Washington’s 2021 schedule was NFL’s strongest

Washington’s 2021 schedule was the most difficult in the NFL.

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Ten of the 17 Washington Football Team’s 2021 game opponents will be playing in this season’s NFL playoff tournament.

I had not sat down and tallied the numbers, but driving in my car, listening to “The Al Galdi Podcast” Thursday morning, when Galdi proclaimed this statistic it certainly grabbed my attention.

Washington faced Dallas and Philadelphia twice each, and also the Chargers, Bills, Chiefs, Packers, Bucs, and Raiders. Washington in those 10 games, unfortunately only came out on top twice, defeating the Bucs and Raiders.

Galdi continued, “The Washington Football Team in the 2021 regular season played the hardest schedule in the NFL per Football Outsiders DVOA metric.” By contrast, Galdi then revealed that per the same metric, Washington in the 2020 regular season played the fifth easiest schedule.

Galdi then asked his listeners, “So you tell me, which season is more impressive? Going 7-9 against the fifth easiest schedule in the NFL, and yes winning the NFC East which was atrocious. Or, going 7-10 against the hardest schedule?”

“I know which season felt better. Obviously, the 2020 season felt better. But put aside your feelings, and get out of your feelings. Just look at this thing objectively. Which season is better? The answer is the 2021 season. And yes, neither season is some great season. And yes, there were things about the 2021 season that were off-putting…”

Galdi was not saying 2021 was a great season; not even saying it was a good season. He was saying, we were all fooled by the 2020 season, because it felt good to win the NFC East, when it was a weak year.

Bill Parcells for a couple of decades has been known for having said, “You are what your record says you are.” The TV football commentators bow their knee to him acting as if Parcells was so profound in that statement.

But ever since I was a college student watching BYU finish 13-0 in the 1984 season, including beating a very average Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl, a thought pressing me is, “Ok, you are undefeated, but whom did you play on your schedule?”

Here is the link to Thursday’s “The Al Galdi Podcast.”

Why is this year different than every other NFL year?

The NFL’s 2020 season will see the league play on all seven days of the week for first time

The 2020 season has produced numerous obstacles and hurdles as the NFL attempts to finish a complete regular season.

It also will provide for an oddity that has never before happened for the NFL:

After Friday’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, the league will officially have a regular season that sees games played every day of the week.

Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday games are commonplace. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to some quick fixes on the schedule.

The shifts led to there a rare Tuesday game when the Tennessee Titans beat the Buffalo Bills 42-16. There was a second Tuesday game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.

The Wednesday game took place then the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers got together, each due to COVID-19 complications.

Add in Friday’s game and there you have it, the NFL will have played at least one game on every day of the week this year.

NFL reveals schedule for Dec. 26 tripleheader

The NFL will have a day after Christmas tripleheader

The NFL on Monday announced a holiday gift for the Saturday after Christmas to its fans.

The league will have a tripleheader on Dec. 26, a Saturday.

Per NFL.com:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions game will be played at 1 p.m. ET. The Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders showdown will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. Both contests with potential playoff implications will air exclusively on NFL Network.

The San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals NFC West bout will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET and stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch.

All three games will be available across devices through NFL digital media, on mobile through the respective club properties, and Yahoo Sports and other Verizon Media apps.

Full schedule for Saturday games on December 26:

1:00 p.m. ET: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (NFL Network)
4:30 p.m. ET: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (Amazon Prime Video and Twitch)
8:15 p.m. ET: Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders (NFL Network)

What should Dolphins fans root for in the early slate of Week 11?

So, with that in mind, what should you be rooting for this afternoon before the Dolphins kickoff? We’re glad you asked.

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The waiting, as they say, is the hardest part. Welcome to Week 11 of the 2020 NFL season, Dolphins fans. As we brace for Miami’s kickoff against the Denver Broncos at 4PM EST this afternoon, we’re faced with an unenviable gauntlet: we must survive the 1PM early slate of games before the Dolphins take the field. So while Dolphins fans everywhere bide their time and wait, here are a few things you should be rooting to see transpire throughout the 1PM games this afternoon.

A slightly less sad NFC East

The Cleveland Browns are one of the many teams threatening the Dolphins for playoff positioning. They’ll catch the Philadelphia Eagles at home this afternoon but will be playing without perhaps their best player in Myles Garrett. Can the Eagles take advantage and secure a win to move to 4-5-1 on the season and extend their lead on the NFC East?

