedule is a BS ranking, especially at this time of year.

 

[Deus Irae]

The only home game that worries me is the Saints game. 7-1 seems almost as if it should be the over/under.

On the road, the Patriots match up well against the Falcons, who are a bit soft, and the Texans, although they'll be out for blood. The worry game there is the Ravens. 6-2 Seems like the over/under here.

So, taking a quick look at the schedule right now, I'd be looking at 13-3 as the over/under. Obviously, this can change over the course of the offseason.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Since the Pats finished higher than 12th overall. I think that's pretty fair. And honestly strength of schedule is overrated this early. Why? Teams fortunes swing all the time. In today's NFL a team can get signficantly better or worse within a season's time. This schedule could be easier than predicted or harder than predicted.

 

[mgcolby]

Every year people bring up the schedule and how easy or hard it will be and it never looks remotely the same in January as it did in September.

Remember that easy schedule we were supposed to have last year? The NFL is year to year with a few teams being the exceptions. We haven't even hit FA yet.

 

[brdmaverick]

it looks a lot harder than 12th with those teams we gotta play..but that's just me. And what do you know..broncos have the easiest!

Coming off a Super Bowl appearance we technically had the easiest schedule last year (going off this measurement).

This year we are essentially the middle of the pack.

That doesn't really warrant much for us to complain about.

 

[DarrylS]

IMO strength of schedule can only be assessed after the season, not before... too many variables.

 

[Shockt327]

2012 strength of schedule:

Rank	Team			Conf.	Div.	W	L	Win %	Strength of Schedule

1	Atlanta Falcons		NFC	South	13	3	0.813	0.422
2	Cincinnati Bengals	AFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.438
3	Indianapolis Colts	AFC	South	11	5	0.688	0.441
4	San Diego Chargers	AFC	West	7	9	0.438	0.457
5	Denver Broncos		AFC	West	13	3	0.813	0.457
6	Pittsburgh Steelers	AFC	North	8	8	0.5	0.465
7	Oakland Raiders		AFC	West	4	12	0.25	0.469
8	Buffalo Bills		AFC	East	6	10	0.375	0.48
9	Washington Redskins	NFC	East	10	6	0.625	0.494
10	Houston Texans		AFC	South	12	4	0.75	0.496
11	New England Patriots	AFC	East	12	4	0.75	0.496
12	Baltimore Ravens	AFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.496
13	Miami Dolphins		AFC	East	7	9	0.438	0.5
14	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	NFC	South	7	9	0.438	0.502
15	Seattle Seahawks	NFC	West	11	5	0.688	0.504
16	San Francisco 49ers	NFC	West	11	4	0.733	0.504
17	Philadelphia Eagles	NFC	East	4	12	0.25	0.508
18	Cleveland Browns	AFC	North	5	11	0.313	0.508
19	Green Bay Packers	NFC	North	11	5	0.688	0.508
20	New York Jets		AFC	East	6	10	0.375	0.512
21	Tennessee Titans	AFC	South	6	10	0.375	0.512
22	Chicago Bears		NFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.512
23	Kansas City Chiefs	AFC	West	2	14	0.125	0.516
24	Carolina Panthers	NFC	South	7	9	0.438	0.516
25	Minnesota Vikings	NFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.52
26	New Orleans Saints	NFC	South	7	9	0.438	0.522
27	New York Giants		NFC	East	9	7	0.563	0.522
28	Dallas Cowboys		NFC	East	8	8	0.5	0.523
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	AFC	South	2	14	0.125	0.539
30	St. Louis Rams		NFC	West	7	8	0.467	0.539
31	Arizona Cardinals	NFC	West	5	11	0.313	0.56
32	Detroit Lions		NFC	North	4	12	0.25	0.567

 

[Uncle Rico]

2012 strength of schedule:

