Anyone else feel sorry....

[packinpatland]

....for the Pats?
:roll:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/don_banks/04/15/schedule.snaps/2.html

• Last year the Patriots had the NFL-maximum six night games, and five more games that were 4:15 p.m. Sunday kickoffs. Not that it fazed them much, since they still managed a perfect regular season. After having four of their first seven games start at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, the Patriots had just one more of those the rest of the year, which prompted New England owner Robert Kraft to request as many 1 p.m. home games from the league as possible.

But the league can't do much about the Patriots' killer road schedule this year, which includes four of the longest trips NFL teams can take -- from Boston to San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle -- as well as New England's annual blood feud at Indianapolis.

• Then again, maybe the Patriots have a right to feel a bit picked on again this year when they look at Buffalo's schedule, their AFC East rival. The Bills have home games against San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle, the same four Pacific Time Zone teams that New England has to travel to.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Picked on? There's no flexibility in the schedule anymore--other than two games. Those two games are determined by where you finish within your divsion, and whether it's a home or road game is also already determined.

6 games against division opponents (home and away)

4 games against a division in the same conference. Where you play is rotated. For example, one year you might play at Dallas. In 3 years, you'd play Dallas at home.

4 games against a division in the other conference. Where you play is rotated. For example, one year you might play at Pittsburgh. In 4 years, you'd play Pittsburgh at home.

2 games against the team that finished in the same position you did in the same conference (not including the division you are already playing). Where you play is rotated. For example, one year you might play at the NFC East opponent. The next year, the team in the same position would play at home against the NFC East opponent.

There's ZERO flexibility in the schedule.

[Gunakor]

I certainly don't feel sorry for the Pats. Where the games will be played aside, they have one of the easiest schedules in the league this year. Aside from being in one of the easiest divisions in football, thier non-divisional games are against KC, SF, SD, Denver, St. Louis, Indy, Pitt, Seattle, Oakland, and Arizona. Of those, the only teams that look like playoff teams on paper are San Diego, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Seattle (Seattle by default, winning another one of the worst divisions in football). If New England doesn't finish at least 13-3 with thier schedule, they are a complete disappointment.