2024 NFL Schedule Release: Which teams will have the hardest schedule?
The 2024 NFL Schedule is set to be released in the very near future, and these five teams are set to play the toughest slate of opponents this year. Strength of schedule is no joke and a valid statistic. Teams with tough schedules objectively have it much harder than other squads with easier schedules.
Warren Sharp put together a list of the 32 teams ranked by their strength of schedule for 2024:
"With odds released for all 32 NFL teams, we are now able to calculate NFL Strength of Schedule using projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers.
- Warren Sharp
Based on projected win totals, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the hardest strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season."
Using projected win totals from the oddsmakers, there is a pretty clear list of which teams will have the hardet schedules in the NFL for the 2024 season. Let's dive into those five teams.
2024 NFL Schedule Release: Which teams will have the hardest schedule?
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Oh boy. The first year of the Russell Wilson era could end up being the only year of the Russell Wilson era, as the Pittsburgh Steelers will have the hardest schedule in the NFL for the 2024 season. Somehow winning 10 games in 2023, the Steelers figure to have an upgrade at QB with Wilson, and Mike Tomlin has never finished with a losing record, so perhaps this is going to be another winning season for the black and gold.
2. New England Patriots
I could not be lower on a team than I am on the New England Patriots. Besides taking Drake Maye third overall, which was the right move, the Patriots have botched this offseason, which has included not hiring an official general manager, replacing Bill Belichick with an in-house hire in Jerod Mayo, and having a ton of cap space but somehow not getting better on paper.
It's been a rocky start to this new era of Patriots football, and this team is going to struggle to win three games in 2024.
3. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns defense finally hit their potential in 2023 with Jim Schwartz running the unit. And if Deshaun Watson can regain the form that he had with the Houston Texans, this team will be dangerous. However, that is a big if, as Watson has looked totally lost during his short tenure with the Browns thus far.
It's actually quite confusing to see, but maybe Watson will finally put it back together for 2024.
4. Baltimore Ravens
You notice a trend here? The AFC North was a very good division in 2023, and each AFC North team will play six games within their division, so that itself inflates their strength of schedule rankings. The Baltimore Ravens again fielded one of the best teams in the NFL in 2023 but again fell short. Lamar Jackson did win his second MVP award, but I am not so sure he was the right pick there.
Honestly, the Ravens have more questions than answers as they try to break their recent playoff failure habits.
5. Minnesota Vikings
Ending up with JJ McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings turned the page of the Kirk Cousins era and how have Sam Darnold and McCarthy as the primary players in the QB room. Head coach Kevin O'Connell clearly knows how to win football games with nobodies playing the position, and now he'll get a chance to develop a potential franchise QB in McCarthy, who is just 21 years old.