If they can, they’ll have done the Dolphins a big, big favor. Miami is in a crowded group of teams and every bit of separation helps as the AFC landscape continues to take shape.

A Patriots victory

Sigh. This will never be easy to say; but ‘Go Pats!’

For this week and this week only. The Patriots play the Houston Texans, who of course are of great interest to the Miami Dolphins thanks to the massive Laremy Tunsil deal from last August. Things are working out swell for Miami thus far. They gathered the No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and are on schedule to recoup a top-10 pick in 2021.

A loss by Houston to the Patriots this week would drop the Texans to 2-8; making it mathematically impossible for Houston to finish the year with a winning record and extends the possibility of Miami to stay in the running to potentially secure a top-3 pick for yet another week. The silver lining here? If the Texans win, at least the Patriots will have lost in the process.

A repeat of the 2019 AFC Divisional Round

The Tennessee Titans waltzed into Baltimore last spring and ran the ball down the throat of the AFC’s top seed, the Baltimore Ravens. It was a stunning result considering just how dominant Baltimore had been for much of the season — they’d had great success against just about everyone and boasted the NFL’s unanimous MVP in Lamar Jackson. No matter. The Titans pounded them.

Can we see the same today? Both the Titans and Ravens are 6-3 on the season and a win for the Titans would benefit Miami more than a Ravens win would. Why? Because there’s no way that the Ravens are going to catch the Steelers in the AFC North — they trail by 3.5 games with 7 to play. The Titans, meanwhile are in position to claim a divisional title as the Indianapolis Colts schedule stiffens over the next six weeks. In the event that Miami does not catch the Bills in the AFC East, they’ll want to play be the 5-seed. A Titans win best helps that this week in our eyes.

What should Dolphins fans root for in the early slate of Week 9?

The Miami Dolphins are kicking off their Week 9 contest against the Arizona Cardinals at 4:25PM EST, a later kick that leaves the Dolphins faithful with a few unexpected hours of flexibility this afternoon. The good news? There will be plenty of action to be had — the NFL appears ready to rock with a full slate of Week 9 contests that will provide Miami with plenty of rooting interests ahead of their own kickoff at 4:25 PM.

So, with that in mind, what should you be rooting for this afternoon before the Dolphins kick off? We’re glad you asked.

A Jaguars upset

In a clash of 1-6 football teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Houston Texans this afternoon. You already know what is at stake, Dolphins fans. If Houston falls to Jacksonville, the Laremy Tunsil draft picks are going to be surging in the 2021 NFL Draft order. The higher, the better — as Miami can get a blue chip player or continue to kick multiple first-round picks down the road for another few years by trading back. But for this pick to hit optimal value, you’ll need Jacksonville to upend Deshaun Watson this afternoon.

Seattle to dominate

The 6-2 Buffalo Bills are hosting the 6-1 Seattle Seahawks at 1PM EST this afternoon and there would be nothing sweeter than seeing Russell Wilson lay the smackdown on a Dolphins division rival. Seattle has already broken Miami’s heart this season in their own head to head clash and if the Dolphins are going to take advantage of the strength of schedule advantage they currently hold over the Bills the rest of the way, Buffalo will need to lose these types of games.

Can Seattle follow through? They’ll get SAF Jamal Adams back for this football game, so that should help.

A Chicago Bears road win

The reality of the situation this season is this: Miami is firmly in the hunt. So Dolphins fans will need to start shifting their attention to the teams on the fringe of the playoff picture and aspire to see them lose. The Chicago Bears? They’re totally benign to Miami this year as an NFC North contender. They can win as much as they’d like. And if they’d like to log a win over the Tennessee Titans (5-2), that would be terrific. When you add in that the Baltimore Ravens will be clashing with the 5-2 Indianapolis Colts, there’s a fair chance the top two teams in the AFC South could be sitting at 5-3 by the end of the day. And if that materializes, Miami could position themselves to challenge both teams in the conference standings. The less likely win is Chicago versus Tennessee, so that’s the one you should root to see.

A Steelers loss

This goes without saying. Pittsburgh is the NFL’s last undefeated team this season at 7-0. Go Cowboys.

Bills’ remaining schedule among NFL’s toughest

Buffalo Bills remaining strength of schedule for rest of 2020 NFL season.

If the Buffalo Bills are going to complete their 2020 NFL slate the way they started it, they’re probably going to have to play even better than they did in the first half of it.

