04-18-2016, 12:39 PM
(04-18-2016, 11:34 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I don't like to ever defend the Steelers, but as others have said, they play the opponents that are slated to them. In terms of just SoS, the Bengals have a pretty easy schedule too. Steelers and Bengals both play all of the AFC East and NFC East. The only difference is the seed in the other AFC divisions. If the Bengals wanted to play the Chiefs and Colts instead of the Broncos and Texans to have an easier schedule, they should have let the Steelers win the division (obviously not going to do that).
Your point on determining which games are home and away and WHEN each team plays another is unfortunate.
However, I don't think this was fully intentional, as a program likely generates a possible outcome that has no conflicts across the league. The league may then tweak a game here and there manually based on projected TV ratings or something, but I highly doubt a person (or group) is coming up with these schedules completely by hand.
Bengals need to just put their heads down, beat the teams against them, and hope the Steelers flounder.
The home and away decisions are mostly predetermined. There is a strict system for determining opponents that includes home/away rotations. For example, if you hosted a team the last time you played their division, you'll travel there the next time you play that division. The home/away of the 'same divisional finish' opponents (the two conference opponents outside of the division you play that year) might be a little more arbitrary, but other than that, the ONLY thing that is not objectively determined by a system is when the games are played.
