NFL's Softest Schedules 2011

Ok, this is just CRAZY!!! according to the folks at NFL.com, they have analyzed the schedules and came up with the easiest ones...

1.Steelers
2.Ravens
3.Saints
4.Patriots

thats 4 playoff teams with not much work to do in front of them in order to make the Playoffs again, but the worst team in the league last season ( Panthers) gets the hardest? something doesnt seem right here..

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81f5c61d/article/defending-afc-champs-among-those-with-favorable-2011?module=HP_cp2

It's because of the schedule rotation. I mean 14 of the 16 games were are decided YEARS ago. With the Division games-6. 4 In-Conference Division games and the 4 out of conference division games. Then you get the "wild card" games that depend on how you finish in the division.

[quote="MaddMatt"]It's because of the schedule rotation. I mean 14 of the 16 games were are decided YEARS ago. With the Division games-6. 4 In-Conference Division games and the 4 out of conference division games. Then you get the "wild card" games that depend on how you finish in the division. [/quote]

Nice sig!! Also not to mention, doesn't the best team in the division play the best team in the other in-conference games divisions?

MaddMatt wrote:It's because of the schedule rotation. I mean 14 of the 16 games were are decided YEARS ago. With the Division games-6. 4 In-Conference Division games and the 4 out of conference division games. Then you get the "wild card" games that depend on how you finish in the division.

i totally understand the system, i was just pointing out that maybe they need to revise it somehow....it really seems like a "Rich get Richer,Poor get Poorer" type deal, especially concerning the Panthers....also look at the Saints, they are a Dome team that wont play one cold weather game this year at all, they are scheduled to play the Packers in week 1, how about make that game Week 12? i know the sched rotation is already pre-set, but it takes a Board of Commisioners or some shit like that to actually put dates on these games...i always hated the Jets playing opening week against the Fins IN MIAMI and then just before the weather turned cold, the Fins would play in NY around the end of October, lol..just crazy shit like that

I think the Bengals got a pretty easy schedule so...

There is no such thing as an easy schedule in the NFL. Anyone can beat anyone and there are always teams that are going from worst to first and viceversa every year.

CaptRCG2 wrote:There is no such thing as an easy schedule in the NFL. Anyone can beat anyone and there are always teams that are going from worst to first and viceversa every year.

cant really argue with that Capt. , they are all paid professionals that are paid to make plays for thier team....the only thing im saying is that the "strong" teams seem to have an easier path to the Playoffs versus the "softer" teams in the League that arent as established or "well honed"....for instance, wouldnt it be nice to see the Superbowl champ have to play games against other Playoff teams for most of the next season? instead of seeing them pound the downtrodden? ...just my $.02

As of right now, you put a spread offense in front of the Steelers we look like we don't know what the fuck we're doing out there.

I'll wait till draft, FA, and even if a season is too be announced before I decide whether I like our schedule or not.

Although it is looking good at the moment

MASTRxOFxPUPPETZ wrote:

CaptRCG2 wrote:There is no such thing as an easy schedule in the NFL. Anyone can beat anyone and there are always teams that are going from worst to first and viceversa every year.

cant really argue with that Capt. , they are all paid professionals that are paid to make plays for thier team....the only thing im saying is that the "strong" teams seem to have an easier path to the Playoffs versus the "softer" teams in the League that arent as established or "well honed"....for instance, wouldnt it be nice to see the Superbowl champ have to play games against other Playoff teams for most of the next season? instead of seeing them pound the downtrodden? ...just my $.02

I do understand what you are saying to an extent, but look at last year. Didn't the Super Bowl Champs (Saints) open up against a playoff team (Vikings)? Sorry but the Vikings sucked coming off their NFC championship game. Even New Orleans was nowhere near the team they were when they won the Super Bowl. Same thing with Dallas. They were awful last year coming off a very strong season and playoff appearance. My point is that talent in the NFL is basically even across the board. It's a few minor things here and there that are the difference between a 12 or 13 win season and a 12-13 loss season. When those minor things "click" or come together, you win. See the Bengals from two years ago. When you have something that is off by a little, you lose. See the Bengals from last year. But noone can predict with any great degree of accuracy who has the toughest schedule 4 or 5 months before the season has begun, before free agency, before the draft, and before training camps, etc.. So many teams will look nothing like they did the previous year. That's why the NFL has their "FLEX" schedule for tv and such. Coming off the previous year, a Dallas vs Minnesota match up on MNF in December might have looked like a great game. However, halfway through last season, that game would then look like a dud whereas maybe a Bucs vs Falcons match up might have playoff implications. You never know with the NFL. That's why it's such an exciting game year to year.

Actually the Ravens statistically have the easier schedule than Pittsburgh. I can't remember who had the easiest though.

But yeah, most of why a schedule is hard is because of how the other 3 teams in your division finished last year, which is why Carolina and Buffalo have such "hard" schedules on paper, because the AFC East did really well last year and so did the NFC South.

Steelers representing AFC

The Jets got screwed so bad week 11. They have to play the Pats week 10 Sunday night at 8:30, then have to travel TO DENVER to play a Thursday night game. If they're gonna make them travel for the Thursday game they should have the Sunday game at 1:00 instead of the late night game. Or if they're gonna play the primetime game vs the Pats, they should have the Thursday game be home. Traveling to Denver is bad under normal conditions for teams. That's a real crappy situation the schedule makers put them in.

If the Steelers or Ravens don't get the #1 seed this year there is something wrong with them with those schedules.