Currently at 6-2 overall, the Bills are in the driver’s seat in terms of their playoff future and chance at winning the AFC East title. Buffalo hasn’t done so since 1995. But the reason why the Bills might have to start playing their best football now is because their remaining eight games are among the NFL’s toughest schedules left, according to Tankathon.

Buffalo’s second half of the season lines up as the fourth-hardest in the entire league. The Bills’ remaining foes have a winning percentage of .579. The only teams with a tougher go en route are the 49ers (.610), Jaguars (.615) and Falcons (.644).

In regard to the rest of the division, the Patriots have the best left, the second-easiest remaining slate in the NFL. The second-place Dolphins sit at No. 21 overall in terms of current strength of schedule.

Here’s the full rankings of the NFL’s remaining strength of schedule:

1. Falcons (.644)
2. Jaguars (.615)
3. 49ers (.610)
4. Bills (.579)
5. Rams (.576)
6. Panthers (.569)
7. Broncos (.522)
8. Colts (.540)
9. Titans (.538)
10. Cardinals (.529)
11. Eagles (.525)
12. Jets (.517)
13. Giants (.517)
14. Texans (.508)
15. Packers (.507)
16. Bengals (.500)
17. Chiefs (.492)
18. Vikings (.485)
19. Chargers (.478)
20. Bucs (.475)
21. Dolphins (.470)
22. Lions (.470)
23. Saints (.464)
24. Football Team (.464)
25. Steelers (.456)
26. Ravens (.455)
27. Cowboys (.450)
28. Seahawks (.450)
29. Bears (.429)
30. Raiders (.424)
31. Patriots (.418)
32. Browns (.398)

The rest of Buffalo’s schedule kicks off on Sunday as the Bills host the Seahawks (6-2). Buffalo will also host the Chargers (2-5), Steelers (7-0) and Dolphins (4-3) over the course of the rest of the season. The Bills will face the Cardinals (5-2), 49ers (4-4), Broncos (3-4) and Patriots (2-5) on the road.

For a full look at the rest of Buffalo’s remaining schedule, see the link below:

2020 Bills schedule: Buffalo has 4 primetime games

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What should Dolphins fans root for in Week 7 slate of games?

The Miami Dolphins are off this weekend, leaving Dolphins fans salivating and awaiting the debut of Tua Tagovailoa in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams. All good things to those who wait, Dolphins fans! But as we near the midway point of the season, there are still plenty of items of interest for Dolphins fans to key on this weekend, even without the Dolphins themselves playing. What should you be rooting for this weekend while the Dolphins are off? We’re glad you asked.

Here are three big storylines relevant to the Miami Dolphins.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 19: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts with teammates Eric Fisher #72 and Mitchell Schwartz #71 after a fourth quarter touchdown pass against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

A Chiefs win

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to square off against the Denver Broncos this weekend in an AFC West clash that really doesn’t offer any impact to Miami — right? Well, not necessarily. As Miami looks to jostle and position themselves among the AFC’s would-be wild card contenders, betting distance between themselves and Denver is imported. A head to head win for Miami when these two teams clash will be important — but a game of distance between them now plus an eventual head to head tiebreaker puts Miami in the driver’s seat to finish ahead of the Broncos. Denver currently sits at 2-3 and with a loss would fall a full game behind Miami in the standings, completing step one of Miami’s path to better the Broncos.

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What should Dolphins fans root for in the early slate of Week 6?

The Miami Dolphins are kicking off their Week 6 contest against the New York Jets at 4:05PM EST, a later kick that leaves the Dolphins faithful with a few unexpected hours of flexibility this afternoon. The good news? There will be plenty of action to be had — the NFL appears ready to rock with a full slate of Week 6 contests that will provide Miami with plenty of rooting interests ahead of their own kickoff at 4:05 PM.

So, with that in mind, what should you be rooting for this afternoon before the Dolphins kick off? We’re glad you asked.

Another big day from Ryan Tannehill

Former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is enjoying his new digs quite a bit. He exploded onto the scene in 2019 with the Titans after taking over for Marcus Mariota and has seen himself win nearly 75% of his starts with the Titans. It’s been an incredible run. And we should hope to see at least one more big win for Tannehill this week, given that the Titans are hosting the 1-4 Houston Texans in Week 6. Remember: the Dolphins own the Texans’ No. 1 and No. 2 draft picks in the 2021 NFL Draft.

What better parting gift for Tannehill to provide the Miami faithful than do sweep the Texans this year and boost the draft value of those picks? A win today for Tennessee drops the Texans to 1-5, which almost ensures the team won’t be in the postseason picture.

