DALLAS COWBOYS
1. at Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Washington taterskins (Sunday night)
3. BYE WEEK
4. at Tennessee Titans
5. at Philadelphia Eagles
6. Houston Texans
7. NY Giants (Monday night)
8. at Carolina Panthers (Sunday night)
9. at Washington taterskins
10. at Arizona Cardinals
11. Indianapolis Colts
12. at Tampa Bay Bucs
13. at NY Giants
14. New Orleans Saints
15. at Atlanta Falcons (Saturday night)
16. Philadelphia Eagles (Monday night - Christmas)
17. Detroit Lions
WASHINGTON taterskinS
1. Minnesota Vikings (Monday night)
2. at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday night)
3. at Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
5. at NY Giants
6. Tennessee Titans
7. at Indianapolis Colts
8. BYE WEEK
9. Dallas Cowboys
10. at Philadelphia Eagles
11. at Tampa Bay Bucs
12. Carolina Panthers
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Philadelphia Eagles
15. at New Orleans Saints
16. at St. Louis Rams
17. NY Giants (Saturday night)
NEW YORK GIANTS
1. Indianapolis Colts (Sunday night)
2. at Philadelphia Eagles
3. at Seattle Seahawks
4. BYE WEEK
5. Washington taterskins
6. at Atlanta Falcons
7. at Dallas Cowboys (Monday night)
8. Tampa Bay Bucs
9. Houston Texans
10. Chicago Bears
11. at Jacksonville Jaguars (Monday night)
12. at Tennessee Titans
13. Dallas Cowboys
14. at Carolina Panthers
15. Philadelphia Eagles
16. New Orleans Saints
17. at Washington taterskins (Saturday night)
Strength of Schedules
.543 NY Giants (toughest in NFL)
.520 Philadelphia (10th toughest)
.516 Washington (11th toughest)
.504 Dallas (18th toughest)
Breakdowns
Dallas
2- Sunday Nighters
2- Monday Nighters
1- Saturday Nighter
4- 4:00 starts
7- 1:00 starts
Washington
1- Sunday Nighter
1- Monday Nighter
1- Saturday Nighter
2- 4:00 starts
11- 1:00 starts
New York
1- Sunday Nighter
2- Monday Nighters
1- Saturday Nighter
1- 4:00 start
11- 1:00 starts
Philadelphia
0- Sunday Nighters
3- Monday Nighters
0- Saturday Nighters
2- 4:00 starts
11- 1:00 starts
the dallas game is basically a sunday nighter. its on nbc, and on monday cause of christmas.
Nooooooooo... John Madden calling that game? Merry Christmas to no one.
hardest to weakest schedules....
Giants - .543
Bengals - .543
Saints - .539
Buccaneers - .539
Steelers - .531
Titans - .527
Chiefs - .527
Texans - .523
Ravens - .523
Eagles -.520
taterskins - .516
Broncos - .516
Raiders - .516
Browns -.512
Falcons - .508
Rams -.508
Panthers - .504
Cowboys -.504
Cardinals -.500
Chargers - .488
Jaguars - .488
Colts - .484
49ers - .477
Bills - .477
Lions - .473
Patriots - .473
Dolphins - .469
Jets - .465
Vikings - .457
Seahawks -.457
Packers - .449
Bears - .445
What the F, how does chicago get the easiest schedule when they won the damn division?
their division sucks
Quote from: phillymic2000 on April 07, 2006, 12:30:40 PM
What the F, how does chicago get the easiest schedule when they won the damn division?
You answered your own question.
I seem to remember we had the "easiest" schedule after getting to the NFCCG. It's a meaningless statistic based on last year's results.
Furthermore, ranking only determines 2 games of the 16 on the schedule. 2.
speaking of schedules, and this flex schedule shiz for the last 8 weeks of the year. all sportscenter talked about yesterday is that how it's going to make it harder for coaches to win games. f that, it shouldn't make a difference if you play at 4 or 8 o'clock. blah blah blah.
not once did they talk about how it's going to affect fans. escpecially people from out of town like me, or even people who make flight plans. they said it might not change until 11-12 days before, and for the last few weeks as few a 6 days before. i guess now everyone just has to assume it's going to be a late game, just in case.
I'm sure ESPN hates flex scheduling. Or, more to the point, that they couldn't get in on the action.
Quote from: phattymatty on April 07, 2006, 12:43:35 PMnot once did they talk about how it's going to affect fans. escpecially people from out of town like me, or even people who make flight plans. they said it might not change until 11-12 days before, and for the last few weeks as few a 6 days before.
Since when does the NFL, or ESPN, give a shtein about fans? Those must have been better times, whenever that was.
