2005 NFL schedule is out ********
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5 hardest schedules....
5 hardest schedules....
In today's parity-laden NFL, strength-of-schedule statistics don't mean what they used to. You just don't know what that Week 8 contest against a team that finished 4-12 the year before really means. With turnaround teams like last season's Chargers lurking, there are no guaranteed easy matchups.
The details of the schedule itself can also make things tougher or easier. Hosting the Dolphins or visiting the Bills is a different experience in September and December.
But with a little forethought and some predictions on who will improve, a clearer picture emerges of who faces the toughest road in 2005.
1. New England Patriots
The world champs already have a target on their back, they play in the last season's toughest division and they drew a tough NFC South out-of-conference schedule. Their September slate, which includes trips to Carolina and Pittsburgh, is brutal and they haven't played well at the beginning of the last two seasons. With all these older veterans, who knows how many healthy bodies they'll have by October. Of course, Bill Belichick can pick a cornerback off the street and win with him in the lineup three days later. The team that should offer a break, the 2-14 Dolphins, actually beat them last year and now has Nick Saban, the one coach who knows Belichick better than anyone.
2. San Diego Chargers
Marty Schottenheimer gets a dose of karma for beating a group of cupcakes last year. Not only do the Chargers play both Super Bowl participants, they travel to Indy, visit divisional rival Oakland on a short week following a Monday night game against Pittsburgh, and go to New York after the Jets have a bye week, which is usually a strong game for Gang Green.
3. Denver Broncos
The Broncos have lousy luck in their non-divisional AFC games -- at Buffalo in December and a trip to young-and-improving Jacksonville -- and a potentially difficult out-of-conference schedule against the NFC East. The Cowboys and 'Skins both could bust out, and who knows what Eli Manning can do with the Giants. Denver feasted early on the AFC West last season, but suffered late losses to the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers. All three of those teams also have a chance to be better in '05.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick and the gang enjoy the Monday night spotlight three times, and often an inferior team can get extra fired up when it hears that silly Hank Williams Jr. song. So those three games could get tougher if Atlanta jumps out and becomes a frontrunner. The South should be the toughest NFC Division once the Panthers get healthy. The Bucs and Saints are both question marks; sweeping either of those series is difficult.
5. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins' 2005 opponents won a league-leading 54.7 percent of their games last year. That's what happens when all of your division opponents have winning records. The only reason Miami isn't higher is because its last-place record set it up for matchups with Tennessee and Cleveland. But the 'Fins still face challenging games against the four NFC South teams, and the beginning of their schedule, when Saban is still getting his feet wet, is very tough. They might not get their first win until Week 7 or beyond.
5 hardest schedules....
In today's parity-laden NFL, strength-of-schedule statistics don't mean what they used to. You just don't know what that Week 8 contest against a team that finished 4-12 the year before really means. With turnaround teams like last season's Chargers lurking, there are no guaranteed easy matchups.
The details of the schedule itself can also make things tougher or easier. Hosting the Dolphins or visiting the Bills is a different experience in September and December.
But with a little forethought and some predictions on who will improve, a clearer picture emerges of who faces the toughest road in 2005.
1. New England Patriots
The world champs already have a target on their back, they play in the last season's toughest division and they drew a tough NFC South out-of-conference schedule. Their September slate, which includes trips to Carolina and Pittsburgh, is brutal and they haven't played well at the beginning of the last two seasons. With all these older veterans, who knows how many healthy bodies they'll have by October. Of course, Bill Belichick can pick a cornerback off the street and win with him in the lineup three days later. The team that should offer a break, the 2-14 Dolphins, actually beat them last year and now has Nick Saban, the one coach who knows Belichick better than anyone.
2. San Diego Chargers
Marty Schottenheimer gets a dose of karma for beating a group of cupcakes last year. Not only do the Chargers play both Super Bowl participants, they travel to Indy, visit divisional rival Oakland on a short week following a Monday night game against Pittsburgh, and go to New York after the Jets have a bye week, which is usually a strong game for Gang Green.
3. Denver Broncos
The Broncos have lousy luck in their non-divisional AFC games -- at Buffalo in December and a trip to young-and-improving Jacksonville -- and a potentially difficult out-of-conference schedule against the NFC East. The Cowboys and 'Skins both could bust out, and who knows what Eli Manning can do with the Giants. Denver feasted early on the AFC West last season, but suffered late losses to the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers. All three of those teams also have a chance to be better in '05.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Michael Vick and the gang enjoy the Monday night spotlight three times, and often an inferior team can get extra fired up when it hears that silly Hank Williams Jr. song. So those three games could get tougher if Atlanta jumps out and becomes a frontrunner. The South should be the toughest NFC Division once the Panthers get healthy. The Bucs and Saints are both question marks; sweeping either of those series is difficult.
5. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins' 2005 opponents won a league-leading 54.7 percent of their games last year. That's what happens when all of your division opponents have winning records. The only reason Miami isn't higher is because its last-place record set it up for matchups with Tennessee and Cleveland. But the 'Fins still face challenging games against the four NFC South teams, and the beginning of their schedule, when Saban is still getting his feet wet, is very tough. They might not get their first win until Week 7 or beyond.
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The San Diego Chargers have the toughest schedule by far not just from the article above, but they really got screwed---
-->starting in week 5, for five weeks, below is their opponent and (who the opponent played the week before).
Week 5 Pittsburgh (-bye-)
Week 6 @Oakland (-bye-)
Week 7 @Philadelphia (-bye-)
Week 8 Kansas City (-@ Miami-)
Week 9 @ N Y Jets (-bye-)
4 of these good teams get a week off to get healthy and an extra week to prepare for the Chargers.
The San Diego Chargers have the toughest schedule by far not just from the article above, but they really got screwed---
-->starting in week 5, for five weeks, below is their opponent and (who the opponent played the week before).
Week 5 Pittsburgh (-bye-)
Week 6 @Oakland (-bye-)
Week 7 @Philadelphia (-bye-)
Week 8 Kansas City (-@ Miami-)
Week 9 @ N Y Jets (-bye-)
4 of these good teams get a week off to get healthy and an extra week to prepare for the Chargers.
