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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/peter_king/04/06/think.think/index.html
Sorting out the schedule
Philly, Miami have it tough; thumbs up for ESPN, NBC
PHILADELPHIA -- Five things I think I think about the 2006 NFL schedule:
1. I think the Eagles have the toughest late-season stretch of any team in the NFL.
Here in Cheesesteakville, the conspiracy theorists are already wondering: Why is Mr. Schedule Maker such a vengeful person? The Philly schedule comes in like a lamb (at Houston, Giants at home, at San Francisco, Green Bay at home) but goes out like a lion. And I don't mean Detroit.
The Eagles had better start fast. Very fast. And they'd better have some help from unforeseen misfortune befalling their fellow NFC East foes. Because in a 30-day span beginning Thanksgiving weekend, Philadelphia has a five-game endurance test (see chart, right).
Then, on a short week, the Eagles come home from the Monday-night Christmas fling in Dallas ... to play Atlanta in the regular-season finale. The Falcons were 8-8 last year, and you know and I know they could be 5-10 entering that last game this season. But they could also be 11-4. They obviously ride on Mike Vick's coattails, and if he's healthy and good this year, the sky's the limit.
But let's take a closer look at that five-week stretch for the Eagles. The one thing you never know is how a team that looks very good right now is going to look in December. Some of the best teams now could stink to high heaven by then. But we can't know that now. All we know today is you'd think an Eagles game at Houston would look a heck of a lot more winnable than an Eagles game at FedEx or the Meadowlands.
The average 2005 record of the teams Philadelphia faces in that five-game stretch: 11-5. The number of those five teams who made the playoffs in 2005: four. The lone exception is Dallas, and you'd have to think the week leading up to the Cowboys game and Philadelphia's second encounter with Terrell Owens is going to be wrenching for the Eagles. (Dallas visits Philly on Oct. 8.)
The look on Eagles employees' faces when they saw this slate: grief-stricken.
Only five times in the last two years has an NFL team had a three-game road trip. I've examined all five of them. None of them were this harsh. In fact, Jacksonville rode a patsy Tennessee-Arizona-Cleveland trifecta to the AFC wild card last year; the Jags swept the three games, which helped them finish 12-4. Tampa Bay went to New Orleans (actually Baton Rouge), Carolina and New England in succession last December. Tough, but not this tough. In 2004, Oakland was already a sinking ship when it went to Carolina, San Diego and Denver in consecutive weeks. That stretch just sealed the Raiders' 5-11 fate. And no team over the last two years has had a three-game road stretch all against division opponents.
The guess here is that the Eagles had better be 7-3 on Thanksgiving Day if they hope to either win the NFC East or earn the wild card.
2. I think Miami's got it tough, too. Really tough. I like the Thursday-night opener in most cases, because it gives a team almost a mini-bye -- 10 days off before the next game to fix what ails it. But the Dolphins finish with the Colts and have, like Philly, a three-game road trip. Miami goes to Houston, New England and the Jets on Oct. 1, 8 and 15. Miami is also at Buffalo on Dec. 17. That's a pretty tough road, all in all.
3. I think ESPN did better than I thought it would, including the marquee first game back in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina (Sept. 25 in Week 3) versus Atlanta. I thought the Monday-night schedule would be the same as Sunday-night slates of the past. But there are some respectable games here: Jacksonville-Pittsburgh (Week 2), New England-Minnesota (Week 8), Tampa Bay-Carolina (Week 10), Jacksonville-New York Giants (Week 11), Tampa Bay-Philadelphia (Week 13), Cincinnati-Indianapolis (Week 15).
4. I think it has to be pretty deflating to be a Bills fan right now. Sixteen games, and all of them 1 p.m. Sunday starts. Not exactly a prime-time attraction the way the Bills of old were. How about this: The Bills do not play a game outside the Eastern or Central time zones. Weird. That's going to be one invisible team.
5. I think, in analyzing NBC's schedule, that it has to be better than the first half of any recent Monday-night schedule that I can recall. The only game that looks bad is Oakland-Denver in Week 6. The league announced only nine NBC games, because the final half of the season will be done on a week-by-week basis to get the best games each week. Of the 18 teams appearing in the first nine NBC games, 13 made the playoffs last year. Four of the other slots (Dallas twice, Miami, San Diego) are strong playoff contenders this year. The only orphan in terms of goodness is Oakland, and you know the Raiders will produce good ratings anyway.
