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Now, this doesn't mean as much as looking at the 2008 records of say NBA teams, since the NFL can change drastically from year to year in terms of teams individual records, but it still has some merit. Here is the 2009 SOS for the NFL, the Packers have the third easiest schedule (30th overall):

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/n ... id=4027503

Sadly, the only teams with easier ones are the Vikings and the Bears.

How do the Vikings win the division and have a weaker schedule than us? That system is so flawed. Same thing happened with the Pats a few years ago.

They play us.

aaprigs311 wrote:How do the Vikings win the division and have a weaker schedule than us? That system is so flawed. Same thing happened with the Pats a few years ago.

The system is flawed because the Vikings don't play against themselves?

All teams have 12 common game opponents and 2 different ones from the other divisions:

Vikes get Carolina and Giants at combined (24-8)
Bears get Atlanta and Philly at combined (20-11-1)
Packers get Dallas and Tampa Bay at combined (18-14)

However, since we aren't the Minnesota Vikings and they aren't the Packers, in the divisional games we have 2 non-common games by virtue of not playing against ourselves 2 times per year:
Vikes get Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit at combined (15-33) x 2
Bears get Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit at combined (16-32) x 2
Packers get Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit at combined (19-29) x 2

So, all in all, the "different" opponents add up to:
Vikings: 54-74
Bears: 52-75-1
Packers: 56-72

Yeah, the combined 12-52 (for two games) record of the Lions/Packers is what really skews the SOS, since that is 12-52 for 25% of the games. But given that I think all three of the Bears/Vikings/Packers will be between 8-11 wins, I don't think any of those games will be cupcake games. But all three teams still get to play the Lions twice, and that team has really no hope next year looking at the roster.

Well the actual schedule is released tonight but we've known which teams we were playing since the season ended. We had a thread just like this one discussing the 2009 SOS that was started in January but I don't know what happened to it so we'll go with this one.

vs Chicago -- 7:20 PM (SNF)
vs Cincinnati -- NOON
@ St Louis -- NOON
@ Minnesota -- 7:30 PM (MNF)
BYE
vs Detroit -- NOON
@ Cleveland -- NOON
vs Minnesota -- NOON
@ Tampa Bay -- NOON
vs Dallas -- 3:15 PM
vs San Francisco -- NOON
@ Detroit -- 11:30 AM (Thanksgiving)
vs Baltimore -- 7:30 PM (MNF)
@ Chicago -- NOON (flex)
@ Pittsburgh -- NOON (flex)
vs Seattle -- NOON (flex)
@ Arizona -- 3:15 PM (flex)

Well we should be able to hit the ground running and get off to a good start.

Nice--I was hoping for the Pittsburgh game to be in cold weather--I've got a buddy with season tickets that said I could go.

Why cold weather? Well, I've got a polar bear costume and a Packers jersey that I believe will get me alot of CBS air time.

No way the good fans of Pittsburgh harm a polar bear! Obama has specially protected them...

Interesting how quick our division games go this year, thats actually probably a blessing...

Or a curse depending on how long it takes us to adjust to the 3-4...

Looks pretty easy besides Arizona (could be a repeat of the Saints game last season if the Packers don't get a pass rush), Pittsburgh (National Champs), Baltimore (meh, I like the Packers chances), Dallas (No T.O. this time so who knows) and Bears/Minnesota (We always seem to split with these teams)

I'll make a pre-draft prediction of 10-6
With Losses to

Pittsburgh
Arizona
Chicago x 1
Minnesota x 1
Dallas
Baltimore

I really don't see any worse than 8-8 barring injuries.

Jollay wrote:No way the good fans of Pittsburgh harm a polar bear! Obama has specially protected them...

Obama AND Noah Wyle.

10-6 if TT doesn't f up the draft.

8&8 depending on draft & FA

It's absolute crap when you finish a division opponent in the first half of the season.

I'm not gonna complain too much. We miss the Williams sisters at the Dome.

And that Arizona game is the last game of the year when it'll probably be a meaningless contest for them. I like it.

4 national TV games and we play STL early in the season. I should be able to see us in person at a place other than Soldier for once.

Too early to make a prediction but looking at the schedule right now it looks very favorable.

If we can get solid D-line play and can stay fairly healthy it could be 2007 all over agian.

Overall good schedule. I'd like the bye a little later in the season.

I actually think the early bye could be beneficial this year, although normally I would agree I'd like it later. But breaking in a new defense, might not be bad having it early. It also might not be bad having theoretically easier opponents early.

We also get another half of a bye or whatever the weekend after Thanksgiving, 11 days off.