Strength of schedule....

[thssanders]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/news/story?id=4027503

Why is it the steelers and cardinals have such an easy strength of schedule this year. I thought teams that play really well generally have a tougher schedule the next season.

The steelers have the nfl's 29th most difficult schedule. Their opponents combined record from last year is a pathetic 110-144.

The cardinals have the league's 27th toughest schedule.

We have the league's 11 toughest schedule with a combined record of 131-123.

I guess one good way to look at it is the fact that we should have a lot of good games, but lose a lot of our fingernails in the process

 

[Hostile]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/news/story?id=4027503

Why is it the steelers and cardinals have such an easy strength of schedule this year. I thought teams that play really well generally have a tougher schedule the next season.

The steelers have the nfl's 29th most difficult schedule. Their opponents combined record from last year is a pathetic 110-144.

The cardinals have the league's 27th toughest schedule.

We have the league's 11 toughest schedule with a combined record of 131-123.

I guess one good way to look at it is the fact that we should have a lot of good games, but lose a lot of our fingernails in the process

Schedules rotate. This year the Steelers face the AFC West and the NFC North. Those divisions happened to have some of the worst teams in the NFL so the strength of schedule is diminished.

The Cardinals are in a weak division to start with. So their strength of schedule has a built in weakness. They too are playing the NFC North who had weak teams in 2008, and they face the AFC South.

One reason why we have a tougher schedule is the NFC East. When the weakest team in your division is 8-8, the strength of schedule is going to be harder. You play those teams twice. On top of that this year we get the NFC South who also had a tough division where the weakest team was 8-8. The only thing keeping us from being tougher is like the Steelers we get the AFC West which has 3 weak teams.

It isn't a conspiracy, it is the natural rotation of schedules.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Because the Stealers get to play Cleve and Cincy 4 times. It reminds me of the old NFC West in the early 90's.

 

[Hypnotoad]

Steelers last year had toughest schedule...

 

[zrinkill]

It isn't a conspiracy, it is the natural rotation of schedules.

Bullcrap ...... its totally a conspiracy.

And the Commish was not born in this Country.

And the collapse of our practice facility was a inside job.

 

[Doomsday101]

I would add who know how tough a schedule really will be until we get further down the road and see how teams are doing. In today's NFL it is hard to know who the really good teams are and basing it on last year’s results is not that good of an indicator given how fast teams rise and fall in the NFL

 

[peplaw06]

I would add who know how tough a schedule really will be until we get further down the road and see how teams are doing. In today's NFL it is hard to know who the really good teams are and basing it on last year’s results is not that good of an indicator given how fast teams rise and fall in the NFL

Exactly what I was gonna say. And we get the AFC West, and the best team in that division at home, so I'm not complaining about our schedule at all this year.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Strength of schedule is just another built-in excuse for fans in case their team fails that year.

 

[Hoofbite]

Schedules rotate. This year the Steelers face the AFC West and the NFC North. Those divisions happened to have some of the worst teams in the NFL so the strength of schedule is diminished.

The Cardinals are in a weak division to start with. So their strength of schedule has a built in weakness. They too are playing the NFC North who had weak teams in 2008, and they face the AFC South.

One reason why we have a tougher schedule is the NFC East. When the weakest team in your division is 8-8, the strength of schedule is going to be harder. You play those teams twice. On top of that this year we get the NFC South who also had a tough division where the weakest team was 8-8. The only thing keeping us from being tougher is like the Steelers we get the AFC West which has 3 weak teams.

It isn't a conspiracy, it is the natural rotation of schedules.

Thank you.

Steelers just lucked out with who they got this year combined with games against the Bungs and Browns.

 

[SkinsFan28]

Bullcrap ...... its totally a conspiracy.

And the Commish was not born in this Country.

And the collapse of our practice facility was a inside job.

It's not exactly on strength of schedule topic, but I heard one Sirius announcer suggest a 16 game plan that does away with divisions(which I hate), and is kinda unique.

15 games - play every other team in your conference
1 game - against the AFC team at your same ranking. Every year would have a SB rematch.

I would add 2 others if they go to the 18 game:
1 - the interconference rivalry game, ie Dal Hou, Wash-Balt.
1 - on a rotating schedule, another game from within your old division,
so once every 4 years the Cowboys/Skins would play 2 times a year, plus any playoffs.

I like the idea of playing everyone in conference, but would not want divisions to go away.

 

[AmishCowboy]

Well, Pitt has really been help all these years by being in the same Division as Cinny and Cleveland.

 

[DWhite Fan]

Because the Stealers get to play Cleve and Cincy 4 times. It reminds me of the old NFC West in the early 90's.

The NFC West that guaranteed the 49ers 8 wins before the season even started. It drove me crazy how, year-in and year-out, that the 49ers couls go 4-4 in games outside their division and still finish 12-4