I was just going to ask if anyone knew the 2009 strength of schedule for the Chiefs. Not sure what it was in 2008 but obviously this is a huge variable when contemplating W-L projections for 2009.

It’s not like the NFL purposely made sure the NFC East and AFC North were great just so we’d get screwed. And it could be worse…the Dolphins have the toughest schedule in the NFL next year because they’ve got the AFC South and NFC South (no teams with losing records) as well as the AFC East (solid division), Pittsburgh and San Diego. And Miami wasn’t even good enough to get a first round bye last season.

I think it is interesting that the whole of the AFC West is ranked consecutively. I wold argue that it is more important for the strength of schedule in each division to be relatively even rather than across the whole NFL, i.e. each of the 4 teams in each division has an equal chance of winning the division.

that schedule ranks in February mean absolutely nothing. In fact, less than nothing, as the ratings of many teams will invert.

No disrespect to the post, but ’08 records are useless in determining ’09 success.

last 5 years preseason SOS versus post season SOS

please explain to me why the Chiefs with the worst schedule in the division also ended up with getting the toughest schedule in the division for next year???

For instance, a year ago Miami was 1-15, people who played them must have been thinking they had an easy game based on 2007. Did anybody expect Arizona to be in the Superbowl after 2007? Or for New England to not make the playoffs? The strength of schedule is all based on what’s happened in the past and with fortunes rising and falling so fast in the NFL you can’t really expect it to mean all that much.

The Superbowl Champs will have the 4th easiest schedule next year, and the Superbowl losers will have the 6th easiest schedule. Very nice how that works out. And, the Bears, Vikings, and packers all have easier schedules than the winless Lions.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the way the schedule rotates, I just find it interesting how this “strength of schedule” works out.

this is the strength of schedule for 2009, BASED ON PERFORMANCES IN 2008

Nothing guarantees that any of the teams will perform comparably to 2008 – take this year’s AFC East – in 2007, the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets were all fairly crummy – so when the 2008 schedule came out, they hurt the Chiefs’ strength of schedule – but they ended up not being crummy, and they kicked our asses. Something similar will happen again next year to several other teams.

(though it does chap my ass that the Vikings won their division and have the second easiest schedule, mostly because I have an asshat ogre Vikings fan for a coworker)

Playing good teams has always made players step it up a notch. This should only make us better.

Probably won’t make the playoffs next year however. Some good building possibilities. Would be a good movement to get to 8 – 8. In our division I think that is doable.