Pack the RVs, start scheming for ways to get out of family events and get ready to plot your team's destiny - NFL schedule day is here. Which teams got a raw deal from the schedule gods and which teams have a favorable path in 2008?
LOSERS
1. Pittsburgh Steelers - Pittsburgh's '08 opponents have the highest cumulative winning percentage and the Steelers got no favors from the schedule-makers. Look at this stretch from Week 10 through Week 14: Indy, San Diego, Cincy on Thursday night, at Patriots, Cowboys. How do you keep your head up through that stretch?
2. Dallas Cowboys - Think the Cowboys will get some attention this year? They already have T.O., may get Pacman Jones and have at least five primetime games. That means they should face a lot of fired-up teams. They start with a trip to Cleveland, a Monday-nighter against Philly and a Sunday night game at Green Bay.
3. Indianapolis Colts - The Colts face their nemesis, the Patriots, on a short week after facing rival Tennessee the week before on Monday night in Week 8. After New England in Week 9, Indy heads out to Pittsburgh in Week 10 and San Diego in Week 12. Yikes. Say good-bye to homefield advantage.
WINNERS
1. San Diego Chargers - You'd think a West Coast team going to London would have a major problem, but the NFL helped the Chargers out. They play on the East Coast at Buffalo in Week 7 before taking off for Wembley to take on the Saints. And New Orleans loses the home game. Then San Diego gets a bye and hosts the Chiefs in Week 10. The Chargers can afford to be a little jet-lagged and still beat Kansas City. Maybe this trip will help them bond, like the Super Bowl champion Giants did last year.
2. Green Bay Packers - Assuming Aaron Rodgers is really the starting quarterback (I have to see it to believe it), the Packers don't want him starting the season against the league's toughest defenses. Green Bay starts at home against Minnesota, heads to Detroit and then hosts the Cowboys (a team Rogers already fared well against). Rodgers will have a chance to get his feet underneath him before a tough trip to Seattle in Week 6 and some other tough matchups later in the season.
3. New England Patriots - The Patriots have the easiest strength of schedule and a seemingly brutal West Coast schedule may have worked out better than it could have. They head out to San Francisco and San Diego in Week 5 and Week 6, and then go to Seattle and Oakland in Week 14 and 15. That allows Bill Belichick to stay over between either sets of those games and save one or two cross-country trips, which is huge for all those old legs on that defense. Might not happen, but it's an option for Belichick. Overall, the Pats have two scary road games on their schedule - at San Diego in Week 6 and at Indy in Week 9. Other than that, not many potential losses jump out on their schedule.
What is your reaction to the 2008 NFL schedules?
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Comments (70)
Ouch! My Steelers got the shaft! Thats ok, determining a team's schedule based on last year's winning percentage is a pretty iffy science at best. Besides, we all know that New England has already peaked and the wheels are starting to fall off.
messenjah | 04/15/08, 04:04 PM
Report Offensive CommentWeeks 1-5 will make or break the 2008 season for Skins. 3 road games vs division rivals Giants (w1), Dallas (w4), Philly (w5) with 2 conference opponents sandwiched in between (Saints (w2) and Cards (w3)). Saints and Cards underperformed in '08 and should be tough matchups for new coach Jim Zorn's Skins. But they're definitely up for the task!
flashgordon11 | 04/15/08, 04:13 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe schedule for all of the AFC North teams is BRUTAL! Two games against the division opponents and they play the NFC East and AFC South. Only the division winner gets in the playoffs!
KD | 04/15/08, 04:21 PM
Report Offensive CommentPretty poor reasoning for saying Dallas got a bad draw. Okay, Philly on Monday night. Since when do the Cowboys, Giants, and Eagles, and Skins NOT have several big games in any season? Cleveland? Didn't even make the playoffs. I would say they will fall back to earth but, again, they didn't even make the playoffs. Browns will be lucky to win 7. Packers without Favre? They'll be a 5 win team.
I guess that's why you guys get paid the big bucks to write fluff like this. The so-called 'winners and losers' have one thing in common year-after-year: The ones who make the list are mostly the ones you want to talk about and that you can count on making the playoffs. Really went out on a limb there, didn't you Perloff?
slug | 04/15/08, 04:31 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe Steelers' .598 opponents win percentage (Indy is right behind at .594) seems extraordinarily high compared to recent years. Does anyone know what was the highest all-time opponents win percentage (offseason ranking)? Also, do road versus home games get figured into the strength of schedule?
whogastim | 04/15/08, 04:33 PM
Report Offensive CommentI don't count the Packers as a winner. That stretch in December (TEXANS, at Jags, at an 11-day rested Bears (MNF)) is brutal and coming at the worst time. Here's hoping the team starts strong.
