Tag: 2024 NFL schedule

Bengals announce Ring of Honor game will be on Monday Night Football

Bengals announce Ring Of Honor game.

The Cincinnati Bengals have announced which game will be the Ring of Honor game this year when the 2024 members will officially be inducted.

When the Washington Commanders come to town on Sept. 23 for Monday Night Football at 8:15, two former Bengals will be inducted into the Bengals Ring of Honor.

The Bengals have also announced 11 players who will be on this year’s ballot with the chance to be inducted. Those players are Jim Breech, James Brooks, Cris Collinsworth, Corey Dillon, David Fulcher, Time Krumrie, Dave Lapham, Max Montoya, Lemar Parrish, Bob Trumpy and Reggie Williams.

Voting opened on May 22 and goes through June 7 and Bengals season ticket holders are eligible to vote on the team’s app.

Last year Chad Johnson and Boomer Esiason were inducted during halftime of the Bengals-Rams Monday Night Football game, so it will be the second straight year the event takes place on a Monday night.

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Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes comment on Chiefs’ unique 2024 schedule

Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes commented on the #Chiefs’ unique 2024 schedule during a press conference at OTAs on Wednesday. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs schedule release had many critics wondering how the two-time defending Super Bowl champions can achieve the infamous three-peat. Kansas City is expected to play six days out of the week, with Tuesday being the only game-free day.

On the last day of the first week of organized team activities, the Chiefs opened their practice to the media and addressed the first session along with other topics, including the new schedule.

“It’s the first time in my career that it’s that unique (schedule). So you know how we are. I mean, we don’t really care,” said Reid. “They could give us a Tuesday game. If they want, we’ll be okay there too. We’ll work through it and we’ll play anybody anywhere, whatever. Whatever they want to do, we’re on board.”

Patrick Mahomes shared his thoughts on the new schedule, also taking the high road and using it as fuel to test the team’s unity throughout the year.

“[I] feel like our schedule has gotten crazier and crazier every single year,” Mahomes explained. “It’s just about preparing for the week ahead of you. We know that we’re going to have a lot of primetime games, and we’ve built up the equity to be in those games. Now it’s about how can we find a way to be better than last year at the end of the season.

“We learn from our mistakes from last year, trying to motivate ourselves to get ourselves healthier and faster, and then go out there and win those games because there are a lot of great football teams we play at the end there. I’m trying to be better on Christmas.”

The Chiefs will notably return to play on Christmas Day as the first-ever Netflix-only game. They will be on the road this time to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers as they seek to even their record on that day following last year’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Three Texans players land on PFF’s top players under 25

C.J. Stroud, Derek Stingley Jr. and Will Anderson Jr. all were featured in the latest edition of PFF’s 25 under 25 group.

C.J. Stroud is already a superstar after one season.

Will Anderson Jr. might be the league’s next great pass-rusher.

Derek Stingley Jr. could transform from a rising star to an elite shutdown corner.

What do these three Houston Texans players have in common besides being teammates? Each one appeared on Pro Football Focus’ top players under 25 entering the 2024 season.

Stroud, the league’s reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, appeared at No. 7 on the list and was the second quarterback listed. Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence took the top spot, though PFF made it clear the margin of difference between the two is slim.

Stroud burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2023 as one of the most promising quarterbacks in the NFL. Out of 95 rookie quarterbacks who have played at least 100 snaps in their first season since 2006, Stroud’s 83.1 PFF overall grade ranks fourth.

While Stroud’s 4,108 passing yards ranked eighth in the NFL as he led the Texans into the playoffs, 59.0% of that total came before the catch, which ranked third in the NFL.

Anderson, who broke J.J. Watt’s rookie sack record with seven QB takedowns, appeared at No. 14. Much like Stroud, he ranked second among defensive ends, trailing only Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson.

Although Anderson’s first NFL season was slowed down by an ankle injury, it did not stop him from earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Anderson stood out not just among 2023’s rookies, as his 16.7% pressure rate ranked first among all rookie edge defenders over the past four seasons.

Stingley, who totaled five interceptions in 11 games, cracked the list at No. 23 following a promising first year as the Texans’ lead defensive back. When healthy. Stingley’s shown his ability to remain consistent in coverage, but back-to-back lower-body ailments have hindered his progression.

Stingley’s first season was somewhat disappointing and cut short due to injuries, and despite some injuries in 2023, too, he showed why he was the first cornerback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Stingley’s 85.3 PFF coverage grade tied for the fifth highest among all cornerbacks in 2023, as he allowed just a 74.3 passer rating.

While rookie phenom Tank Dell earned the league’s respect with over 700 receiving yards in seven games, it’s hard to leave a spot open for him given the pass-catchers listed in the top 25. Ja’Marr Chase (No. 4), Garrett Wilson (No. 9), Amon-Ra St. Brown (No. 11) and Chris Olave (No. 23) all finished with over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years. Puka Nacua (No. 12) finished with a rookie record-setting 105 catches for 1,486 yards. 

Nico Collins could have made the cut if it was 2023, but the fourth-year receiver turned 25 earlier this offseason. Linebacker Christian Harris might have flirted with an honorable mention nod after a breakout season, but no linebacker made the initial 25-man list entering the season. 

