Team
Schedule Strength
By Jeff Paur RealTime Fantasy Sports
Schedule strength based
off last year's records.
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Team
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Bye
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Dome
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Grass
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Cold*
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Comments
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Miami Dolphins
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6
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1
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12
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1
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Coming off a playoff season, Miami
gets the toughest schedule for the ’09 season. Besides
playing in a tough conference, the Fins also get the Colts,
Steelers, Saints, Chargers and Titans. If they make the playoffs,
they’ll earn their way in this season.
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Carolina Panthers
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4
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2
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10
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3
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Panthers will have a tough road to
the playoffs this season. NFC South is improving. Plus, they have
games with the Eagles, Vikings, Dolphins, Cowboys, Giants,
Cardinals and Patriots. Even with a good team, the Panthers are no
lock for the playoffs.
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New England Patriots
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8
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1
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4
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5
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The Patriots had the easiest
schedule last season, but get a much tougher test this year. Their
conference is emerging. And the Pats get games with the Jags,
Titans, Ravens, Falcons, Panthers and away games with the Colts,
Saints, Broncos and Texans.
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Atlanta Falcons
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4
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9
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3
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2
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Falcons won’t be sneaking up
on anyone this season, especially with a tough schedule. Their
road tests are especially tough, facing the Cowboys, Giants,
Patriots and Jets. Matt Ryan will have his hands full.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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8
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1
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12
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0
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A new coach will be thrown into
the fire this season. Raheem Morris not only plays in a conference
that didn’t have a team with a losing record, he also plays
games against the Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, Patriots and Dolphins.
Welcome to the NFL Raheem.
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Buffalo Bills
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9
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1
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5
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5
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Bills are fighting for a playoff
spot, but play in a division that had three winning teams. Buffalo
also has a tough non-division slate, playing the Colts, Saints,
Titans, Falcons and Panthers. They might be just on the outside
looking in once again this season.
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New York Jets
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9
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1
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4
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5
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The Jets will challenge Miami and
New England for the top spot in the AFC East. A challenging
schedule will make it hard for whoever is starting at quarterback
for the Jets. New York has road games against the Texans, Colts,
Saints and Bucs.
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New Orleans Saints
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5
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10
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5
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1
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Coming off a disappointing season,
the Saints will have a tough schedule to get themselves back in
the mix. As mentioned, the NFC is improving. Saints could have a
hard time returning to the playoffs, getting games against the
Cowboys, Giants, Packers, Patriots, Eagles.
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Philadelphia Eagles
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4
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1
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13
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5
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Eagles play in the always tough
NFC East, but also have a strong non-division schedule against the
Saints, Broncos, Falcons, Panthers and Chargers. Getting the
49ers, Chiefs and Raiders is a plus, though, for the Eagles to
return to the playoffs.
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New York Giants
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10
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2
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5
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6
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Giants rolled through much of
their competition last season, but get a pretty hard schedule for
’09. Their conference is strong and games against the
Falcons, Panthers, Cardinals, Chargers, Saints and Vikings won’t
be easy. They’ll have a hard time repeating.
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Dallas Cowboys
|
6
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1
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6
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2
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The post T.O. era begins with a
pretty tough schedule. The Cowboys should challenge for a playoff
spot, but their schedule will make it difficult. Dallas has some
tough non-division games against the Falcons, Panthers, Chargers,
Saints, Packers and Broncos.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
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7
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0
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12
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2
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Jags might have been the most
disappointing team in the league last season. Their schedule this
year doesn’t do them any favors. AFC South is very good and
the Dolphins, Cardinals and Patriots will be tough tests. Rest of
the schedule isn’t overly daunting, though.
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Indianapolis Colts
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6
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1
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5
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2
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Colts always have a challenging
schedule, but usually make it through alright. This year is no
different. Schedule is a tad easier with the Rams and 49ers, but
the Patriots, Dolphins, Ravens, Cardinals and Broncos provide a
challenge.
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Tennessee Titans
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7
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0
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12
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1
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Titans were a surprise last year,
winning 13 games, and get a so-so schedule for ‘09.
Conference is strong, but non-division slate is a bit up and down.
Chargers, Dolphins, Cardinals, Patriots and Steelers are good, but
Rams, Bills, 49ers and Seahawks are winnable.
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Houston Texans
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10
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1
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12
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0
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The Texans remain on the cusp of
making the playoffs. They have a schedule that is conducive for
them to take that next step. The AFC South is solid, but
non-division games against the Raiders, 49ers, Seahawks, Bills,
Bengals and Rams are favorable.
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Washington Redskins
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8
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2
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12
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4
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The NFC East is never easy, but
the rest of the Redskins schedule isn’t overly strong. Away
games against the Falcons, Panthers and Chargers provide the
stiffest competition. But the Redskins also get the Rams, Chiefs,
Lions and Raiders, which bodes well.