JermikesHere wrote:The Jets got screwed so bad week 11. They have to play the Pats week 10 Sunday night at 8:30, then have to travel TO DENVER to play a Thursday night game. If they're gonna make them travel for the Thursday game they should have the Sunday game at 1:00 instead of the late night game. Or if they're gonna play the primetime game vs the Pats, they should have the Thursday game be home. Traveling to Denver is bad under normal conditions for teams. That's a real crappy situation the schedule makers put them in.

If the Steelers or Ravens don't get the #1 seed this year there is something wrong with them with those schedules.

Same thing happened to the Ravens last year. We had the night game against Pittsburgh and then the Thursday game at Houston. Just bad luck.

SnA ExclusiVe wrote:

JermikesHere wrote:The Jets got screwed so bad week 11. They have to play the Pats week 10 Sunday night at 8:30, then have to travel TO DENVER to play a Thursday night game. If they're gonna make them travel for the Thursday game they should have the Sunday game at 1:00 instead of the late night game. Or if they're gonna play the primetime game vs the Pats, they should have the Thursday game be home. Traveling to Denver is bad under normal conditions for teams. That's a real crappy situation the schedule makers put them in.

If the Steelers or Ravens don't get the #1 seed this year there is something wrong with them with those schedules.

Same thing happened to the Ravens last year. We had the night game against Pittsburgh and then the Thursday game at Houston. Just bad luck.

Ummmmmmmm.... that isn't true at all. They played the Texans on the following Monday. They had an extra day to prepare. I ask this in all seriousness.. where do you get your information from?

JermikesHere wrote:

SnA ExclusiVe wrote:

JermikesHere wrote:The Jets got screwed so bad week 11. They have to play the Pats week 10 Sunday night at 8:30, then have to travel TO DENVER to play a Thursday night game. If they're gonna make them travel for the Thursday game they should have the Sunday game at 1:00 instead of the late night game. Or if they're gonna play the primetime game vs the Pats, they should have the Thursday game be home. Traveling to Denver is bad under normal conditions for teams. That's a real crappy situation the schedule makers put them in.

If the Steelers or Ravens don't get the #1 seed this year there is something wrong with them with those schedules.

Same thing happened to the Ravens last year. We had the night game against Pittsburgh and then the Thursday game at Houston. Just bad luck.

Ummmmmmmm.... that isn't true at all. They played the Texans on the following Monday. They had an extra day to prepare. I ask this in all seriousness.. where do you get your information from?

OHHH I thought it was Houston we played on Thursday but it was the Atlanta game, that's right.

We had to play Miami and then go to Atlanta and play them on Thursday.

SnA ExclusiVe wrote:

JermikesHere wrote:

SnA ExclusiVe wrote:

JermikesHere wrote:The Jets got screwed so bad week 11. They have to play the Pats week 10 Sunday night at 8:30, then have to travel TO DENVER to play a Thursday night game. If they're gonna make them travel for the Thursday game they should have the Sunday game at 1:00 instead of the late night game. Or if they're gonna play the primetime game vs the Pats, they should have the Thursday game be home. Traveling to Denver is bad under normal conditions for teams. That's a real crappy situation the schedule makers put them in.

If the Steelers or Ravens don't get the #1 seed this year there is something wrong with them with those schedules.

Same thing happened to the Ravens last year. We had the night game against Pittsburgh and then the Thursday game at Houston. Just bad luck.

Ummmmmmmm.... that isn't true at all. They played the Texans on the following Monday. They had an extra day to prepare. I ask this in all seriousness.. where do you get your information from?

OHHH I thought it was Houston we played on Thursday but it was the Atlanta game, that's right.

We had to play Miami and then go to Atlanta and play them on Thursday.

Yes, and the Miami game was at 1pm.. which is my point. That's what they should have done this year for the Jets.

JermikesHere wrote:

SnA ExclusiVe wrote:

JermikesHere wrote:

SnA ExclusiVe wrote:

JermikesHere wrote:The Jets got screwed so bad week 11. They have to play the Pats week 10 Sunday night at 8:30, then have to travel TO DENVER to play a Thursday night game. If they're gonna make them travel for the Thursday game they should have the Sunday game at 1:00 instead of the late night game. Or if they're gonna play the primetime game vs the Pats, they should have the Thursday game be home. Traveling to Denver is bad under normal conditions for teams. That's a real crappy situation the schedule makers put them in.

If the Steelers or Ravens don't get the #1 seed this year there is something wrong with them with those schedules.

Same thing happened to the Ravens last year. We had the night game against Pittsburgh and then the Thursday game at Houston. Just bad luck.

Ummmmmmmm.... that isn't true at all. They played the Texans on the following Monday. They had an extra day to prepare. I ask this in all seriousness.. where do you get your information from?

OHHH I thought it was Houston we played on Thursday but it was the Atlanta game, that's right.

We had to play Miami and then go to Atlanta and play them on Thursday.

Yes, and the Miami game was at 1pm.. which is my point. That's what they should have done this year for the Jets.

Like I said, just bad luck...

Look on the bright side, It's not like Denver is an elite team or anything, so be thankful it's not New England and then turning around to play the Chargers or Steelers or Ravens or something like that.

three words: Luck of the Draw.

tubbs51 wrote:three words: Luck of the Draw.

thats 4 words

MASTRxOFxPUPPETZ wrote:

tubbs51 wrote:three words: Luck of the Draw.

thats 4 words