I think scheduling played more of a factor in 2017 then in typical seasons. There were more teams with unusually easy and hard schedules, and that affected the way things played out.

The Titans, most noticeably, played the 2nd-easiest schedule of the last 10 years. That really wasn’t a good team. It was an average or below-average team that rode an easy schedule to a wild-card spot. If not for injuries to Andrew Luck and Deshaun Watson, Tennessee wouldn’t have been in the playoffs.

Jacksonville and Baltimore weren’t far behind. The Jaguars won their division, but that was really more of a wild-card team that just happened to fall into a good spot. And the Ravens more realistically probably shouldn’t have been in the playoff race.

In the last 10 years, there have been 36 teams playing schedules at least 20 games under .500. That includes five teams from the 2017 season.

The win-loss records here show the combined win-loss totals of opponents in other games. That is, Jacksonville’s opponents went a combined 111-145, but they went just 6-10 against the Jaguars – so they went just 105-135 in their 240 games against the rest of the league.

EASIEST SCHEDULES, LAST 10 YEARS
YearTeamWLTPct
2010Kansas City1001400.417
2017Tennessee1041360.433
2017Jacksonville1051350.438
2012Atlanta1051350.438
2008San Francisco1051341.440
2017Baltimore1061340.442
2012Cincinnati1061340.442
2010St. Louis1061340.442
2009New Orleans1061340.442
2015NY Jets1071330.446
2008Buffalo1071330.446
2016Seattle1071321.448
2014Houston1071321.448
2013Detroit1061304.450
2012Indianapolis1081320.450
2012Oakland1081320.450
2012San Diego1081320.450
2010Arizona1081320.450
2010Jacksonville1081320.450
2009Arizona1081320.450
2009Green Bay1081320.450
2013Green Bay1081311.452
2013Kansas City1091310.454
2009Minnesota1091310.454
2008Denver1091310.454
2017LA Chargers1101300.458
2017Cincinnati1101300.458
2016Arizona1091292.458
2015Jacksonville1101300.458
2015Miami1101300.458
2014Dallas1101300.458
2013Philadelphia1091292.458
2011Houston1101300.458
2011New Orleans1101300.458
2010NY Giants1101300.458
2010San Diego1101300.458

The NFC South teams, meanwhile, were handicapped by the league’s hardest schedules. Atlanta’s and Carolina’s opponents both finished 26 games over .500 in their games against the rest of the league.

If you look at the 320 schedules of the last 10 years, in fact, all four of the teams in the NFC South last year rank in the top 20, making this the most competitive division of the last 10 years. By far. All the more impressive that three teams from that division were able to qualify for the postseason.

HARDEST SCHEDULES, LAST 10 YEARS
YearTeamWLTPct
2010Cincinnati1371030.571
2011St. Louis1371030.571
2010Buffalo1361040.567
2010Cleveland1351050.563
2013Tampa Bay1351050.563
2008Cleveland1331043.560
2009Miami1341060.558
2016Philadelphia1321044.558
2016Denver1331061.556
2010Carolina1331070.554
2012Detroit1321062.554
2014Oakland1331070.554
2017Atlanta1331070.554
2017Carolina1331070.554
2012Arizona1301064.550
2013St. Louis1321080.550
2017Chicago1321080.550
2017New Orleans1321080.550
2011Detroit1311090.546
2017Tampa Bay1311090.546
2008Pittsburgh1291083.544
2014Seattle1301091.544
2008Cincinnati1301100.542
2009Carolina1301100.542
2009Tennessee1301100.542
2011Minnesota1301100.542
2013Arizona1301100.542
2015Chicago1301100.542
2015Green Bay1301100.542

—Ian Allan