Toughest/Easiest schedules in football history

[CSKreager]

1991 Redskins. 7 games against teams with 10 or more wins

9 of their 14 wins were against teams that didn’t make the playoffs

They also beat one-hit wonders Atlanta and Detroit in the playoffs. This team gets way, way more credit than they deserve.

The entire Joe Gibbs era in DC gets more credit than it deserves.

[7DnBrnc53]

From 2001-2019, the Patriots had a -0.305263158 strength of schedule, which was 26th out of 32 teams.

[SeahawkFever]

Here are the 50 hardest and easiest schedules by opponents win percentage from 1936-2024 (I made that list a year or two back):

First the 50 hardest:

1944 Brooklyn Tigers 0.6729
1944 Chi/Pit Cards/Steelers 0.6624
1982 Baltimore Colts 0.648333333
1975 Cleveland Browns 0.647928571
1939 Chicago Cardinals 0.634545455
1942 Philadelphia Eagles 0.626454545
1942 Detroit Lions 0.624909091
1951 Chicago Cardinals 0.6225
1973 San Francisco 49ers 0.622357143
1936 Chicago Cardinals 0.62125
1944 Boston Yanks 0.6196
1977 Kansas City Chiefs 0.617357143
1945 Chicago Cardinals 0.61
1943 Chicago Cardinals 0.609
1970 New Orleans Saints 0.608285714
1965 Los Angeles Rams 0.6075
1976 New York Giants 0.607142857
1972 Houston Oilers 0.6045
1991 Phoenix Cardinals 0.6016875
1968 Atlanta Falcons 0.599857143
1970 Green Bay Packers 0.599785714
1972 Buffalo Bills 0.599428571
1951 New York Yanks 0.598333333
1970 Washington Redskins 0.597785714
1937 Cleveland Rams 0.597363636
1938 Pittsburgh Pirates 0.597363636
1967 Atlanta Falcons 0.597285714
1952 Dallas Texans 0.597166667
1950 Chicago Cardinals 0.597083333
1973 San Diego Chargers 0.596785714
1942 Chicago Cardinals 0.595909091
1990 New England Patriots 0.5940625
1959 Los Angeles Rams 0.594
2020 New York Jets 0.594
2009 Denver Broncos 0.5939375
1945 New York Giants 0.5933
1975 Philadelphia Eagles 0.591785714
1953 Green Bay Packers 0.59025
1979 Cincinnati Bengals 0.5901875
2011 St. Louis Rams 0.590125
2004 Cleveland Browns 0.5900625
1948 Detroit Lions 0.5895
1971 New Orleans Saints 0.588285714
1965 Minnesota Vikings 0.587142857
1972 San Diego Chargers 0.586571429
1999 New York Jets 0.5861875
1939 Philadelphia Eagles 0.585909091
1989 Dallas Cowboys 0.5841875
1945 Bos/Bkn Yanks/Tigers 0.5833
1941 Cleveland Rams 0.582545455


and here are the 50 easiest:

1975 Minnesota Vikings 0.331642857
1999 St. Louis Rams 0.33225
1941 New York Giants 0.349454545
1945 Washington Redskins 0.3532
1942 Washington Redskins 0.355454545
1942 Chicago Bears 0.364636364
1970 Baltimore Colts 0.364714286
2021 Seattle Seahawks 0.366
1970 Miami Dolphins 0.366285714
1972 Miami Dolphins 0.367071429
1939 New York Giants 0.378454545
1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0.379125
1965 Cleveland Browns 0.382714286
1975 Los Angeles Rams 0.382714286
1937 Washington Redskins 0.389909091
1999 Jacksonville Jaguars 0.39075
1983 Denver Broncos 0.3908125
1944 Detroit Lions 0.3934
1998 Arizona Cardinals 0.3946875
1970 Cincinnati Bengals 0.396571429
1951 New York Giants 0.396833333
1973 Washington Redskins 0.397928571
1986 Chicago Bears 0.4025625
2000 Denver Broncos 0.4025625
1939 Washington Redskins 0.404909091
1971 Miami Dolphins 0.406142857
1945 Cleveland Rams 0.4066
1962 Green Bay Packers 0.408357143
1968 Dallas Cowboys 0.409571429
1953 Los Angeles Rams 0.40975
1991 Buffalo Bills 0.410375
1970 Pittsburgh Steelers 0.410642857
1982 Cincinnati Bengals 0.413555556
1998 Atlanta Falcons 0.4141875
2010 Kansas City Chiefs 0.41425
2007 Seattle Seahawks 0.414375
1971 Dallas Cowboys 0.414428571
1953 Cleveland Browns 0.414666667
2020 Houston Texans 0.41625
2022 San Francisco 49ers 0.416882353
1959 New York Giants 0.417166667
2003 Kansas City Chiefs 0.418125
1999 Carolina Panthers 0.4181875
1984 San Francisco 49ers 0.4181875
2001 Pittsburgh Steelers 0.4181875
1977 Chicago Bears 0.418428571
1940 Green Bay Packers 0.419181818
1969 New York Jets 0.4205
1969 Cleveland Browns 0.4215
2000 Oakland Raiders 0.4221875

[ShinobiMusashi]

The 1999 Jaguars schedule always stood out to me for how easy it was, for all the hype that team gets. They only played 1 good team all season, they played them 3 times, and lost all 3.

