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Saying “the AFCE is weak” is dumb because each division each year pretty much plays out as follows:
- Division winner (or tied for most wins)
- Closest challenger
- Mediocre-to-bad 3rd place team
- Doormat
Aside from the Pats always being at the top, the teams filling out the order changes year to year. So with so much in flux and a decent chance that teams can be good one year and mediocre-to-bad the next, a team’s “easy path” to a division title really hinges on how well the closest challenger does. I took a look at most wins vs. runner up win totals in each division to see if there are any easy paths for certain teams…
Since 2002 when Houston rounded out the current 32 teams and the current division alignment was put in place, here is the average wins of the division winner and of the division runner-up (winner, runner-up):
AFCN: 11.27, 9.91
AFCS: 11.32, 9.68
AFCW: 11.14, 9.41
NFCE: 11.11, 9.32
AFCE: 11.90, 9.15
NFCS: 11.30, 9.05
NFCN: 11.22, 8.94
NFCW: 10.68, 8.68
For the 30 teams in this time period that either had or tied for most wins in their division in a year (Detroit and Buffalo never did this), Tennessee’s division wins had the highest average number of wins by its runner-up with 10.75. The lowest was Washington with its runner-up average win total hitting 8. The Pats were 17th with 9.06.
If I change the time period to 2011-2018 when the Pats reeled off 8 straight visits to the AFCCG, the numbers change and the argument that the Pats have an easier path to the division title gets stronger:
AFCW: 11.00, 9.92
NFCW: 11.89, 9.89
AFCN: 11.20, 9.80
NFCN: 11.11, 9.22
AFCS: 10.22, 9.00
NFCE: 10.75, 8.88
NFCS: 11.30, 8.80
AFCE: 12.38, 8.50
For the 26 teams in this time period that either had or tied for most wins in their division in a year, KC’s division wins had the highest average number of wins by its runner-up with 11. The lowest were 5 teams tied with 8. The Pats were the tied with Philly for the 2nd lowest value at 8.5.
Regards,
Chris
- Division winner (or tied for most wins)
- Closest challenger
- Mediocre-to-bad 3rd place team
- Doormat
Aside from the Pats always being at the top, the teams filling out the order changes year to year. So with so much in flux and a decent chance that teams can be good one year and mediocre-to-bad the next, a team’s “easy path” to a division title really hinges on how well the closest challenger does. I took a look at most wins vs. runner up win totals in each division to see if there are any easy paths for certain teams…
Since 2002 when Houston rounded out the current 32 teams and the current division alignment was put in place, here is the average wins of the division winner and of the division runner-up (winner, runner-up):
AFCN: 11.27, 9.91
AFCS: 11.32, 9.68
AFCW: 11.14, 9.41
NFCE: 11.11, 9.32
AFCE: 11.90, 9.15
NFCS: 11.30, 9.05
NFCN: 11.22, 8.94
NFCW: 10.68, 8.68
For the 30 teams in this time period that either had or tied for most wins in their division in a year (Detroit and Buffalo never did this), Tennessee’s division wins had the highest average number of wins by its runner-up with 10.75. The lowest was Washington with its runner-up average win total hitting 8. The Pats were 17th with 9.06.
If I change the time period to 2011-2018 when the Pats reeled off 8 straight visits to the AFCCG, the numbers change and the argument that the Pats have an easier path to the division title gets stronger:
AFCW: 11.00, 9.92
NFCW: 11.89, 9.89
AFCN: 11.20, 9.80
NFCN: 11.11, 9.22
AFCS: 10.22, 9.00
NFCE: 10.75, 8.88
NFCS: 11.30, 8.80
AFCE: 12.38, 8.50
For the 26 teams in this time period that either had or tied for most wins in their division in a year, KC’s division wins had the highest average number of wins by its runner-up with 11. The lowest were 5 teams tied with 8. The Pats were the tied with Philly for the 2nd lowest value at 8.5.
Regards,
Chris
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