ChrTh FC -- Carry That Weight | 04/15/08, 04:46 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe cycle of NFL scheduling definitely took it's toll on the AFC North this year and gave the AFC East a favor. Only the division winner will make the playoffs and in all likelihood, it will be the Cleveland Browns or the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don't see either team winning the division at anything better than 10-6. Probably 9-7. As for the Patriots, they have no excuse but to win at the very least 12 games and be the #1 seed in the playoffs again. Indianapolis is obviously the other perennial contender, but they have an unbelievably tough schedule as well and might drop down to the #3 seed if San Diego takes advantage of its favorable slate.
pantherfan0728 | 04/15/08, 04:48 PM
Report Offensive CommentYeah- the Steelers schedule is brutal, but we knew who we'd be playing for awhile now, this announcement is just the "when".
perfect360 | 04/15/08, 04:52 PM
Report Offensive CommentBoy, the patriots make out like bandits again. I know the Dolphins skewed their opponents winning percentage, but they have it so good. I'm not sure I can last another season listening to all the talking heads gush over Brady and the genius-cheater.
JRJung23 | 04/15/08, 04:57 PM
Report Offensive CommentSo you are saying the Pats are not going to fly back to Boston after their week 5 and week 14 games? They don't need the practice. They'll probably just spend those 2 weeks surfing or something like that.
MC,
Denver
MMCully | 04/15/08, 05:04 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe Giants are in great shape!
sacked92 | 04/15/08, 05:06 PM
Report Offensive CommentYou've got to be kidding! Who did the Steelers piss off??? It's like playing in the playoffs all year! NOoo!
aglebagel | 04/15/08, 06:46 PM
Report Offensive CommentI remember when the Steelers opponents were made known and as I'm scrolling through it I'm thinking, "crap...crap...crap...crap...crap...etc.etc."
aglebagel | 04/15/08, 06:49 PM
Report Offensive CommentAs a KC fan, as long as they have Brodie Croyle at QB and Carl Peterson as GM, put a fork in them not only this season but also seasons to come regardless of schedule.
Smoothkaos | 04/15/08, 07:25 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe Steelers are in serious trouble!!! They haven't done anything in free agency and the draft isn't going to supply them with any true talent. Mike Tomlin is going to find out fast that this team is too far from the talent they'll face weeks 1-17 forget about the 10-14 stretch. This team finishes below .500 and misses the playoffs, yet again! I'm a die hard Steelers fan, that's how I know this is what's going to happen. Think 6 and 10. Ouch!
mikeinpittsburgh | 04/15/08, 08:12 PM
Report Offensive CommentNevermind the infamous tuck rule interpretation by the refs in route to the first Superbowl of the Brady era, oh, and nevermind the Monday night game last year in Baltimore during which the refs decided that they would call SOMETHING against the Ravens on every crucial down in the last 2 minutes of the game, all that aside, it makes perfect sense that the team the NFL unofficially crowned during the season went undefeated last year, 16-0 during the regular season gets you the weakest schedule in terms of opponents winning percentage the following year huh? No conspiracy right?
mmorrisl98 | 04/15/08, 08:50 PM
Report Offensive CommentOk, someone tell me, how does New England goes 16-0 in the regular season and with all of their weapons end up with the easiest schedule? thats nonsense!!!!!
cazper19 | 04/15/08, 10:08 PM
Report Offensive Comment"Ok, someone tell me, how does New England goes 16-0 in the regular season and with all of their weapons end up with the easiest schedule? thats nonsense!!!!!"
No, it's called the schedule that was determined in 2002, coupled with the weakness of the AFC East.
ChrTh FC -- Carry That Weight | 04/15/08, 10:15 PM
Report Offensive Commentthis crap is rigged so new england can get that undefeated record
xtrmmustang | 04/15/08, 10:22 PM
Report Offensive CommentTo xtrmmustang: The schedule is what it is. There is nothing "rigged" about it. It has been pre-calculated. All teams know prior to the season whom they are playing, they just don't know when.
To messenjah: Give it a rest hater. The Pats are on their way down? 18-1 and on their way down? Time to retire the hash pipe. Pats will be around for years to come. Swallow it. And, along the way, they will continue to own the Steelers.
SevenHard | 04/15/08, 11:21 PM
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