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NFL Strength of Schedule Calculator
Strength of Schedule (SoS) measures the combined win percentage of all opponents a team faces, providing crucial insight into whose schedule was truly harder. Used only when Strength of Victory fails to separate tied teams, SoS calculates opponent win percentages for both games already played and remaining schedules. Unlike other tiebreakers that reward beating quality opponents, SoS simply measures the difficulty of who you play, making it valuable for understanding schedule strength throughout the season and determining wild card positioning when all other factors are equal.
Calculate Strength of Schedule
How Strength of Schedule Works
• What it measures: The combined win-loss-tie percentage of all opponents on your schedule, regardless of game outcome.
• When it's used: Applied only when Strength of Victory and all earlier tiebreakers fail to separate teams in division and wild card scenarios.
• How it's calculated: Sum the wins of all scheduled opponents, divide by their total games. Unlike SoV, this includes teams you lost to and haven't played yet.
• Why it matters: A harder schedule (.545 SoS) might explain why a team with the same record as one with easier schedule (.480 SoS) should win the tiebreaker. It's the NFL's way of accounting for schedule difficulty.
Pro Tip: SoS is rarely the deciding factor because it comes so late in the tiebreaker sequence. However, when three-team ties or four-team ties occur with nearly identical records and conference performance, SoS becomes the ultimate differentiator.
Strength of Schedule
Schedule Breakdown
All opponents on your schedule and their contribution to SoS
Head-to-Head SoS Comparison
Understanding Strength of Schedule
Why SoS Comes After Strength of Victory
The NFL deliberately places Strength of Victory (SoV) before Strength of Schedule because actually defeating quality opponents matters more than simply facing them. Two teams might play equally difficult schedules, but the one that wins against tougher competition proves superior performance. SoS only becomes relevant when SoV and all earlier tiebreakers—including head-to-head record, conference record, and common games—fail to separate teams, making it one of the final arbiters in extremely close tiebreaker situations.
The Math Behind Strength of Schedule
Strength of Schedule is calculated by summing the total wins from every opponent on your schedule (including teams you haven't played yet), then dividing by the total number of games those opponents have played. For example, if you face 17 opponents and their combined record is 145-144, your SoS would be 145 ÷ 289 = .502. This differs from SoV, which only counts teams you've actually beaten. SoS measures the overall difficulty of your schedule regardless of game outcomes, providing a neutral measure of competitive environment.
How Schedule Strength Affects Playoff Races
Teams in tough divisions like the AFC North or NFC East historically face higher strength of schedule because they play six games annually against divisional rivals who often have strong records. Conversely, teams in weaker divisions may accumulate identical records against easier competition. When wild card spots come down to SoS, the team from the tougher division typically gets the nod. This tiebreaker acknowledges that not all 10-7 records are equal—context matters when determining playoff seeding.
Tracking SoS Throughout the Season
Strength of Schedule changes weekly as your opponents win or lose games. A team might start the season with a brutal .580 SoS based on previous year's records, but if several scheduled opponents underperform, that SoS could drop to .490 by Week 17. Teams monitor both "games played" SoS (what's already happened) and "remaining schedule" SoS (difficulty of upcoming games) to understand their path to the playoffs. Late-season games against playoff-bound teams significantly boost SoS compared to matchups with eliminated opponents.
Real-World SoS Tiebreaker Scenarios
Strength of Schedule rarely decides playoff seeding because earlier tiebreakers usually provide separation, but when it matters, the stakes are enormous. In three-team tiebreaker situations where teams have identical records, conference records, and common games, SoS can determine who makes the playoffs versus who stays home. A difference of just .010 in SoS percentage (roughly equivalent to one additional win by all your opponents) can swing the tiebreaker. This makes schedule strength a critical factor for teams in tightly competitive conferences.
Difference Between Games Played and Full Schedule SoS
Our calculator shows SoS for games already played, remaining games, and the full 17-game schedule to provide complete analysis. "Games played" SoS reveals whether you've faced tough competition so far, while "remaining schedule" SoS shows how difficult your path to the finish line will be. Full schedule SoS combines both to give the complete picture used in actual NFL tiebreakers. Teams with brutal early schedules might have easier finishes, while others face the opposite scenario. Understanding all three metrics helps predict how SoS will look when the regular season concludes and tiebreakers are applied.
Related NFL Tiebreaker Tools
Strength of Victory
Before SoS can be applied, Strength of Victory must fail to separate teams. SoV measures the quality of teams you've actually beaten, making it the superior tiebreaker that rewards winning against strong opponents rather than simply playing them.
Head-to-Head Tiebreakers
The first tiebreaker applied in two-team scenarios is always head-to-head record. If teams split their season series or haven't played each other, the tiebreaker sequence moves to conference record, common games, and eventually reaches SoV and SoS.
Division Tiebreakers
When teams from the same division finish with identical records, division tiebreaker procedures apply a specific sequence including division record, common games, and conference record before ever reaching SoS. Understanding the full hierarchy is essential for playoff seeding predictions.
Multi-Team Tiebreakers
When three teams or four teams tie, the tiebreaker procedures become more complex. SoS can become decisive in these scenarios because earlier tiebreakers may eliminate some teams but leave others still tied, requiring continued application of the sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whose schedule was harder?
This is the fundamental question Strength of Schedule answers. By calculating the combined win percentage of all opponents, SoS provides an objective measure of schedule difficulty. A team with .545 SoS faced demonstrably tougher competition than a team with .480 SoS, regardless of whether they won or lost those games.
When is Strength of Schedule used in NFL tiebreakers?
SoS is applied only after Strength of Victory and all earlier tiebreakers (head-to-head, conference record, common games) fail to separate tied teams. It appears near the end of the tiebreaker sequence, making it a rare but crucial factor in extremely tight playoff races.
What's the difference between SoS and SoV?
Strength of Victory (SoV) measures the combined record of teams you've beaten, while Strength of Schedule (SoS) measures the combined record of all opponents on your schedule. SoV rewards quality wins; SoS simply measures schedule difficulty. The NFL uses SoV first because beating good teams is more important than just playing them.
How do you calculate opponent win percentage?
Add up the total wins from all opponents on your schedule, then divide by the total number of games those opponents have played. For example, if your 17 opponents have a combined record of 145-144, your SoS is 145 ÷ 289 = .502. This percentage objectively quantifies schedule difficulty.
Does SoS include remaining games or only games played?
The official NFL tiebreaker uses full-season SoS (all 17 games). However, analyzing "games played" SoS shows what you've faced so far, while "remaining schedule" SoS reveals upcoming difficulty. Our calculator provides all three perspectives to give complete insight into schedule strength throughout the season.