I understand the concept of "strength of schedule" on an intuitive level, and i'm sure the formula is very simple (winning percentage of opponents, most likely), but may I ask where you found the actual definition of the term as enunciated by the NFL itself?
"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:
Good question. The NFL does publish many of it's rules and definitions or at least they are not acessable to the public. For example, last offseason I tried to find rules on equipment to get the definitions of what is a legal facemask on a helmet and what is not. No where to be found.
Everytime the NFL uses Strength of Schedule in this context it is the average of winning % of the a team's opponents
played. It is not published but the math
always works out to that definition. Sometimes in an NFL article it will reference the formula.
If you have gone to this link you know the NFL assumes it is understood just like winning percentage and net points.
For example the Packers played the Eagles a .500 team and they played the Bills, a .000 team. Their strength of schedule is .250 the average of their 2 opponents.
The Bears beat the Lions a .000 team and the Cowboys a .000 team. Their Strength of Schedule is .000.
The Cowboys were beaten by a .500 team the Eagles and 1.000 team the Bears. Their Strength of Schedule is .750.
It is a number that changes from week to week. By the time week 12 rolls around it would take hours without a spreadsheet.
ONLY USE GAMES PLAYED TO CALCULATE IT.
Now change the context. Don't let me confuse you. If somone is discussing say the strength of the Packers upcoming schedule.
(Bears 1.000, Lions .000, Redskins .500, Dolphins 1.000) it is only good for that moment of time and would be the average of the winning percentages, .625. Yet it will change after each week so that context is short lived.
When used as a tiebreaker for the draft they use the average winning percentage of opponents played the previous season.