JGalligan
Footballguy
Ah, the strength of schedule. You either love it or you hate it. Or both depending on the situation. Usually, strength of schedule is the most prevalent in the pre-season span of early May to late July months when it's perfectly okay to do an in-depth study on kicking tees and there effect on touchbacks. Not only that, but it would also likely be devoured and critically acclaimed within minutes.
There's a lot of sites that monitor strength of schedule from a fantasy standpoint (including this one!) during the season, but not a lot that monitor it with the teams' overall strength in mind. The criteria for this “strength” is my own, but I promise you that it encompasses everything necessary to get an excellent gauge of how powerful a team is relative to all of the other teams in the league. The majority of the teams' strength of schedule grades were generally in the same vicinity, so differences in rank actually came down to one or two decimal points.
First, let's take a look at the twelve most difficult strength of schedules thus far. Each team's record is provided in parentheses:
1. St. Louis Rams (2-6)
2. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (1-8)
5. Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
6. Washington Redskins (6-3)
7. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
8. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
9. Indianapolis Colts (4-4)
Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
New Orleans Saints (4-4)
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
While there were certainly exceptions to the rule, the average win/loss record for a team who had one of the top twelve strength of schedules is 3.4 – 4.8, or 3-5 if we use our third grade rounding skills. Now, let's take a look at the next eight teams which will be smack dab in the middle of our top twelve and bottom twelve:
10. Arizona Cardinals (5-3)
Detroit Lions (0-8)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Miami Dolphins (4-4)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)
13. San Diego Chargers (3-5)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
15.Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
Not too bad (besides the Lions, who are just frigging hopeless) for teams in the middle range. The average win/loss record here is 4.25 – 3.8 or 4-4 when rounded. If we took out the Lions (you know, just for fun) than the average win/loss record would be about 5- 3.
16. Green Bay Packers (4-4)
Oakland Raiders (2-6)
17. Chicago Bears (5-3)
18. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
19. San Francisco 49ers (2-6)
20. Denver Broncos (4-4)
21. Houston Texans (3-5)
22. New York Giants (7-1)
23. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
24. New York Jets (5-3)
25. New England Patriots (5-3)
26. Tennessee Titans (8-0)
Besides some struggling teams, the majority of the teams with the easiest strength of schedule so far this season have managed to at least win half there games. The Titans, who've had the easiest one in the league, have taken advantage and won all of them. Its definitely something to take into account, and their schedule is one of the main reasons that many people aren't viewing the Titans 8-0 record as one normally would.
What does this all mean? Well, nothing really. Sure, we can factor it into our decisions about each team – but unless your using the information for handicapping purposes, there's really not much else to take away from this. Other than teams without solid coaching or well rounded talent have a tough time overcoming a very tough schedule.
As I was calculating everything up though, I was curious on how the divisions ranked in terms of 'power' and how much parity there would be when each division was given an average grade based on the teams within it. I wish I could be more suspenseful, but there's really not much else to say. Drum roll please!
<drum roll...>
<drum roll...>
The NFL Divisional Power Rankings:
1. NFC East (Average grade: B)
2. NFC South (Average grade: B)
3. AFC South (Average grade: B-)
4. AFC East (Average grade: C+)
5. AFC North (Average grade: C+)
6. NFC North (Average grade: C+)
7. NFC West (Average grade: C)
8. AFC West (Average grade: C-)
Not really much surprises there, other than the AFC East. I don't think a lot of people thought that the division would be so well-rounded than its turned out to be. The NFC South has also passed the AFC South in terms of the second toughest division in football. I don't think there should be any doubt at all that the NFC East is THE strongest division in the NFL. When your division is nicknamed the NFC Beast, you know you have something special going on.
If nothing else, the information I've provided should prove excellent to possess when faced with a random bar argument or water cooler discussion. Stop it, stop it, you're too kind!
There's a lot of sites that monitor strength of schedule from a fantasy standpoint (including this one!) during the season, but not a lot that monitor it with the teams' overall strength in mind. The criteria for this “strength” is my own, but I promise you that it encompasses everything necessary to get an excellent gauge of how powerful a team is relative to all of the other teams in the league. The majority of the teams' strength of schedule grades were generally in the same vicinity, so differences in rank actually came down to one or two decimal points.
First, let's take a look at the twelve most difficult strength of schedules thus far. Each team's record is provided in parentheses:
1. St. Louis Rams (2-6)
2. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7)
4. Cincinnati Bengals (1-8)
5. Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
6. Washington Redskins (6-3)
7. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
8. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
9. Indianapolis Colts (4-4)
Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
New Orleans Saints (4-4)
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
While there were certainly exceptions to the rule, the average win/loss record for a team who had one of the top twelve strength of schedules is 3.4 – 4.8, or 3-5 if we use our third grade rounding skills. Now, let's take a look at the next eight teams which will be smack dab in the middle of our top twelve and bottom twelve:
10. Arizona Cardinals (5-3)
Detroit Lions (0-8)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Miami Dolphins (4-4)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)
13. San Diego Chargers (3-5)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
15.Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
Not too bad (besides the Lions, who are just frigging hopeless) for teams in the middle range. The average win/loss record here is 4.25 – 3.8 or 4-4 when rounded. If we took out the Lions (you know, just for fun) than the average win/loss record would be about 5- 3.
16. Green Bay Packers (4-4)
Oakland Raiders (2-6)
17. Chicago Bears (5-3)
18. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
19. San Francisco 49ers (2-6)
20. Denver Broncos (4-4)
21. Houston Texans (3-5)
22. New York Giants (7-1)
23. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
24. New York Jets (5-3)
25. New England Patriots (5-3)
26. Tennessee Titans (8-0)
Besides some struggling teams, the majority of the teams with the easiest strength of schedule so far this season have managed to at least win half there games. The Titans, who've had the easiest one in the league, have taken advantage and won all of them. Its definitely something to take into account, and their schedule is one of the main reasons that many people aren't viewing the Titans 8-0 record as one normally would.
What does this all mean? Well, nothing really. Sure, we can factor it into our decisions about each team – but unless your using the information for handicapping purposes, there's really not much else to take away from this. Other than teams without solid coaching or well rounded talent have a tough time overcoming a very tough schedule.
As I was calculating everything up though, I was curious on how the divisions ranked in terms of 'power' and how much parity there would be when each division was given an average grade based on the teams within it. I wish I could be more suspenseful, but there's really not much else to say. Drum roll please!
<drum roll...>
<drum roll...>
The NFL Divisional Power Rankings:
1. NFC East (Average grade: B)
2. NFC South (Average grade: B)
3. AFC South (Average grade: B-)
4. AFC East (Average grade: C+)
5. AFC North (Average grade: C+)
6. NFC North (Average grade: C+)
7. NFC West (Average grade: C)
8. AFC West (Average grade: C-)
Not really much surprises there, other than the AFC East. I don't think a lot of people thought that the division would be so well-rounded than its turned out to be. The NFC South has also passed the AFC South in terms of the second toughest division in football. I don't think there should be any doubt at all that the NFC East is THE strongest division in the NFL. When your division is nicknamed the NFC Beast, you know you have something special going on.
If nothing else, the information I've provided should prove excellent to possess when faced with a random bar argument or water cooler discussion. Stop it, stop it, you're too kind!