Rank	Team			Conf.	Div.	W	L	Win %	Strength of Schedule

1	Atlanta Falcons		NFC	South	13	3	0.813	0.422
2	Cincinnati Bengals	AFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.438
3	Indianapolis Colts	AFC	South	11	5	0.688	0.441
4	San Diego Chargers	AFC	West	7	9	0.438	0.457
5	Denver Broncos		AFC	West	13	3	0.813	0.457
6	Pittsburgh Steelers	AFC	North	8	8	0.5	0.465
7	Oakland Raiders		AFC	West	4	12	0.25	0.469
8	Buffalo Bills		AFC	East	6	10	0.375	0.48
9	Washington Redskins	NFC	East	10	6	0.625	0.494
10	Houston Texans		AFC	South	12	4	0.75	0.496
11	New England Patriots	AFC	East	12	4	0.75	0.496
12	Baltimore Ravens	AFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.496
13	Miami Dolphins		AFC	East	7	9	0.438	0.5
14	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	NFC	South	7	9	0.438	0.502
15	Seattle Seahawks	NFC	West	11	5	0.688	0.504
16	San Francisco 49ers	NFC	West	11	4	0.733	0.504
17	Philadelphia Eagles	NFC	East	4	12	0.25	0.508
18	Cleveland Browns	AFC	North	5	11	0.313	0.508
19	Green Bay Packers	NFC	North	11	5	0.688	0.508
20	New York Jets		AFC	East	6	10	0.375	0.512
21	Tennessee Titans	AFC	South	6	10	0.375	0.512
22	Chicago Bears		NFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.512
23	Kansas City Chiefs	AFC	West	2	14	0.125	0.516
24	Carolina Panthers	NFC	South	7	9	0.438	0.516
25	Minnesota Vikings	NFC	North	10	6	0.625	0.52
26	New Orleans Saints	NFC	South	7	9	0.438	0.522
27	New York Giants		NFC	East	9	7	0.563	0.522
28	Dallas Cowboys		NFC	East	8	8	0.5	0.523
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	AFC	South	2	14	0.125	0.539
30	St. Louis Rams		NFC	West	7	8	0.467	0.539
31	Arizona Cardinals	NFC	West	5	11	0.313	0.56
32	Detroit Lions		NFC	North	4	12	0.25	0.567

And for comparison, SOS before the season started:

Edit: Just realized this table goes hardest-to-easiest, opposite of the chart above, but you can still get the idea.

1	N.Y. Giants*	140-116	.547	7
2	Denver*   	139-117	.543	7
3	Cleveland	135-121	.527	7
4	St. Louis	134-122	.523	5
4	Baltimore*	134-122	.523	7
6	San Diego	133-123	.520	6
7	Philadelphia	132-124	.516	8
8	Minnesota	131-125	.512	7
8	Arizona	   131-125	.512	6
10	Carolina	130-126	.508	5
11	Seattle   	129-127	.504	5
11	Dallas   	129-127	.504	7
11	New Orleans*	129-127	.504	5
14	Jacksonville	128-128	.500	8
14	Cincinnati*	128-128	.500	5
14	Pittsburgh*	128-128	.500	6
14	Indianapolis	128-128	.500	7
18	Oakland	      127-129	.496	5
18	Miami	      127-129	.496	6
20	N.Y. Jets	126-130	.492	6
20	Kansas City	126-130	.492	5
20	Chicago	126-130	.492	7
20	Detroit*	126-130	.492	6
24	Washington	125-131	.488	7
24	Atlanta*	125-131	.488	4
24	San Francisco*	125-131	.488	5
27	Tampa Bay	124-132	.484	5
28	Tennessee	123-133	.480	6
29	Houston*	121-135	.473	6
29	Buffalo	   121-135	.473	5
31	Green Bay*	120-136	.469	7
32	New England*	116-140	.453	4

So, things change (including the fact that a team going, say, 13-3, will ultimately "weaken" its own schedule, and vice versa. ...)