A Washington Football Team win

Huh? How is the Washington/New York Giants tilt relevant to the Dolphins, you ask? Because if the Texans are bad at 1-4, the Giants are miserable at 0-5. And the Giants won’t find very many games more winnable than this one on their schedule: they’re home against Washington.

But if the Dolphins are going to avoid seeing Clemson QB Trevon Lawrence call the AFC East home with the New York Jets, they’ll need another team to be equally as bad as the Jets. The Giants can be that team — but a loss to Washington is a necessary domino to help keep that trajectory on pace to become reality.

A Denver Broncos upset

We are living in a world in which the Miami Dolphins may be in second place in the AFC East and a game out of the lead by the end of the day tomorrow. But the Dolphins will need several breaks to go their way. The Buffalo Bills, who lost last week in blowout fashion to the Titans, host the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow afternoon. Yikes. That’s a tough draw and presumably a loss.

That would drop the Bills to 4-2, whereas a Dolphins win against the Jets moves the team to 3-3. But because the Patriots have already had their bye week, the team will sit at either 2-3 or 3-2 at the end of the 1 PM kickoffs; should the Denver Broncos pull off an upset, Miami would enter their bye in 2nd-place in the AFC East if they hold up their own end of the bargain and beat the Jets.

How to watch the New York Jets and the NFL this season without cable, Week 6 preview

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Jets’ Week 6 game against the Dolphins.

The New York Jets will face their second division opponent of the season when they head south to take on the Miami Dolphins.

Originally, these two teams were not supposed to play until Week 10. However, due to NFL schedule changes, this game was moved up to Week 6 and the second game was moved to Week 12.

New York will likely be without Mekhi Becton (shoulder) for a second consecutive game, as he’s listed as doubtful. Sam Darnold (shoulder) is also doubtful with Joe Flacco getting the nod at quarterback for a second straight game.

Bless Austin (calf), Alex Lewis (shoulder), John Franklin-Myers (foot), Quinnen Williams (ankle) and Breshad Perriman (ankle) are questionable, but all are expected to play.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch Sunday’s ballgame as well as information for the rest of the Jets’ 2020 season.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

When: Sunday, October 18
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

How to watch the New York Jets and NFL

FuboTV has complete local NFL coverage (CBS, FOX, ESPN), plus NFL Network and NFL Network Redzone. FuboTV includes every network you need to watch every NFL game in your market.

FuboTV is available on your phone, tablet, desktop, TV, connected TV Devices including Roku. Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV plus many more.

*Regional Restrictions Apply*

New York Jets 2020 Schedule

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS, Loss, 27-17

Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20, vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m., FOX, Loss, 31-13

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 27, at Indianapolis Colts, 4.05 p.m., CBS, Loss, 36-7

Week 4: Thursday, Oct. 1, vs. Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m., NFL Network, Loss, 37-28

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 11, vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1 p.m., FOX, Loss, 30-10

Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 18, at Miami Dolphins, 4:05 p.m., CBS

Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25, vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS

Week 8: Sunday, Nov. 1, at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS

Week 9: Monday, Nov. 9, vs. New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

Week 10: Bye Week

Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22, at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m., CBS

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 29, vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., CBS

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6, vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 1 p.m., CBS

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 13, at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m., CBS

Week 15: at Los Angeles Rams, date, time and network TBD

Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns, date, time and network TBD

Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3, at New England Patriots, 1 p.m., CBS

NFL Odds and Betting Lines

NFL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-9.5)

To Win the Super Bowl: +150000

The rest of the Vikings’ schedule is easier than first part of slate

Vikings fans, the schedule isn’t easy, but at least it gets easier.

Minnesota is not exactly off to a dream 2020.

The Vikings are 1-4. The team has lost some close games, but at best, Minnesota has looked inconsistent.

Minnesota’s first four opponents have a combined record of 17-6, as first reported by Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. That amounts to a winning percentage around .739.

For the Vikings, the rest of the way gets easier. CBS Sports first reported that Minnesota’s remaining schedule has gone .500 so far, ranking as tied for the 16th hardest schedule in the league.

More good news: here’s what the outlet said about the upcoming Vikings-Falcons game:

“The defense is woeful, and now must face a Vikings offense that can run it, even without Dalvin Cook. The Vikings are home for the first time in two weeks and they will find a way to win this one. It might be closer than expected.”

The Vikings winning before their bye could be crucial to regrouping and making a run at the playoffs the rest of the way. We’ll find out Sunday if the team can pull it off.