(11-08-2018, 07:37 AM)TheBigDawg Wrote: Over the past few weeks I've read quite a few posters say things like, "last year we played a last place schedule" or "at least next year we get a last place schedule instead of first place." 

Statements like these seemed contrary to what I remembered about schedule making since the realignment that moved us out of the AFC North.

So I decided to do a little research....

https://operations.nfl.com/the-game/crea...-schedule/

Here’s a breakdown of how each team’s opponents are set:

• Six games against divisional opponents — two games per team, one at home and one on the road.
  
• Four games against teams from a division within its conference — two games at home and two on the road.
  
• Four games against teams from a division in the other conference— two games at home and two on the road.
  
• Two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference — one game at home and one on the road. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.
  

I assume the last/first place schedule designation given by fans has to do with that very last line..... which is ridiculous.

If two games out of sixteen are what you guys are referring to when you say first/last place schedule....WOW!

Think of it this way.... Anyone scheduled to play us last year, by way of that rule (we were a last place team coming off a 3-13 season), got a lot more than a " last place" team.

Because of this scheduling system, every team in each division plays a nearly identical schedule, the exceptions being those two games. And with the way teams often flux, sometimes yearly, through their division standings, what appear to be a last place schedule, may in fact be a first place schedule...and vice versa.

My point....last/first place schedules are a brass ring. When all else fails....at least we get the last place schedule next year.