Turns out that we will face the toughest schedule in the entire NFL in 2009 based on the winning percentages of our opponents from 2008. What probably put us over the top was our 2 other games against SD and Pittsburgh, both division winners. The winning percentage we face is .594. And actually the entire AFC East holds four of the top 7 spots on this list. So not like we are being singled out.
Hopefully we will get some early home games in September when the heat and humidity work to our advantage.
Last year the Steelers had the hardest schedule, look what they did. And having a tougher list of opponents will only go to make us stronger in the long run.
But here is to Miami being the first team in SB history to play the game on their home field in SB 44. Additionally the AFC team will be considered the home team since Arizona was the "home" team yesterday.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-5-5/AFC-East-has-four-of-NFL-s-seven-worst-schedules.html
Hope it is cool that I post a link to the article on ESPN.COM. If not, admins, please forgive.
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HULKFish, PMZQ, Rocky Raccoon and 6 others like this.
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The way the NFL changes it could be the easiest schedule next year? Bring them all on I say, you'll only get better playing the best!
HULKFish, gafinfan, The Aqua Crush and 1 other person like this. -
I'd be interested to see the fluxuations between these rankings before and after the season. For instance, before the season, the Steelers' sked was the most difficult. After the season was over, it was ranked the 7th hardest.
HULKFish likes this. -
Agreed, really is meaningless because things change year to year. But just thought I would post it up. I know at the start of the 08 season, all I heard from my Steeler fan wife is that they had the toughest schedule. Well if I know have to hear her for another year talk about the SB Champion Steelers, at least I have this to throw out there. LOL!!baboo72 likes this.
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And I bet what appeared to be the easiest schedule last year for the Pats radically changed as well since the Phins and Jets had greatly improved seasons.
I love the challenge of this schedule as it appears right now. Last year after the Houston game we learned how to beat lessor opponents. If we want to be a great team, if we want to win multiple SBs, then we need to face and defeat the tough challenges along the way. Perhaps we won't win the division or even make the playoffs next season, but it will make us a more battle tested team to advance in year three. And year three of the Sparano reign is where I am looking to make a serious run at a Title.baboo72 likes this. -
Hope I didn't offend Tiki? just usually you hear toughest schedule talk from the NFLNW talking heads who are usually defending a patriots loss / failure to make the playoffs! :up:
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They were the exception to the rule. Arizona, Miami and Tennesse (all playoff teams) had three of the easiest schedules' in the league.
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No game's easy so what is thrown at us we can deal with!
Couple of good free agent signings and a good draft lol and we be ok. -
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Cant speak for Arizona or Tenn, but the Phins I don't recall had one of the easiest schedules, while it certainly wasn't one of the toughest either. Having to face a 16-0 team twice, pumps that percentage up a good amount.
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Should be an interesting year next season given this news. It's okay though, its a good thing for us. Nobody thought we would beat NE, or SD this year as good as they were to be, and we did that pretty easily. Things can change very quickly in this league, so toughest schedule based on this years records next year... really may not mean a thing. Hell, im sure most people looked at us on their schedules this season as and easy win, sure didnt work out that way though...
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Let's not act like the strength of schedule means nothing. There is a good chance that we will be a better team next year but have a worse record.
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I'll wait to see what our opponents look like after the first few games of the year. Remember how good Jacksonville and Dallas were supposed to be? And how bad Miami, Baltimore, and Atlanta were supposed to be? And did anyone ever think Tennesse would be the last remaining undefeated team going into week 11? You just never know... Good/Great teams get beat by bad/ mediocre teams every year. Guess thats why the old saying, "Any Given Sunday" is so true in the NFL..
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Who knows the schedule will be tough. Just another indication that Roger Goddell and Bobby Kraft are each others Valentines. Can someone tell me why the Pats are the early favorite next year....besides the fact that they are the Patriots? Hell, their defense gets a group rate from AARP.
SICK likes this. -
It was easiest in terms of what the teams finished. My bad for not clarifying.
But it does go to show you that these type of schedule analyses are overrated. -
Because they had an 11-5 record without their Hall of Fame reigning MVP Qb who had just had the greatest season ever for a QB and with a Qb who hadn't started a game since high school. Don't tell me cassel is good, because Brady was putting up cassel's numbers with Rich Cadwell and Troy Brown.
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who says we wont be able to hang with the best of the best?
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the problem is its all relative... our division was strong last year so its going to make our record seem tougher... then we play the NFC South which had a good collective record just like our division...
yet people wanna say our division had it easy so we weren't as good as our record... but what about the NFC South? They also played the AFC West (as we did) and they played the NFC North, which was almost as bad as the NFL West we played...
so if you want to say the AFC east record was so good because of the schedule, you can say the same for the NFC South, and we just happen to play each other this year... so its no coincidence that its the teams from our division and theirs that have the "toughest" schedule...
which division is really stronger? which really benefited from the schedules of this year? we wont find out till next year, but its not something we should be afraid of now... -
I'd want it no other way...bring it on!!
EDIT: Thinking about it a little more...we don't play a single team that had double digit losses this past season. 7-9 is the worst. That's insane.
EDIT 2: Whoops, forgot about the 5-11 Jaguars, who I know is better than that record though.