Have We Ever Had A Weaker Schedule; 2 games remain against teams in the top 20 (NFL PR).

[mgteich]

We've played or will play
PITT (now 15th)
BUF (3)
BUF (3)
TB (4)
===
with 12 games left, only TB and BUF are top 20 teams.
Even if we lose those, that's only 4 total losses.
It seems that we could expect to have a good chance of the playoffs and still lose as many as 3 of the rest, obviously possible.
Of course, one game at a time!

 

[Pape]

Can only play who is on the schedule

 

[sb1]

2008 maybe? First half of 2019 was also weak

 

[maust]

Can only play who is on the schedule

Deep stuff, let's try another chestnut; You gotta show up to play football in this league.
(Cause showing up for badminton ain't getting it done)

 

[Pape]

Deep stuff, let's try another chestnut; You gotta show up to play football in this league.
(Cause showing up for badminton ain't getting it done)

 

[Tunescribe]

We've played or will play
PITT (now 15th)
BUF (3)
BUF (3)
TB (4)
===
with 12 games left, only TB and BUF are top 20 teams.
Even if we lose those, that's only 4 total losses.
It seems that we could expect to have a good chance of the playoffs and still lose as many as 3 of the rest, obviously possible.
Of course, one game at a time!

I put little stock in the "weak schedule" concept, especially this early in the season. "Any given Sunday" still applies as the league maintains a fair degree of parity. A few weeks ago, who expected the likes of Jacksonville and Indy to do so well while the Ravens and Cheeves struggle? As for the Patriots, I'd be wary of Atlanta and Baltimore (which should get Lamar back soon).

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Not a popular opinion but i think Baltimore will make a run after the bye when their schedule eases up. To be fair theyve had a brutal schedule and a ton on injuries… not sure whos all coming back but i expect them to be pretty tough after probably falling to 1-5 and having a bye.

Even then though, this has to be the easiest schedule ive ever seen us play. I know 2011 was bad, pretty sure we didn’t beat a single team that finished over .500 until the afcc.

 

[mgteich]

I put little stock in the "weak schedule" concept, especially this early in the season. "Any given Sunday" still applies as the league maintains a fair degree of parity. A few weeks ago, who expected the likes of Jacksonville and Indy to do so well while the Ravens and Cheeves struggle? As for the Patriots, I'd be wary of Atlanta and Baltimore (which should get Lamar back soon).

I find it reasonable to have expectations of probable outcomes. An unlikely thing can happen on one Sunday. Of course.

Folks can look at the jets. They might win their next 2 games or their next 6. Anything can happen. You can even bet on them to win the SB.

HOWEVER, as a very practical matter, there are those who make a living betting on sports events and their estimates of the probability of future events are pretty good or they wouldn't be in business or would go broke.

AS OF NOW, we have a 58% chance of being in the playoffs (at one site). And, the teams that we play (other than TB, BUF, and perhaps BAL and ATL) are as easy a schedule as could be constructed by the NFL.

And yes, some of them might have good games.

We are 3-2. We have the 4 competitive teams above, plus 8 very poor teams. I would be surprised if any of the eight are in the playoff, although one could be possible.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Per Aaron Schatz, going by this year's DVOA, the Pats have the easiest schedule any team has had since 1999.

 

[FortressX]

Not a popular opinion but i think Baltimore will make a run after the bye when their schedule eases up. To be fair theyve had a brutal schedule and a ton on injuries… not sure whos all coming back but i expect them to be pretty tough after probably falling to 1-5 and having a bye.

Even then though, this has to be the easiest schedule ive ever seen us play. I know 2011 was bad, pretty sure we didn’t beat a single team that finished over .500 until the afcc.

If that happens the NFL might flex that game.
Bungles/Fish is the SNF game right now with many interesting games at 1

 

[scott99]

Vrabel has to get this team mentally ready to play each week. Can’t take any team for granted. Also, even though the teams may look bad now, some have more talented rosters than the Pats, have to play hard EVERY game.

 

[Ring 6]

We've played or will play
PITT (now 15th)
BUF (3)
BUF (3)
TB (4)
===
with 12 games left, only TB and BUF are top 20 teams.
Even if we lose those, that's only 4 total losses.
It seems that we could expect to have a good chance of the playoffs and still lose as many as 3 of the rest, obviously possible.
Of course, one game at a time!

Funny you kept dismissing this all summer when I said it.

 

[Kdo5]

Should be #1 WC with our schedule assuming we are the team that we saw Sunday on a consistent basis.

 

[Triumph]

Cincinnati, Baltimore and Mami were supposed to be top 10.

 

[Ring 6]

Vrabel has to get this team mentally ready to play each week. Can’t take any team for granted. Also, even though the teams may look bad now, some have more talented rosters than the Pats, have to play hard EVERY game.

They don’t have more talented rosters than the patriots.

 

[Ring 6]

I put little stock in the "weak schedule" concept, especially this early in the season. "Any given Sunday" still applies as the league maintains a fair degree of parity. A few weeks ago, who expected the likes of Jacksonville and Indy to do so well while the Ravens and Cheeves struggle? As for the Patriots, I'd be wary of Atlanta and Baltimore (which should get Lamar back soon).

There are a lot of teams on this schedule who were awful last year and awful this year.
Any given Sunday doesn’t preclude that you will end up with a better record playing bad teams that you would playing good ones.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Saints are not a pushover at home. I hope the team is not as overconfident as the posters here.

 

[TommyD4207]

We've played or will play
PITT (now 15th)
BUF (3)
BUF (3)
TB (4)
===
with 12 games left, only TB and BUF are top 20 teams.
Even if we lose those, that's only 4 total losses.
It seems that we could expect to have a good chance of the playoffs and still lose as many as 3 of the rest, obviously possible.
Of course, one game at a time!

2011 was an incredibly weak schedule. 2010 too.

 

[h0c2000]

Probably won't be winning any strength of schedule tiebreakers then.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

If that happens the NFL might flex that game.
Bungles/Fish is the SNF game right now with many interesting games at 1

Probably. Drake vs Lamar in a playoff implications game, nfl will be salivating over that one