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Seven-time Super-Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady had some harsh words for the modern NFL game last week, and quarterback / commentator Alex Smith fired back over the weekend, opining that Brady “played in the most uncompetitive division in NFL history”:

 

 

 

 

Brady’s “old man yells at cloud” routine certainly deserves some derision, but my question is: was Smith right? Some folks, many of them Patriots fans, have rebutted Smith’s argument:

 

 

 

 

Eric Eager of Sumer Sports suggested taking that Sam Sherman analysis and expanding it to all 32 teams, looking at the records of their three division opponents. As Eager suggested, I’m removing the team’s division games; obviously Miami, Buffalo, and the Jets suffered for having to play New England six times a year. For simplicity I limited this exercise to 2002-2019 (2001 had six divisions, not eight, and 31 teams).

Rk

Team

Rec

W-L%

Div

Rec Other 3

Div rec

Other 3 minus div

O3mD Win%

1

Dolphins

127-161-0

0.441

AFCE

476-388-0

44-64-0

412-344-0

0.545

2

Jets

129-159-0

0.448

AFCE

474-390-0

45-63-0

411-345-0

0.544

2

Bills

126-162-0

0.438

AFCE

477-387-0

42-66-0

411-345-0

0.544

4

Browns

89-198-1

0.311

AFCN

486-373-5

27-80-1

406-346-4

0.540

5

Buccaneers

119-169-0

0.413

NFCS

468-394-2

43-65-0

403-351-2

0.534

6

Raiders

103-185-0

0.358

AFCW

472-392-0

37-71-0

401-355-0

0.530

7

Lions

103-184-1

0.359

NFCN

464-396-4

36-72-0

392-360-4

0.521

8

Commanders

116-171-1

0.405

NFCE

465-398-1

36-72-0

393-362-1

0.521

9

Giants

139-149-0

0.483

NFCE

442-420-2

52-56-0

386-368-2

0.512

10

Panthers

149-138-1

0.519

NFCS

438-425-1

55-53-0

385-370-1

0.510

11

Jaguars

114-174-0

0.396

AFCS

452-412-0

41-67-0

385-371-0

0.509

12

Falcons

153-134-1

0.533

NFCS

434-429-1

57-51-0

383-372-1

0.507

12

Bengals

135-150-3

0.474

AFCN

440-421-3

50-58-0

382-371-3

0.507

14

Cowboys

158-130-0

0.549

NFCE

423-439-2

62-46-0

377-377-2

0.500

15

Texans

131-157-0

0.455

AFCS

435-429-0

49-59-0

376-380-0

0.497

16

Saints

166-122-0

0.576

NFCS

421-441-2

61-47-0

374-380-2

0.496

16

Chiefs

153-135-0

0.531

AFCW

422-442-0

61-47-0

375-381-0

0.496

18

Bears

139-149-0

0.483

NFCN

428-431-5

51-57-0

371-380-5

0.494

19

Eagles

168-119-1

0.585

NFCE

413-450-1

66-42-0

371-384-1

0.491

20

Titans

140-148-0

0.486

AFCS

426-438-0

50-58-0

368-388-0

0.487

21

Vikings

149-137-2

0.521

NFCN

418-443-3

55-51-2

367-388-1

0.486

22

Chargers

156-132-0

0.542

AFCW

419-445-0

56-52-0

367-389-0

0.485

23

Broncos

163-125-0

0.566

AFCW

412-452-0

62-46-0

366-390-0

0.484

24

Ravens

168-120-0

0.583

AFCN

407-451-6

63-45-0

362-388-6

0.483

25

Rams

120-167-1

0.418

NFCW

424-436-4

46-61-1

363-390-3

0.482

26

49ers

130-157-1

0.453

NFCW

414-446-4

54-53-1

361-392-3

0.479

27

Steelers

183-103-2

0.639

AFCN

392-468-4

75-32-1

360-393-3

0.478

28

Cardinals

127-159-2

0.444

NFCW

417-444-3

49-58-1

359-395-2

0.476

29

Patriots

221-67-0

0.767

AFCE

382-482-0

85-23-0

359-397-0

0.475

30

Packers

176-110-2

0.615

NFCN

391-470-3

72-34-2

357-398-1

0.473

31

Colts

181-107-0

0.628

AFCS

385-479-0

76-32-0

353-403-0

0.467

32

Seahawks

167-120-1

0.582

NFCW

377-483-4

65-42-1

335-418-3

0.445

The Patriots rank 29th, which would seem to point towards Smith’s point. On the other hand, many of their rivals of the period faced roads that were just as easy. The division foes of the Brett Favre / Aaron Rodgers Packers and Peyton Manning / Andrew Luck Colts played even worse. And while the Steelers / Ravens rivalry is fondly remembered, the Steelers’ division opponents won just one more game than New England’s. The worst division of all? The NFC West, where Alex Smith started his career, and played from 2005 to 2012.