Factoid

The following chart shows teams that project to play the easiest schedules during the first eight weeks of the 2008 season. This is based on how teams played last year, of course, so take it with a grain of salt. Maybe you consider the Dolphins, who went 1-15 last year, to be more of a 5-11 type team now. Or maybe you think the Vikings and Bears will be a lot better.

But the following numbers give a glimpse of what teams, perhaps, have the best chance of playing well during the first half of the upcoming season. Maybe their offensive guys will tend to get off to better starts because of scheduling.

Easiest schedules: Patriots, Raiders, Cardinals, Chargers. Hardest schedules: Rams, 49ers, Jaguars and Browns.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE, FIRST HALF OF 2008
Based on win-loss numbers from 2007; totals show combined numbers from the first eight weeks of the 2008 schedule:

 W   L   Pct.
35  77  .313  New England
45  67  .402  Oakland
46  66  .411  Arizona
53  75  .414  San Diego
48  64  .429  Buffalo
58  70  .453  Carolina
51  61  .455  NY Jets
51  61  .455  Philadelphia
52  60  .464  Kansas City
52  60  .464  Seattle
60  68  .469  New Orleans
54  58  .482  Detriot
54  58  .482  NY Giants
55  57  .491  Atlanta
63  65  .492  Baltimore
56  56  .500  Chicago
56  56  .500  Tennessee
57  55  .509  Houston
66  62  .516  Washington
67  61  .523  Dallas
59  53  .527  Miami
59  53  .527  Pittsburgh
68  60  .531  Tampa Bay
62  50  .554  Cincinnati
62  50  .554  Denver
62  50  .554  Indianapolis
64  48  .571  Green Bay
64  48  .571  Minnesota
65  47  .580  Cleveland
65  47  .580  Jacksonville
76  52  .594  San Francisco
73  39  .652  St. Louis

-Ian Allan

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