2020 NFL SOS: Strength of Schedule is Out

The 2020 NFL Strength of Schedule is out already, and we have the ratings in front of us, you can find the list at the end of the discussion. SOS applies to the team depending upon the strengths, and weaknesses of its opponents. The higher ranking shows the hardest schedule and vice versa.

You can say the schedule is challenging or it’s a bad time for the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, and 49Ers - all ranking at the top four with the winning percentage of above .525 - it’s all a matter of perception. But the SOS isn’t an indication that the team has to face hardships for sure. You never know if Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan made a new record of touchdowns or Randall Cobb, who just signed with Houston Texans as a wide receiver, performed beyond his previous year’s record. And this makes SOS appear to be an estimation of assumptions.

According to the schedule, Patriots and Jets may feel hardships if we follow the strength of schedule that shows their win percent above .530. Stidham as a QB is definitely excited to compete and Patriots have faith in him too. Even he carried a satisfying completion rate, but only this season’s performance will decide how high he is going to shine. And there is no denial that he has to perform better than before.

While one of the best choices of Jets, QB Sam Darnold, who has two years of experience and guidance from Jordan Palmer - the former American football quarterback - can be expected as a great performer for the Jets this season. Darnold also shared in one of the latest interviews that he is working with Palmer to improve his game - learning deep-ball accuracy and channelization of more power in a throw.

Also, Baltimore, with the least SOS i.e. .438 in the NFL, can have the advantage because of the easiest strength of schedule. But again the accuracy of the strength of schedule comes from theories, and not from a magic wand.

So, let’s see how the NFL actually calculates it.

What the NFL Strength of Schedule’s Calculation Says?

The NFL’s strength of schedule can give you the idea of what will be the opponents of your favorite team but the process of calculation cannot fulfill the accurate predictions in betting.

The SOS get calculated by combining the records of all teams in a schedule that performed in the previous year. And, the calculation yields the average win percentage and the highest percentage denotes the higher schedule difficulty and the lowest percentage signifies the easiest schedule, which receives the last rank, i.e. 32.

What is the Weakness in Calculating Approach?

Most sources say, which is true to an extent, that assuming the previous year’s performance to calculate the average win percentage is a flawed criterion. Several factors don’t get considered while following the formula. If the team has been improving from the past years because of their better coaching programs, and training, considering only the previous year’s performance won’t bring a clear result. However, a sense of transparency can be expected if overall career performance is considered.

The passionate teams work and progress in the off-season to perform better than before and the observation of consistent performance through the last few seasons can bring wider scope into the calculation.

Other Considerable Parameters That Can Change the Game 

Even if the method of overall collective performance is considerable, it is not guaranteed that it can show accurate predictions. Moreover, no method can predict precisely. The numerous factors that work on the ground and the possibility of their intervention is immeasurable.

Even the influence of bad luck and slight negligence of actions can lead to injuries or blunders that can affect the team’s performance. There are a lot more factors beyond consideration that can come into play to turn the tables.

So, let’s have a look at the NFL’s estimation on all the 32 NFL teams.

The Complete Strength of Schedule Rankings for all the 32 NFL Teams.