One tough part of schedule

You've got something of a point. The schedule is not just who you play, but when you play them. Obviously, in retrospect you'd rather play the Steelers early in their post-Super Bowl hangover, or the Seahawks right after they lost Alexander and Hasselbeck for a stretch. Getting the Ravens right after Billick canned Fassel, with two weeks to prepare, wasn't exactly a lucky break, since that was the start of their hot streak. And I'm not thrilled that the Panthers now get to play the Eagles without McNabb in the lineup.

But you gotta line up and play anyway. An elite team, or a team that deserves a bye, finds a way to power through these things. They also tend to even out over time.