Tag: strength of schedule

Vikings strength of schedule is slightly below average in second half of the season

Here is the strength of schedule for every remaining NFL team so far, including the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota winning against Green Bay was a surprising result to say the least.

The Vikings had just one victory heading into the matchup. Granted, the team had a bye the week before, but prior to that, Minnesota was throttled by a then-winless Atlanta team.

It seemed like the Vikings would not have a whole lot of hope for the rest of the season. The Packers win provided a silver lining.

Here’s another one: The Vikings strength of schedule isn’t among the toughest the rest of the way. Minnesota will have a chance to salvage its season against lesser opponents than it once had to play.

Here are the full strength of schedule rankings for the rest of 2020, according to tankathon.com:

Falcons have NFL’s toughest remaining schedule

The Atlanta Falcons have lost six of their first eight games this season and unfortunately, things will only get tougher in the second half.

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The Atlanta Falcons have lost six of their first eight games this season and unfortunately, things will only get tougher in the second half. In fact, the Falcons currently have the toughest remaining schedule in the entire NFL.

Atlanta’s final six opponents have a combined winning percentage of .644, which is by far the highest in the league. Check out the list of every team’s remaining strength of schedule below, as provided by Tankathon:

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 Falcons play two games against the New Orleans Saints (5-2), two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2), and one against the Kansas City Chiefs (7-1).

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NFL strength of schedule: Saints have a clear path to the playoffs

The New Orleans Saints remaining strength of schedule ranks among the easiest around the league, as well as the very competitive NFC South.

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How can the New Orleans Saints reach the playoffs? The snarky answer is simply answering that they have to keep winning their games, but the structure of their second-half schedule sets them up for more success than other teams around the league.

To find out exactly how it shakes out, Nick Woltjon crunched the numbers over at Bills Wire, and his results rank the Saints strength of schedule among the NFL’s easiest remaining slates:

  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)

Of their eight remaining matchups, just two opponents have earned winning records: the 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (this week’s matchup) and the 7-1 Kansas Chiefs (who visit New Orleans on Dec. 20, likely in front of 15,000 roaring fans). The teams facing the Saints in their other six games are a combined 17-29-1 (including two tilts with the 2-6 Atlanta Falcons).

If things break the Saints’ way — if Michael Thomas can return soon and pick up where he left off in 2019, and if the defense can just settle in and play up to their usual standards — they could go on a tear. But it all starts with upsetting the Buccaneers on the road Sunday night.

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Colts’ remaining strength of schedule among NFL’s toughest

Colts have a tough road ahead.

Coming out of their bye week, the Indianapolis Colts expectedly have a difficult schedule approaching for the second half. But just how difficult is that remaining schedule?

When looking at the basic strength of schedule formula that is based on the Colts’ upcoming opponents’ win percentage, Indy faces the eighth-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.

Here’s a look at the top-10 toughest schedules remaining:

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)

The Colts’ schedule begins getting tougher with a Week 9 home matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (5-2). The Colts opened the week as home underdogs for this game.

Then Indy has to turn around on a short week for a vital Thursday night game against the Tennessee Titans (5-2) before hosting the Green Bay Packers (6-2) in Week 11.

It won’t be an easy road for the Colts and while the defense has been playing at an extremely high level, the unit will be tested against some of these offenses during the second half of the season.

There is still a lot of football left to be played, but the playoff chances could be determined pretty soon over the next few weeks for the Colts.

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Chiefs strength of schedule middling in second half of 2020 season

The Chiefs’ strength of schedule for the rest of the season lands smack dab in the middle of the rest of the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have the toughest strength of schedule to finish the 2020 season, but they don’t have the easiest path either.

Sitting at a 7-1 overall record for the 2020 season, the Chiefs are vying for a playoff berth and a second consecutive run at a Super Bowl title. They currently hold the second-best record in the AFC conference behind the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. With the new playoff rules, they’ll have to hope for the Steelers to slip up if they’re to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs this year.

The Chiefs hold the 17th most difficult schedule in terms of strength of schedule. They’re actually right in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the NFL.

Here’s a look at the strength of schedule for all 32 NFL teams:

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)

You’ll notice that two of the Chiefs’ AFC West opponents (Raiders and Chargers) have an easier strength of schedule the rest of the season. Las Vegas is the team to pay attention to as they’re the only team to have beaten Kansas City this season.

You’ll also notice that the Steelers have an easier strength of schedule. If it wasn’t nearly impossible for teams to go undefeated, that’d be a bit more concerning for the Chiefs.

The rest of the schedule won’t exactly be a cakewalk for Kansas City, but it won’t be impossible for this team to overcome either. If we’ve learned anything about this team over the past two years is that they won’t shy away from a challenge. They’ll face their next test this Sunday as Matt Rhule’s Carolina Panthers come to Arrowhead Stadium in Week 9.

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Washington’s remaining strength of schedule among NFL’s easiest

With Washington needing as many wins as they can get to take a lead over the Eagles in the NFC East, their remaining SOS provides a nice pathway.

If the Washington Football Team is going to do everything that they’ve been hinting at and go on a streak of success here worthy enough of buoying them to the top of the NFC East, they’re going to need to take advantage of the winnable games against middling teams. Luckily, the back-half of their schedule is filled with such games, many of which they will likely be only slight underdogs in, if not favored to win outright.