60,000 people going the game vs. millions watching at home
hmmmmm
I'm in Dallas for a seminar this week, so happened to catch an interesting article in the local paper (the "Star-Telegram"), RE: how the Cowboys don't appear to be too happy with their schedule because they have the polar opposite schedule from the Eagles--six of their first nine games are on the road, and their bye week comes in Week 3. So, as the Eagles most likely need to fatten up on opponents in the first ten games and ride out the last six, the 'boys need to weather their first nine and then try to make hay on the back end.
The article goes on to say that that Plastic Man is probably not crying foul because he has some crazy notion that:
Prime Time Games = Cowboy Wins
For me, more Dallas Prime Time Games = More of this little guy ==> :puke
Anyway, thought it was an interesting perspective...
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/14302786.htm
* By the way, not sure why when I copied and posted the article text, it broke it up into individual sentences...maybe that's the way they do things down here in Texas. If you prefer paragraphs, click on the link.QuoteSilence over schedule is unsettlingBy Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
STAR-TELEGRAM/RALPH LAUER
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hopes having at least six games on national TV is the right road to a return to the playoffs.Surprisingly, there was little if any yelping at Valley Ranch last week after the NFL released the Cowboys' 2006 schedule.
Face value says there could be an immediate burial.
Three of the first four games and six of the first nine are on the road.
But, now, for the obvious disclaimer:
In this day and age of the NFL, the worst percentage play in all of sports is to take the league schedule in April and attempt to project the impact next fall and winter.
What was last season rarely computes into a new season.
Teams change in a hurry.
Regardless, this 2006 schedule places an emphasis on the Cowboys surviving a rust factor in September, holding serve in the few home games between the first month and mid-November, then finishing strong after that.
Start with the early worry at Valley Ranch, which for now overshadows even the heavy emphasis on the road.
The Cowboys play their final exhibition game on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30, they play only two games.
Two games in a month. That's not a good football thing.
The regular-season opener is a tough test at Jacksonville on Sept. 10, followed by the home opener against the taterskins the next week.
Then there's the hated early-season off-week, which is useless. Followed by two more road games, at the Titans on Oct. 1 and the Eagles on Oct. 8.
You think maybe Big Bill will be climbing the Valley Ranch walls in September?
But immediate reaction, negative, centers on that first month of inactivity.
Then there are what Jerry Jones and Associates consider the schedule positives:
Divisional opponents coming to Texas Stadium all in prime time.
That's the taterskins for a Sunday night in September, the Giants on a Monday night in October and the Eagles for late afternoon on Christmas Day.
On the flip side, divisional prime-time road games show the Cowboys with none, although the Giants' trip on Dec. 3 could change because the floating schedule allowing contests to be moved to Sunday nights in the second half of the season.
I'm not sure there's any statistical data to back it up, but at Valley Ranch there's a belief that divisional home games in prime time are an advantage. Again, that's them, not me.
Another thing the Cowboys look for, maybe first, when the schedule is released each April:
Is the Sunday game at home before the Thanksgiving game?
Bingo.
The Colts are at Texas Stadium, followed three days later by Tampa Bay.
Except it is the Colts, not exactly a gimme.
Still, that is an obvious scheduling advantage. Do note, however, that the Cowboys had the same advantage last season and lost to Denver in overtime on Thanksgiving.
And only at Valley Ranch is the glitz and glitter of prime-time TV considered a plus.
Yes, Mr. Jones loves six of 16 games being scheduled for a national TV audience, with possibly more to come.
That's the Eldorado Owens factor kicking in.
Then again, there's absolutely nothing to suggest that prime time gives the Cowboys any edge.
But we all can still imagine Jerry getting his hands on the schedule last Thursday, and gleefully proclaiming, "See ... see. I was right on Terrell."
OK, Jerry. We'll see about that.
Back to those first nine games, with six on the road.
Absolutely, the Cowboys must win the three home games in that span -- Washington, the Texans and the Giants.
Then on the road they could win only two of the six and still be 5-4 in mid-November and headed into a favorable stretch run.
The ultimate test will be three consecutive road games -- at Carolina (hello, Keyshawn), at the taterskins and at Arizona -- that starts in late October.
One more scheduling positive, at least in Valley Ranch opinions, is that an early report was false that the Cowboys would be in Philly for a Christmas Day game.
Instead, the Eagles are coming here.
Playing on the road on Christmas Day is considered a huge disadvantage because of family holiday disruptions.
But the 2006 season still boils down to how the Cowboys handle six of the first nine game on the road, including three straight at one point.
I thought I'd hear Valley Ranch yelping over that. I thought I'd at least hear Jerry screaming that the new commissioner should suddenly award the Cowboys an "extra home game."
But I guess that can only happen with a New York team.
This schedule is an early killer if things don't go exactly right.
But at Valley Ranch, the glitz and glitter of prime time seems to have soothed powerful voices.