During the game today CBS ran a graphic about how a team has gone last to first for 15 of the past 16 seasons. This year the Texans and Bears did it. They marvel over how this happens.
How it happens is the NFL openly doctors the schedule to make it happen. 13% of your schedule is determined by your divisional finish. So last year the Jags used the last place schedule to win a division and everyone declared them good. Then they played a first place schedule with the same roster and went 5-11. The NFL is a tiny sample size league and a few extra wins here or there change the whole tone of a season.
So the Texans got last place last year and because of that got to beat the Broncos and Browns (last place teams from a year ago). The Colts went 1-1 against the Raiders and Bengals. The Titans went 0-2 against the Ravens and Chargers. That means every team went 9-5 against their identical schedule and the division was handed to the Texans and the playoffs to the Colts via artificial parity.
It honestly amazes me that the NFL does this and everyone just accepts it. There is no way MLB would just say the Rangers got last so they get an extra 10 games against the Tigers and Orioles next year while the Astros play 10 extra against the Red Sox and Indians. But somehow the NFL sells parity through a doctored schedule and everyone just accepts it.
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