Strength of schedule

[Richmond Cowboy]

A popular meme circulating by the haters shows the record of the teams we have beaten this season. Of course it does not take into account that some of those teams have losing records in part because of losing to the Cowboys. Is there a website you guys know of that tracks each teams' strength of schedule and updates it weekly? Just wondering....

 

[jrumann59]

Strength of schedule is irrelevant in the NFL since the league decides who you play outside your division. Dallas finished 8-8 so this year we play 6 out of the NFCE, 4 out of the AFCS, 4 from the NFCW and the last 2 are teams that finished close to us in the standings last year Saints finished 2nd in their division as did the bears. Besides 2 of your games you have zero control over who you play, and the two you have some control over is based on the previous season's record.

 

[jrumann59]

Look at seattle, last year their opponents won 96 games and lost 111 and had 1 tie, they were playing a second place schedule since they finished behind the 49ers in 2012 so they played a weak NYG and Vikings team outside of their predetermined 14 based on the cycle of how the divisions play. then look at the Texans their opponents were 121 wins and 87 loses. They played a 'harder schedule in 2013 because they won their division who were the Ravens and Pats. When you win a lot or lose a lot there is always going to be a large margin between your combined opponents, usually. Now lets look at the middling cowboys, played and 8-8 schedule above the pre-determined 14 and drew the lions and saints. total wins for their opponents 103, total losses 103 and 2 ties.

Seattle opponent win% .46
Texans opponent win% .58
Cowboys Opponent win% .50

 

[Cover 2]

The only thing that matters is the post season. If the Cowboys go 15-1 and lose in their opening playoff game it will be a failure. If they win the championship it will be a success no matter how many losses they have.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Strength of schedule has a place in this. The undefeated Miami team had the third easiest schedule since p[rofessional football had championship games, so the story goes.

But here's the truth.

You still have to beat those teams.

 

[Beast_from_East]

So beating Seattle in Seattle all of a sudden is a cake walk? Oh, that's right, the defending SuperBowl champs are just a bunch of scrubs now.

I guess the Saints are a scrub team now also..................did somebody send the memo to Green Bay that they should not even bother practicing for their game Sunday night since Drew Brees and the Saints are just a bunch of scrubs now?


LMAO...........yea, our 6-1 record is because we have played the Sisters of the Poor every week.

 

[DogFace]

It's good in a way they're all hating on us. I hope the team is using it as motivation.

It does remind me of the new just for Romo stat we've seen invented. Like the record in win or go home games.
I guess it sells.

 

[Fredd]

haters gotta hate....let them have all of the ammunition that they want.....as long as their favorite teams has a lesser record than dallas, then they are irrelevant to me....

 

[Hostile]

The funniest thing about it to me is that no one is saying the same about the Eagles, and their schedule has teams with less wins than ours.

 

[jrumann59]

There are so many variables, during the off season everyone was making a big deal of how hard our schedule was. Once the games start being played it all can change. This is not college football where you can pick Jax and Oak as your 1st two games and use them as tune-ups for the season.

 

[Jenky]

I'd only look at strength of schedule at the end of the season. You can only beat teams the NFL puts in front of you.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

I think more of it might have to do with the physical nature of the Cowboys. Every team except the Saints have lost the game immediately following the Boys. Those teams have a 1-10 record if you include losing streaks that continue past one game. Every game, including the 9ers, has witnessed the Cowboys imposing their will physically. Looks like so far teams are having a hard time recovering.

 

[jrumann59]

I'd only look at strength of schedule at the end of the season. You can only beat teams the NFL puts in front of you.

I do not think you can do that really. I mean everyone thought the Skins would be better and the NYG would be better that right there is 4 hard games. Everyone thought NO would be a very good team, Seattle was supposed to be "impossible", Hou was going to be improved. An NFL season is a war of attrition "good" teams can become mediocre in matter of weeks with key injuries, "bad" teams can trend up if a few players trend up.

 

[Lazyking]

I don't really care in the sense that their comes a time when it doesn't matter. Commanders and Giants were doomed from the start and even if I was unsure about the Cowboys, its clear that the Cowboys and Eagles are best in the divison. Then you look around the NFC, there is not many good teams.. Packers, Lions, 49ers, Seahawks and Cardinals. Can't change who you play and who will be bad.

Not to mention Cowboys almost lost to the Rams this year. Any given Sunday really.

 

[Jenky]

I do not think you can do that really. I mean everyone thought the Skins would be better and the NYG would be better that right there is 4 hard games. Everyone thought NO would be a very good team, Seattle was supposed to be "impossible", Hou was going to be improved. An NFL season is a war of attrition "good" teams can become mediocre in matter of weeks with key injuries, "bad" teams can trend up if a few players trend up.

Well, like you said there's too many factors. That's why I don't like looking at strength of schedule 6-7 games into the season. It's like a snap shot of how other teams in the NFL are doing at a given period of time regardless of injuries, suspensions, winning streaks and a million other variables. It's deceiving. A team with key injuries can have a crappy record (say 2-4), but once they get their personnel back, they go on a winning streak and end up at 10-6. But stating strength of schedule 6-7 games into a season won't reflect that.

I'd rather look at all of this at the end of the season.

Edit- When I say end of the season, I mean the end of the regular season. Just before Playoff time.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Strength of schedule is just another stat people use when it conveniently fits whatever argument they are trying to make at the time.

At the end of the day BP was right you are what your record is.

 

[jazzcat22]

A guy yesterday, an avid Cowboys hater, well he hates everything, I think he hates life in general. LOL
Started on how the Cowboys haven't beat a team with a winning record. I told him some had winning records at the time they played them. And they beat Seattle in Seattle when they were 3-1. It shut him up for 2 seconds, and then repeated, but they don't have winning records now. Told him most teams are in the same situation. And one of the losses of those teams came from the Cowboys. Didn't do any good though.

I told him my usual thing I tell him, you are freaking stupid AND an idiot...LOL

He's a big UT fan and says Earl Campbell is the best RB ever college & NFL....so I usually root against the Longhorns just to be able to give him crap.
You can tell this guy the sky is blue and show him, and he will argue that it isn't. This is his mentality.