Last year as a Jet fan I was thrilled with the team, 10 wins and a playoff run coming off a miserable season, who would have seen that coming. But at the end of the season most were stating that the Jets were a product of their poor schedule and after their poor performance this season the criticism was probably justified. This year it's about time that everyone realizes that the Bucs are this years version of last years Jets. They aren't really good, they are simply a product of one of the worst schedules in the NFL and will win their division much like the Jets one the wildcard because of this. Let's do a quick comparison of the two teams schedules.
The 2007 Tampa Bay Bucs and the 2006 New York Jets both defeated only one team who had a record above .500. The New York Jets defeated the highly banged up New England Patriots while the Bucs defeated the Tennessee Titans in a game which Vince Young was knocked out of. Neither victory is particularly impressive, but atleast the Jets won on the road. Both teams had mixed results against teams that were/are exactly .500. The Jets defeated the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans but were crushed against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Bucs have defeated the Cardinals but were defeated by the Detroit Lions. Both teams only faced three teams the entire season that were above hundred .500 and with the Bucs finishing off the season against teams that all sit at 5-7 or below chances are high that they will not add someone to that last.
The moral of this story is that sometimes the schedule of the NFL is as much an influence to a teams record as their actual ability. Credit this years Bucs and last years Jets for beating the teams that they should, but neither are/were particularly good football teams. And much like the Jets fate last year, the Bucs should expect an early exit this postseason.
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