2020 NFL strength of schedule: Cowboys, Ravens and Steelers have it easiest

mattjames2010

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Lol. Pats only had to play 3 teams with a winning record last season and lost to all 3. Sadly, they lost in the first round of the playoffs being they had to play a team with a winning record. So glad they won their division. BOOM!

Wrong

BOOM
 

Super_Kazuya

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That and getting to face the Bengals, Browns, and Steelers as 3 of the OOC games makes it TECHNICALLY the softest conference of all.

The rub though is the Steelers won't be starting a 3rd or 4th string QB, the Browns have a real coach, and the Bengals.... well ya they stink so while SoS says 3-1 against AFC North I would bet on 2-2 being more likely.
You are correct... ultimately we don’t know how it will turn out. It looked to be good fortune playing the AFC East except for NE but they ended up going 1-3. Of course the AFC East was surprisingly competitive this year, but it was still a surprise. Maybe the AFC East was so strong this year because they got to play... the NFC East! lol
 

CPanther95

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Haven't checked this past year, but usually you only need to look at the previous year's preseason SoS rank and what it ended up as to see how irrelevant this is.
 

CPanther95

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Cowboys had the 14th Hardest schedule last year heading into the season (.504 opponent record from 2018)

Actual schedule strength ended up being the 25th Hardest (.477 opponent record)
 

TheMarathonContinues

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Cowboys had the 14th Hardest schedule last year heading into the season (.504 opponent record from 2018)

Actual schedule strength ended up being the 25th Hardest (.477 opponent record)
That's how these things go. Pointless to do hardest schedule in February. This could end up being even worse or the hardest between now and when the season starts.
 

GMO415

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Cowboys had the 14th Hardest schedule last year heading into the season (.504 opponent record from 2018)

Actual schedule strength ended up being the 25th Hardest (.477 opponent record)
They really crapped the bed last year. Sheesh
 

Ranched

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Cowboys had the 14th Hardest schedule last year heading into the season (.504 opponent record from 2018)

Actual schedule strength ended up being the 25th Hardest (.477 opponent record)
Exactly why I wasn't upset w/the Egals winning the division. Not only was that the final nail in the coffin for Garrett, but it gave the Cowboys an easier schedule with the new coaching staff in the upcoming season.

Egals got away w/not having to play the Rams & Saints last season. Time for Wentzie to put on his big boy pants in 2020.
And yes, he'll go down again for the 5th consecutive time.
 

CouchCoach

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Strength of schedule doesn't matter in the NFL. If it did, they wouldn't have come up with "any given Sunday". Just more useless junk to keep people writing about stuff when there's not enough stuff to write about.

This meaningless calculation only considers the past. Those celebrating having the 4-12 Niners on their schedule were so surprised when they went 13-3 or the 6-9-1 2018 Packers that went 13-3.

If they're going through this exercise, wait until all the rosters have settled, do another useless power ranking and at least base it on the preseason useless power ranking. Still THE dumbest thing these people do to justify having those jobs. Those power rankings sure did the Ravens a lot of good.

SOS and rankings only matter when considering college teams for the playoffs.
 

ESisback

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This was only true and relevant when we had the hardest SOS because Goodell hates us and conspiracy theorists would use this as an example. Now once we’ve had some of the easies schedules it’s just noise :rolleyes:
Goody doesn’t hate us—he’s a slave to the rating$, and Dallas is the most hated (and loved), so....

Plus, how do we have one of the three “easiest” schedules? We play several tough teams—Philly twice, the AFCN, Seattle, Rams, San Fran, Minny, Atlanta....That’s not easy
 

Risen Star

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If McCarthy puts tribal symbols on his torso and intermittently slaps his tummy as he walks the sidelines like Kamala from the old WWF days, I think we'll roll right through the NFC.
 

aria

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Goody doesn’t hate us—he’s a slave to the rating$, and Dallas is the most hated (and loved), so....

Plus, how do we have one of the three “easiest” schedules? We play several tough teams—Philly twice, the AFCN, Seattle, Rams, San Fran, Minny, Atlanta....That’s not easy
I agree, I was being sarcastic but I’ve seen people legitimately gripe that Goodell is purposely screwing us after the dumb pre season strength of schedule came out. I would essentially say the same thing you did and would catch all kinds of hell from the conspiracy theorists.
 

ESisback

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I agree, I was being sarcastic but I’ve seen people legitimately gripe that Goodell is purposely screwing us after the dumb pre season strength of schedule came out. I would essentially say the same thing you did and would catch all kinds of hell from the conspiracy theorists.

I’m a conspiracy theorist—just ask Marcus! I’m the one who comments on the many strange “coincidences”, like that eight game stretch where our opponents didn’t receive a SINGLE flag for holding! How is that possible? Or last year when we were flagged not once, but TWICE for “tripping”!
 

jay94

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We literally have the softest schedule I can recall the last 10 years, and yet Goodell has it out for us. I guarantee playoffs unless Dak gets hurt.
 
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