According to Tankathon, the remaining nine games on Washington’s schedule rank as the 24th easiest stretch in the NFL, with an average win percentage of .464 among their opponents. Outside of the division, Washington will face the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers. The matchups with the Seahawks and Steelers are obviously the toughest, but with the 49ers reeling from injuries, and the Panthers unsure of their identity just yet, those two stand as winnable games.

Another winnable game that didn’t look like such before the season comes on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys, who have been severely stricken by injuries as well. Washington recently defeated then 25-3 a couple of weeks ago. Elsewhere in the division, Washington likely has a good feeling about games against both the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles as well.

In regards to the rest of the NFC East, the Eagles have the 11th hardest SOS, while the Giants sit at 13th and the Cowboys at 27th.

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)

Those numbers all look good for Washington, who needs to pick up games on the Eagles and create distance between themselves and the Giants going forward. It all starts this Sunday with a rematch against New York, though, where a win will be extremely crucial.

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Who has the easiest, hardest remaining schedule in NFL?

Remaining strength of schedule rankings for the second half of the 2020 NFL season.

The 2020 NFL season is just about at the middle point with Week 8 in the books and Week 9 just around the corner. For some teams, the outlook is pretty bleak while others could have a glass half-filled outlook on the rest of the year.

A big reason for that is each team’s remaining strength of schedule. Perhaps a team like the New England Patriots could have reason for optimism? Then there’s some like the Buffalo Bills might want to proceed with caution even though they’re leading their division…

With that, here’s your full remaining strength of schedule rankings for the entire NFL via Tankathon:

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)

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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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Colts have easiest strength of schedule according to DVOA

Colts have a clear path to success in 2020.

While an offseason full of notable changes on both sides of the ball should help the Indianapolis Colts reach the playoffs, they should be getting some assistance from their strength of schedule as well.

>>>READ: Colts finalize roster, practice squad<<<

Instead of using the typical 2019 win totals to determine a team’s strength of schedule, Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire instead used the DVOA metric from Football Outsiders. Here is Schofield’s explanation of the metric:

FO, creators of Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), have what they call opponent average DVOA. Each team is given their own Total DVOA grade (combining offensive, defensive and special teams DVOA numbers) based on their roster, recent performance and statistical analysis for the season ahead. Then, you can take their 16 opponents, average the DVOA numbers, and have a better indication of the relative strength of each team’s schedules.

With all of those factors making up the opponent’s DVOA, the Colts wind up having the easiest strength of schedule in the entire league. It especially helps that they can get off to a hot start to begin the 2020 season.

Average Opponent DVOA: -2.2%

That’s right. According to opponent average DVOA, the Indianapolis Colts have the easiest schedule in the NFL next season. They play six games before their bye week, and only the Minnesota Vikings, who they face in Week 2, have a DVOA higher than 21st.

And the Vikings are 20th.

During that initial stretch they face Jacksonville (28th), Minnesota, the New York Jets (25th), the Chicago Bears (21st), the Cleveland Browns (24th) and the Cincinnati Bengals (29th).

But it is not like the schedule gets that much harder after the bye, at least in terms of opponent DVOA. Sure they face Baltimore at home, but they get the Houston Texans twice (23rd in DVOA), the Las Vegas Raiders (19th), the Green Bay Packers (16th) and Jacksonville once more. They only have two games against teams currently in the top ten in DVOA: Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Something to keep in mind when making season predictions.

With their bye in Week 7, the Colts have a real chance to start 5-1 or even 4-2 at worst. If the upgrades made at quarterback and defensive tackle perform true, a hot start to the season could be well in play.

The second half of the season will be tough, especially with a stretch of four division games in six weeks, one of which is a primetime matchup on Thursday night.

>>>READ: Colts’ 2020 schedule<<<

The Colts have missed out on the playoffs in four of the last five years but after some upgrades this offseason and now with an easier projected schedule, they could be in line to turn things around in 2020.

Seahawks rise in power rankings based on strength of schedule

The Seattle Seahawks have risen in Touchdown Wire’s NFL preseason power rankings based on their strength of schedule and opponents.

The Seattle Seahawks have landed at a very respectable No. 6 in Touchdown Wire’s latest NFL preseason power rankings. These rankings were compiled with a bit of a twist, however, based on each team’s strength of schedule.

Mark Schofield used Football Outsider’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average to rank each club’s opponents and factor an average for each team. For Seattle, its Average Opponent DVOA was -1.2%.

“The big debate in Seattle right now is whether the coaching staff ‘lets Russ cook,’” Schofield writes. “Letting their talented quarterback throw more than he did in 2019 would be smart in this writer’s opinion. After all, Seattle ran the ball on 45.6% of their plays last year, sixth-most in the league.”

“But whether Russ gets to cook or not, Seattle gets a relatively easy schedule according to Football Outsiders,” Schofield continues. “Seattle squares off against the AFC East and the NFC East this year, meaning games against the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, the Washington Football Team, and the New York Giants.”

The Seahawks will open their season on the road in Atlanta this year, with kickoff set for 10:00 a.m. PT on Sept. 13 against the Falcons. Seattle begins its first regular-season practice week with a bonus session Monday afternoon.

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