New England has the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL.
ESPN.com’s NFC West blogger Mike Sando recalculated the strength of schedule at midseason. The Patriots’ opposing win percentage in the final eight games is .369.
After Sunday’s game against New York, the Patriots play six of their final seven against teams without winning records. The Buffalo Bills are the only remaining opponent with a winning record – and the Patriots will get that rematch at Gillette Stadium.
The game this weekend is not must win for either team. If the Jets win they still won’t have much margin for error and can expect the Patriots to be breathing down their neck the rest of the way. Of course if the Patriots lose the fans of New England might just decide to eliminate the franchise, three straight losses don’t happen to geniuses. (Anyone seeing a trend today?)