Ian Allan
Below see a chart blending strength of schedule numbers for both 2008 and 2009, showing which teams project to benefit the most from easier schedules.
The Browns head the list. They played the hardest schedule last year, with their opponents going a combined 133-104-3 in games against other teams. But Cleveland's 16 opponents for the upcoming season have a combined record of 114-140-2, making their 2009 schedule the league's 8th easiest.
Other teams that project to play much easier schedules in 2009: Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Minnesota, Cincinnati and Green Bay.
Teams that project to play much harder schedules are the Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Patriots, Buccaneers and Jets. Buffalo and Miami both played some of the five easiest schedules in the league in 2008; in the upcoming season, they project to play schedules ranking among the five hardest.
Note: 2008 numbers compiled using opponents' combined wins and losses in other games. If a team's own wins and losses are included, it tends to make losing teams appear to have played harder schedules and playoff teams look like they've played easier schedules. Detroit's opponents, for example, went 143-113 overall - seemingly a historically tough schedule. But take out those 16 wins against the Lions and it drops to just 127-113 - an above-average schedule, but not the reason Detroit went winless.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SWING, 2008-2009
List compiled by subtracting the strength of schedule number from 2008 from the same number for the upcoming season. The lower the number (with Cleveland being the lowest), the easier the team's schedule projects to be. The Win-Loss-Tie mark shows the team's strength of schedule record for 2009.
Pct.
-.111 Cleveland (114-140-2)
-.110 Pittsburgh (110-144-2)
-.098 Baltimore (111-143-2)
-.093 Minnesota (107-148-1)
-.077 Cincinnati (119-137-0)
-.068 Green Bay (109-146-1)
-.063 Chicago (105-149-2)
-.062 Detroit (119-136-1)
-.048 Arizona (113-143-0)
-.046 St. Louis (119-137-0)
-.032 San Diego (123-131-2)
-.030 Kansas City (123-131-2)
-.028 Oakland (122-132-2)
-.024 Seattle (117-139-0)
-.013 Houston (129-126-1)
-.011 Jacksonville (132-124-0)
-.003 Indianapolis (131-125-0)
.004 San Francisco (113-142-1)
.009 NY Giants (134-120-2)
.014 Dallas (131-123-2)
.014 Philadelphia (137-119-0)
.015 Washington (125-129-2)
.026 Denver (122-132-2)
.031 Tennessee (130-126-0)
.061 New Orleans (142-113-1)
.088 Carolina (151-104-1)
.095 NY Jets (145-110-1)
.097 Tampa Bay (148-107-1)
.098 New England (151-105-0)
.119 Atlanta (150-105-1)
.123 Miami (152-104-0)
.124 Buffalo (146-110-0)
-Ian Allan
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