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Kansas City Chiefs
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8
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0
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14
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6
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Chiefs schedule is a bit
misleading since the AFC West was down last season. But you know
the Chargers and Broncos provide four tough games. The Chiefs also
get the Steelers, Cowboys, Giants, Ravens and Eagles in
non-division games, which could lead to a long season.
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San Diego Chargers
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5
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0
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14
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2
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Chargers got off to a slow start
last season, but finished strong and snuck into the playoffs.
Their schedule for the coming year has some peaks and valleys,
playing in a so-so division while getting non-division games
against the Ravens, Eagles, Steelers and Titans.
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Denver Broncos
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7
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0
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13
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6
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New coach Josh McDaniels has his
work cut out for him, replacing a top-notch coach and All Pro
quarterback. His schedule isn’t too daunting, but presents
plenty of tests. The Broncos get the Steelers, Patriots, Cowboys
and Colts in non-division games.
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Oakland Raiders
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9
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0
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14
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3
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Raiders have a chance to improve
from last season, but their schedule is tougher than you would
think. The easiest games come from the Bengals and Browns. The
rest of the non-division schedule could cause problems –
Ravens, Eagles, Steelers, Cowboys to name a few.
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Detroit Lions
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7
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10
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3
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2
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The lowly Lions didn’t win a
game last season, but that didn’t earn the easiest schedule
in the league. Detroit does have some favorable matchups, facing
the Rams, Browns, 49ers and Bengals. The NFC North will provide
some stiff competition, though.
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Cincinnati Bengals
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8
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1
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5
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4
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If the Bengals hope to improve on
their four wins from last season, they’ll need a strong
showing in some winnable non-division games – Chiefs, Lions,
Raiders. The entire schedule isn’t too easy, though, with
the Broncos, Chargers, Packers and Vikings on the slate.
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St. Louis Rams
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9
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9
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6
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1
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A poor division is a good way to
get things turned around. The Rams do have a challenging
non-division home schedule with games against the Vikings, Saints
and Colts. St. Louis will need to do some damage on the road,
facing the Bears, Lions, Redskins and Jags.
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Seattle Seahawks
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7
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2
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4
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3
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Seattle had their worst season in
years. But some healthy players, new additions and a poor division
is a good recipe for Seattle to get things going in the right
direction. The Seahawks get a lot of teams with talent, but had
bad seasons last year (Bears, Cowboys, Jags).
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Cleveland Browns
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9
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1
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12
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6
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The Browns are coming off a very
disappointing season, going from the playoffs to four-win season.
Their division is good, but their non-division schedule is just
so-so, getting games against the Raiders, Chiefs and Lions but
also the Chargers, Vikings and Broncos.
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San Francisco 49ers
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6
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2
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12
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2
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Any team has a chance to win the
AFC West, which bodes well for the 49ers. The non-division
schedule isn’t too easy despite the favorable ranking,
though. San Fran has games against the Bears, Jags, Titans,
Vikings, Eagles and Colts.
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Arizona Cardinals
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4
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2
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12
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0
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A return trip to the Super Bowl is
a possibility with the 27th
rated schedule. The NFC West remains weak, but the Cardinals will
get tested in some non-league games, facing the Packers, Vikings,
Panthers, Colts, Texans, Giants and Titans.
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Baltimore Ravens
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7
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1
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5
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6
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Ravens don’t have a pretty
easy schedule, especially if you consider they won 11 games last
season. Their division is weak outside of the Steelers, which
helps. Plus, the Ravens have some favorable matchups against the
Chiefs, Lions and Raiders.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
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8
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1
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13
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6
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The Steelers are in the same boat
as the Ravens, playing in a relatively weak division and having a
fairly soft non-division schedule. Pittsburgh could roll again,
facing the Bengals and Browns two times each while getting the
Chiefs, Bears and Lions on the road.
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Green Bay Packers
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5
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3
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13
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5
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Packers seem ripe for a rebound
with their ’09 schedule. Green Bay’s division is just
OK, which bodes well for a turnaround. Plus, some of their
non-division games are pretty weak, facing the 49ers, Bengals,
Rams and Browns.
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Minnesota Vikings
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9
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9
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6
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1
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Having the Lions in their division
skews their schedule strength, but the Vikings still have a pretty
favorable schedule. The NFC North is just alright. And many of
their non-division homes games are winnable, facing teams such as
the 49ers, Seahawks and, Bengals.
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Chicago Bears
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5
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3
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10
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5
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Bears just missed out on the
playoffs last season, but get the easiest schedule in the league
this year. This should make new quarterback Jay Cutler happy,
getting non-division games against the Rams, Browns, 49ers,
Seahawks and Bengals.