[74_75_78_79_]

The 1999 Jaguars schedule always stood out to me for how easy it was, for all the hype that team gets. They only played 1 good team all season, they played them 3 times, and lost all 3.

Yes, easy schedule! I've always been aware. But IMO that shouldn't let anyone be fooled! They are still the best Coughlin Jaguars team thus still the best one ever. Either the Titans were better, or simply had their #, or a little of both. Have Jags had harder teams to play in '99, I think they win enough games - even if 12 instead of 14 - to still be seen as their best squad yet so far. Simply too talented on offense with Capers as their DC - enough said!

[CSKreager]

The 1999 Jaguars schedule always stood out to me for how easy it was, for all the hype that team gets. They only played 1 good team all season, they played them 3 times, and lost all 3.

Tennessee didn’t exactly have a gauntlet schedule by comparison.

Heck I think they would have a better shot in SB XXXIV had they switched to Neil O’Donnell when they trailed 16-0

[74_75_78_79_]

The 1999 Jaguars schedule always stood out to me for how easy it was, for all the hype that team gets. They only played 1 good team all season, they played them 3 times, and lost all 3.

Tennessee didn’t exactly have a gauntlet schedule by comparison.

Heck I think they would have a better shot in SB XXXIV had they switched to Neil O’Donnell when they trailed 16-0

What everyone forgets about 1999, starting with myself (and caught myself doing it yet again just minutes ago), is that there were ONLY 11 teams of the 31 that finished the regular season with winning records. And three of those ten were 9-7 teams. This means just 8 teams with double-digit wins. And two of the playoffs teams - both of them in the NFC - finished 8-8. There were a grand total of NINE 8-8 teams! KC, in the AFC, was the only 9-7 team which didn't make the playoffs.

So just about everyone didn't have the toughest of schedules. The Titans played 4 winners in '99 going 3-1 against them - sweeping the Jags, beating the Rams, but losing at Miami which brought the Dolphins' record to 7-1 just before you-know-what. 3-1 vs winning teams whereas StL lost to the only winner they played (Tenn) and also lost to the 8-8 Lions making it 0-2 against playoff teams.

But both those losses could have easily gone the other way while, again, the Rams blew-out those bad teams the way a Champ ought to. In the playoffs, StL ultimately proved their true grit by opening up such a big lead vs Minny before taking their foot off the pedal and then beating two smash-mouth teams in a row for the Vince! Paper-tiger 'wimps' feeding off easy schedules don't do that kind of stuff once the playoffs start; they fold up after one punch to the gut and go one-and-out.

And the Jags, of course, didn't beat a winner at all (0-2 vs Tenn) until '62-7' in the divisional round. Not as good as StL but they still were a true champion-caliber team. Just that they weren't better than the Titans either; or, at the very least, Tenn had their #. Jags/Rams would have made for an exciting shoot-out of a Super Bowl but, to me, the Titans were the even better fit for 'The Greatest Show' to make SBXXXIV what it, indeed, was! The simple contrast-in-styles of it all as opposed to a track-meet, or a '77-like slug-out affair which would have been the case between TB & Tenn. Jags & Bucs would have offered up that contrast-in-styles as well, but just a tad lesser it would have been than what we actually got, I think.

O'Donnell coming in for McNair down 16-0?? Not easy at all to agree with that. McNair did bring them all the way back and were just...one-yard-shy. Any game Neil had previously was all but gone by then. The only post-Steeler notables I can come up with is his sick opener at Seattle in '97, and pulling one off on his former team (my Steelers) in '98. My bad if there are others I should remember. But I'm pretty sure that he doesn't engineer a grinding steamroller of a comeback against the Rams' D. It was both Eddie George AND McNair together wearing out that Ram-D, almost bringing it into OT. But like true Champs, they caught their breaths, and stopped 'em when it mattered most in the very bitter end!

One of the better Super Bowls ever! Not bad considering it was between a Rams team no longer in LA and a team no longer named 'the Houston Oilers'.


PS - both Rams' & Jags' divisions were matched against each other in '99. Yes, Rams finished in 5th the year before, but a new scheduling formula was now in-place due to the Browns re-entering, adding a 31st team to the league! And I thought all-along that it was then each team playing three, instead of four, teams from their matched division across-conference. But I see the Jags played all other four teams in the NFC West besides StL. I don't exactly know that '99-thru-'01 scheduling formula to a tee. I guess some of the non-5th-place teams from the year before played three teams from the other conference, and some played four.

[CSKreager]

both Rams' & Jags' divisions were matched against each other in '99. Yes, Rams finished in 5th the year before, but a new scheduling formula was now in-place due to the Browns re-entering, adding a 31st team to the league! And I thought all-along that it was then each team playing three, instead of four, teams from their matched division across-conference. But I see the Jags played all other four teams in the NFC West besides StL. I don't exactly know that '99-thru-'01 scheduling formula to a tee. I guess some of the non-5th-place teams from the year before played three teams from the other conference, and some played four.

It was a bizarre scheduling formula that had a bunch of notable missed games.

99: not just JAX/ STL, but what about Steelers/Rams? Dallas didn’t play Buffalo despite both being playoff teams. Packers vs Chiefs, Lions vs Raiders

2000: Ravens somehow avoided Philly AND what would have been a SB preview vs NYG. Or Vikings vs Jets- maybe if NY plays them instead of DET at home in late December they get into the playoffs.

2001 49ers didn’t host New England AKA the year Brady should have played at Candlestick. The Steelers NOT facing Green Bay/Chicago.