Sorting out the schedule
Philly, Miami have it tough; thumbs up for ESPN, NBC
PHILADELPHIA -- Five things I think I think about the 2006 NFL schedule:
1. I think the Eagles have the toughest late-season stretch of any team in the NFL.
Here in Cheesesteakville, the conspiracy theorists are already wondering: Why is Mr. Schedule Maker such a vengeful person? The Philly schedule comes in like a lamb (at Houston, Giants at home, at San Francisco, Green Bay at home) but goes out like a lion. And I don't mean Detroit.
The Eagles had better start fast. Very fast. And they'd better have some help from unforeseen misfortune befalling their fellow NFC East foes. Because in a 30-day span beginning Thanksgiving weekend, Philadelphia has a five-game endurance test (see chart, right).
Then, on a short week, the Eagles come home from the Monday-night Christmas fling in Dallas ... to play Atlanta in the regular-season finale. The Falcons were 8-8 last year, and you know and I know they could be 5-10 entering that last game this season. But they could also be 11-4. They obviously ride on Mike Vick's coattails, and if he's healthy and good this year, the sky's the limit.
But let's take a closer look at that five-week stretch for the Eagles. The one thing you never know is how a team that looks very good right now is going to look in December. Some of the best teams now could stink to high heaven by then. But we can't know that now. All we know today is you'd think an Eagles game at Houston would look a heck of a lot more winnable than an Eagles game at FedEx or the Meadowlands.
The average 2005 record of the teams Philadelphia faces in that five-game stretch: 11-5. The number of those five teams who made the playoffs in 2005: four. The lone exception is Dallas, and you'd have to think the week leading up to the Cowboys game and Philadelphia's second encounter with Terrell Owens is going to be wrenching for the Eagles. (Dallas visits Philly on Oct. 8.)
The look on Eagles employees' faces when they saw this slate: grief-stricken.
Only five times in the last two years has an NFL team had a three-game road trip. I've examined all five of them. None of them were this harsh. In fact, Jacksonville rode a patsy Tennessee-Arizona-Cleveland trifecta to the AFC wild card last year; the Jags swept the three games, which helped them finish 12-4. Tampa Bay went to New Orleans (actually Baton Rouge), Carolina and New England in succession last December. Tough, but not this tough. In 2004, Oakland was already a sinking ship when it went to Carolina, San Diego and Denver in consecutive weeks. That stretch just sealed the Raiders' 5-11 fate. And no team over the last two years has had a three-game road stretch all against division opponents.
The guess here is that the Eagles had better be 7-3 on Thanksgiving Day if they hope to either win the NFC East or earn the wild card.
2. I think Miami's got it tough, too. Really tough. I like the Thursday-night opener in most cases, because it gives a team almost a mini-bye -- 10 days off before the next game to fix what ails it. But the Dolphins finish with the Colts and have, like Philly, a three-game road trip. Miami goes to Houston, New England and the Jets on Oct. 1, 8 and 15. Miami is also at Buffalo on Dec. 17. That's a pretty tough road, all in all.
3. I think ESPN did better than I thought it would, including the marquee first game back in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina (Sept. 25 in Week 3) versus Atlanta. I thought the Monday-night schedule would be the same as Sunday-night slates of the past. But there are some respectable games here: Jacksonville-Pittsburgh (Week 2), New England-Minnesota (Week 8), Tampa Bay-Carolina (Week 10), Jacksonville-New York Giants (Week 11), Tampa Bay-Philadelphia (Week 13), Cincinnati-Indianapolis (Week 15).
4. I think it has to be pretty deflating to be a Bills fan right now. Sixteen games, and all of them 1 p.m. Sunday starts. Not exactly a prime-time attraction the way the Bills of old were. How about this: The Bills do not play a game outside the Eastern or Central time zones. Weird. That's going to be one invisible team.
5. I think, in analyzing NBC's schedule, that it has to be better than the first half of any recent Monday-night schedule that I can recall. The only game that looks bad is Oakland-Denver in Week 6. The league announced only nine NBC games, because the final half of the season will be done on a week-by-week basis to get the best games each week. Of the 18 teams appearing in the first nine NBC games, 13 made the playoffs last year. Four of the other slots (Dallas twice, Miami, San Diego) are strong playoff contenders this year. The only orphan in terms of goodness is Oakland, and you know the Raiders will produce good ratings anyway.