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*Potential cold or
wintry weather games.
FOOTBALL HEADLINES
PAUR REPORT
PLAYER NOTES
Darren Urban, of AZCardinals.com, reports Arizona Cardinals OG Reggie Wells (thumb) and DE Kenny Iwebema (knee) fully participated in practice Friday, Nov. 20. They are listed as probable for [ More ]
The Associated Press reports New York Jets FS Jim Leonhard (thumb) was limited in practice Friday, Nov. 20, and is questionable for Week 11 with a broken right thumb. [ More ]
Pittsburgh Steelers DE Travis Kirschke (calf) did not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He has been ruled out for Week 11.
D. Orlando Ledbetter, of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reports Atlanta Falcons RB Michael Turner (ankle) did not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as doubtful for Week [ More ]
D. Orlando Ledbetter, of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reports Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White (knee) was limited during practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as questionable for Week 11 [ More ]
D. Orlando Ledbetter, of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reports Atlanta Falcons RB Jerious Norwood (hip) participated in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as questionable for Week 11 and will be available.
Buffalo Bills OT Demetrius Bell (knee), LB Keith Ellison (thigh) and CB Ashton Youboty (ankle) did not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20. They have been ruled out for Week 11.
Buffalo Bills CB Terrence McGee (knee) was limited during practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as questionable for Week 11 and is not expected to play.
Ryan O'Halloran, of The Washington Times, reports Washington Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth (ankle) did not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as questionable for Week 11 [ More ]
Buffalo Bills DT Marcus Stroud (knee) did not participate in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He has been ruled out for the team's Week 11 game.
Paul Schwartz, of the New York Post, reports New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said the team believes RB Danny Ware is capable of handling the duties of [ More ]
ESPN reports Pittsburgh Steelers SS Troy Polamalu (knee) has been ruled out for Week 11.
ESPNews reports Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook (concussion) will be out in Week 11 and likely the two following weeks as well.
Brad Biggs, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports the Chicago Bears have placed RB Garrett Wolfe (kidney) on Injured Reserve, ending his 2009 season.
Charlie Campbell and Jim Flynn, of PewterReport.com, report Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Antonio Bryant (knee) participated in practice Friday, Nov. 20. He is listed as probable for Week 11.
Charlie Campbell and Jim Flynn, of PewterReport.com, report Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib (hamstring) and QB Byron Leftwich (elbow) participated in practice Friday, Nov. 20. They are listed as probable for Week 11.
Rick Maese, of The Washington Post, reports Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis (concussion) is scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh to meet with a specialist regarding his concussion.
Denver Broncos RB Correll Buckhalter (knee) did not participate in practice Thursday, Nov. 19.
Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton (ankle) did not participate in practice Thursday, Nov. 19. The Broncos have not ruled him out for Week 11 and said he is feeling better.
Denver Broncos RB LaMont Jordan (back) did not participate in practice Thursday, Nov. 19.
Denver Broncos OT Ryan Harris (toe) did not participate in practice Thursday, Nov. 19. He likely will not play in Week 11 unless he makes a significant recovery.
Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall (neck) participated in practice Thursday, Nov. 19. He will be able to play in Week 11.
Denver Broncos FB Peyton Hillis could be active for Week 11 if RB Correll Buckhalter (knee) or RB LaMont Jordan (back) are not able to play.
Tara Sullivan, of The Bergen Record, reports New York Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff said WR Jerricho Cotchery has emerged as a leading candidate to return kickoffs if [ More ]
Tara Sullivan, of The Bergen Record, reports New York Jets WR David Clowney and CB Dwight Lowery are candidates to return kickoffs in Week 11.
Gerry Fraley, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he would like to see RB Felix Jones get more touches because he believes [ More ]
Joe Reedy, of The Cincinnati Enquirer, reports Cincinnati Bengals RB Larry Johnson said he anticipates playing in Week 11 but would not expect a heavy load of carries.
Mike Berardino, of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, reports Miami Dolphins DT Jason Ferguson (knee) was carted off the field in the fourth quarter in Week 11 because of a [ More ]
Omar Kelly, of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, reports Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown (foot) is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday, Nov. 20, to repair a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot.
Gary Estwick, of The Tennesean, reports Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said CB Nick Harper (forearm) will regain his starting job from CB Roderick Hood when he is [ More ]
Mike Chappell, of The Indianapolis Star, reports Indianapolis Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee) said he believes he is close to returning to the lineup.
Dale Robertson, of the Houston Chronicle, reports Houston Texans WR Glenn Martinez will return punts in Week 11 if WR Jacoby Jones (calf) is not able to play.
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