2008 Schedule: tough away, easier home

[neuronet]

We deserve at least a half of an asterisk.

LOL what a great picture

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Wow -- 4 west coast trips and surely several primetime games.

That's pretty brutal, notwithstanding the level of the competition.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

We deserve at least a half of an asterisk.

Does that make you a half-as*ed team?

 

[LiveShot]

Looks like another 16-0 regular season.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Wow -- 4 west coast trips and surely several primetime games.

That's pretty brutal, notwithstanding the level of the competition.

That's assuming you think that travel and when the games are played have more of an impact on the outcome than the quality of the opposition.

I personally couldn't disagree more, I don't think you can spin this schedule to the point where it's not an absolute cupcake.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I can't see us finishing any worse than 13-3

Pretty dumb comment considering you don't know who is going to be here next year :bricks:

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

That's assuming you think that travel and when the games are played have more of an impact on the outcome than the quality of the opposition.

I personally couldn't disagree more, I don't think you can spin this schedule to the point where it's not an absolute cupcake.

Aren't the Patriots 0-for ? at San Francisco?

 

[neuronet]

Overall, this schedule is much easier than last year's (just looking at quality of the opposition, anyway).

2008, two double asterisks, two single asterisks (a quarter of the games).

This year, four double asterisks, three single asterisks (almost half the games).

2007 schedule:
New York Jets
San Diego Chargers (**)--questionable but in week 18 they were
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns(*)
Dallas Cowboys(**)
Miami Dolphins
Washington Redskins(*)
Indianapolis Colts(**)
Buffalo Bills
Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers(*)
New York Jets
Miami Dolphins
New York Giants(**)

As we all know, you can't put too much in this. The Ravens was the toughest game of the regular season.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

This thread is fun but a little bit odd. In the NFL a bad team can improve rapidly and a good team can decline even faster.

 

[BionicPatriot]

I dont under stand how the chargers deserve **. They're not that good.

I diagree bro. I think they played good towards the season midpoint and stayed consistant. I honestly don't think those Chargers were on a fluke run, they just ran into the Pats. Remember, before Norv was 0-2 the only thing that team needed was a coach, and I have a feeling Norv found a fit. Remember, he was and OC for the Chargers a couple years before being hired so I don't think it's a coincidence either.

 

[BionicPatriot]

This thread is fun but a little bit odd. In the NFL a bad team can improve rapidly and a good team can decline even faster.

Thats what I thought. Does this dude not realize the constant turn over every season on NFL rosters? I don't see a lot of those teams improving, but that win pct. will.

 

[neuronet]

Thats what I thought. Does this dude not realize the constant turn over every season on NFL rosters? I don't see a lot of those teams improving, but that win pct. will.

That's why I included in the original post the caveat, "Of course, things will likely be very different next year. The Dolphins might pick up some steam, for instance."

The Dolphins will likely go .500 next year...

 

[Watson's IQ]

This thread is fun but a little bit odd. In the NFL a bad team can improve rapidly and a good team can decline even faster.

Can in the operative word. Yes, teams go from bad to good overnight, and teams go from good to bad overnight, but the vast majority take a little longer to do it. This is a tired sports cliche, the fact is that teams which are bad one year are a far better bet to be bad again the next year than they are to suddenly flip the switch.

With such a broad and deep group of truly awful teams on our schedule, the odds are good that some will improve. But even more are just as likely to stay bad. If the Patriots soft schedule was based only off our own division (as was the case this year) than that's one thing, but it is soft throughout next year.

 

[Watson's IQ]

The Dolphins will likely go .500 next year...

I disagree. That's really all I can say about you assuming a 7 win improvement for the Dolphins in Tuna Year One.

 

[Ootball]

Bears fans thought their division was going to continue to be a cakewalk this past year, as well...

 

[neuronet]

Can in the operative word. Yes, teams go from bad to good overnight, and teams go from good to bad overnight, but the vast majority take a little longer to do it.

It would be very interesting to do a correlation analysis of win percentage in consecutive years, post salary cap and free agency.

It would be cool to see the regression line.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

2008: time for an entire "F-you season"

look out NFL!

 

[carolinatony]

Other than the travel to the west coast its not a bad schedule for us.

 

[neuronet]

I disagree. That's really all I can say about you assuming a 7 win improvement for the Dolphins in Tuna Year One.

It will be interesting to see what happens. They weren't as bad as their record. I know this is cheating, but they had five 3 point losses. They could easily have been six wins this season.

Parcells is pretty good at pulling a quick turnaround, at least at head coach. Plus, even expansion teams sometimes play better than .500.

That said, I sure HOPE Miami is crappy next year. The easier for the Pats the better.

 

[Watson's IQ]

It will be interesting to see what happens. They weren't as bad as their record. I know this is cheating, but they had five 3 point losses. They could easily have been six wins this season.

Parcells is pretty good at pulling a quick turnaround, at least at head coach. Plus, even expansion teams sometimes play better than .500.

That said, I sure HOPE Miami is crappy next year. The easier for the Pats the better.

Well, I'll give you that they weren't as bad as their record, but a turnaround to .500 is asking a lot. Ironically, if the AFC East is going to improve significantly it will be because of the same cupcake schedule that we're talking about for the Patriots. (The Dolphins play the Ravens and Texans instead of the Steelers and Colts). All I know for sure is that the Patriots look to be in great shape.