The Titans made the postseason and even won a playoff game at Arrowhead, yet fired Mike Mularkey anyway. That seemed a little weird. But the Titans failed to capitalize on an unusually easy schedule.

Tennessee may have gone 9-7, but there were a lot of really bad teams in the league last year. Four its wins came against Indianapolis (twice), Cleveland and Houston – quarterbacked not by Deshaun Watson but Tom Savage. And the Titans won a pair of home games against Baltimore and Cincinnati, which weren’t bringing much to the table.

Given the schedule, that 9-7 record had more of a 7-9 feel.

The combined win-loss record of Tennessee’s opponents last year was 104-136 in their other 240 games. That’s the 2nd-worst of any team in the last 10 years.

The Jaguars also benefitted from a really easy slate – just a game back.

Three other teams last year played schedules against teams finishing collectively at least 20 games under .500, and all three are teams that ended up kicking themselves. The Ravens and Chargers are unable to cash in on the opportunity, falling just short of the playoffs. And the Bengals simply had a poor year – 5-9 when you set aside their pair of wins over Cleveland.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE (2008-2017)
YearTeamWLTPctW-L
2010Kansas City1001400.41710-6
2017Tennessee1041360.4339-7
2012Atlanta1051350.43813-3
2017Jacksonville1051350.43810-6
2008San Francisco1051341.4407-9
2009New Orleans1061340.44213-3
2010St. Louis1061340.4427-9
2012Cincinnati1061340.44210-6
2017Baltimore1061340.4429-7
2008Buffalo1071330.4467-9
2015NY Jets1071330.44610-6
2014Houston1071321.4489-7
2016Seattle1071321.44810-5-1
2009Arizona1081320.45010-6
2009Green Bay1081320.45011-5
2010Arizona1081320.4505-11
2010Jacksonville1081320.4508-8
2012Indianapolis1081320.45011-5
2012Oakland1081320.4504-12
2012San Diego1081320.4507-9
2013Detroit1061304.4507-9
2013Green Bay1081311.4528-7-1
2008Denver1091310.4548-8
2009Minnesota1091310.45412-4
2013Kansas City1091310.45411-5
2010NY Giants1101300.45810-6
2010San Diego1101300.4589-7
2011Houston1101300.45810-6
2011New Orleans1101300.45813-3
2013Philadelphia1091292.45810-6
2014Dallas1101300.45812-4
2015Jacksonville1101300.4585-11
2015Miami1101300.4586-10
2016Arizona1091292.4587-8-1
2017Cincinnati1101300.4587-9
2017LA Chargers1101300.4589-7

—Ian Allan