Thursday effect

Mike,

I don't get how staying on the west coast trumps the fact that the teams they are playing, not only have home field advantage, but have 10 days to prepare and recover. BTW, is it the league that makes the schedule? If so how does the Patriots preference matter in this case?

Steve

Hi Steve. My feeling is that making four different trips to the West Coast in a season can take a lot out of a team. I wouldn't want to be the Jets, traveling to San Francisco one week, playing a home game the next week, then having to travel back to Seattle the next week. That's brutal. As for the schedule being made by the NFL, that is correct. The NFL does take requests from teams, and tries to accomodate if possible. Some changes must be granted (e.g. if a concert was scheduled at Gillette on a Sunday, or if high school Super Bowl games were scheduled to be played there.) The Patriots' request would be considered one where they would say 'If we can do it, we'll try to help. But no promises.'
--Mike

I think there's no question that teams can derive a competitive advantage from some scheduling quirks. Certainly the Patriots have an easier time with their west coast schedule than do the Jets. At least as big an advantage is enjoyed by northern (cold weather) teams who play home games against warm weather teams in December which brings me to this question. Why would the Bills opt for a home game in a domed stadium in Toronto against Miami in December. To me, they gave up a big competitive advantage by doing that.

Any advantage certainly washes with the reduced prep time the week before.

I do see how 10 days rest can be an advantage, but I think in the Pats case, the more important fact going into the Oakland game is all the Pat's injuries. The Pats would probably be fine if they were healthier on D.

Not for nothing but these guys are professionals. I think its their job to adjust to whatever is thrown their way (which I think the Patriots do a pretty good job of). There will never be a perfect schedule for any team. I agree with Eric about the injuries. That is the biggest disadvantage for them.

I believe the way the schedule works the AFC east ends up playing both west devisions once every 9 years. So that means 4 home and 4 road games against west coast teams.

But the thing is - of the 8 teams in the west devisions only 4 are truly on the west coast and in the Pacific time zone. The Pats and the Jets both play all four of the road games against the Pacific time zone teams.

West
Pacific time zone -
Oak
Sea
SD
SF

Mountain time zone -
Den
Ari

Central time zone-
STL
KC

Ideally you would think it would make sense to split it up so you only play two west coast time zone teams in any given year (Oak, Sea, Den, STL for example). This would be significantly less travel then what the jets have to deal with.

The “good news” is in 9 years when the pats get both west coast devisions again, the road games will be Den, Ari, STL, KC. None on the west coast. Of course by then STL will probable have moved back to LA and Buf will have moved to Salt Lake.

The Patriots lost the second game of their back to back, so we'll have to see how they perform in this next one before a judgment can be made. It's certainly easier on them not to travel, but your sample is too small and contradicts your thesis. If the Patriots were 2-1, losing in Seattle but had WON in San Diego, your argument would be stronger, regardless of what th