Perhaps this time next season Houston features a few more names alongside Dell and Harris. Early contenders include second-round cornerback Kamar Lassiter, third-round defensive back Calen Bullock, and fourth-round tight end Cade Stover. 

C.J. Stroud lends helping hand around Houston following massive storm

C.J. Stroud is living up to his “good guy” persona by lending a helping hand to those dealing with the aftermath of Thursday’s storm.

Amid thousands of workers giving back to the city of Houston while trying to restore power from Thursday’s storm, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is doing his part. 

The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year was seen throwing a football with kids and helping with the removal of debris in several neighborhoods around the Houston Area. Thursday’s storm left seven people dead and more than a million people without power. 

Stroud, who last season guided the Texans back to an AFC South division title for the first time since 2019, has continued to give back to the city of Houston since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2023 draft. He and his mother, Kimberly, launched a charitable foundation last season and participated in several community events, including the Cactus Jack Classic in February. 

Stroud, who became the fifth rookie in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in a season, is back at OTAs and looks to build off last season’s success. He’s already won over the city of Houston overnight and should remain a fixture in the state so long as he continues to support the H-Town brand. 

Cutting branches in sweltering heat? It doesn’t get more Houston than that. 

The good and bad of the Commanders’ 2024 Schedule

What is the good and bad from the Commanders’ 2024 schedule?

My father taught me when I was a kid that there are two sides to every coin.

You don’t know how many times I have remembered that, and it helped me consider both sides of the coin regarding various issues.

Well, how about the Commanders’ 2024 schedule?

Sure enough, John Breech of CBSsports.com wrote a story this week about how “there is one good thing and one bad thing each team will face this season.” Here is the entire story for each of the 32 NFL teams.

What did Breech feel were the good and the bad aspects of the Commanders’ 2024 schedule?

Washington Commanders

One good thing for the Commanders:

The Commanders have a friendly December schedule. Not only did they land a Week 14 bye, but they’ll also get to play three teams that missed the playoffs last season (Titans, Saints, Falcons). “

One bad thing for the Commanders:

The AFC North was the toughest division in the NFL last year and the Commanders will have to face three of those teams in a four-week span. The gauntlet starts in Week 3 with the Bengals before a game in Week 5 vs. the Browns, which will be followed by a Week 6 game against the Ravens.”

Indeed, the Commanders’ December schedule does not look that tough (at least for now). Yet, not having your bye until Week 14 should not be considered a good thing.

The NFL annually continues to reveal little concern for schedule integrity when it schedules a bye week for a team as early as Week 5, with the last bye week coming for some teams in Week 14.

The NFL continues to reveal that fairness of schedule is not a major concern of its own. No, what it is concerned with is spreading out the byes as far as it can, playing as many games as possible each of those Sundays.

As for the AFC North? Yes, the Commanders will likely be the underdog in each of those four matchups. Having to play three in four weeks will not be any easier.

NFL Network predicts Bucs 2024 win total

NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund projects a losing record for the Buccaneers.

Following the release of the NFL’s 2024 season schedule, NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund projected win totals and playoff possibilities for every team in the league. According to Frelund, the Bucs are projected to win 7.8 games, missing the playoffs. Frelund has the Atlanta Falcons winning the division with 9.9 wins and the New Orleans Saints just behind the Bucs with 7.4 wins.

Frelund highlights a treacherous four-game midseason stretch that includes the Chiefs, the 49ers, the Falcons and the Ravens as a major contributor to the Bucs’ limited win ceiling. She also cites the loss of several key players on defense and offensive coordinator Dave Canales as a reason why the Bucs may struggle to maintain their winning ways.

Frelund’s predictions for Tampa Bay are a little more generous this year than last in which the Bucs were projected to be among the worst teams in the league with 6.4 wins. While this was not a novel forecast, it was obviously incorrect as the Bucs ended up winning the NFC South.

Despite winning the division and a playoff game last year, the Bucs are still considered firmly in the middle class of the NFL. The lack of splashy offseason additions no doubt feed into the Bucs’ diminished esteem, whereas the Falcons are the toast of the town thanks to their turnover at head coach and quarterback. The Bucs’ focus on consistency appears less valued in these preseason projections.

Full Steelers 2024 regular-season schedule

Download you Steelers schedule right here for 2024.

In 112 days, the Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off the 2024 NFL regular season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. If you are here you are a Steelers fan and last week’s schedule announcement was a huge shock just at how difficult this year is going to be for the Steelers.

We’ve got the slickest-looking schedules for your desktop or cell phone wallpaper to download. September 8 will be here before you know it.

Logan Wilson defends Bengals’ eight games in national spotlight

Logan Wilson talks about the Bengals getting so much spotlight next season.

The Cincinnati Bengals schedule was released Wednesday and it was obvious that despite missing the playoffs in the 2023-24 season, they are still looked at by the NFL as one of the better and more exciting teams in the league since they were given eight games in the national spotlight.

The San Francisco 49ers. The New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys are the only teams that have more primetime games than the Bengals this season.

“They’re all opportunities to go out and show what we’re capable of,” linebacker Logan Wilson said on FOX 19. “They have us in those spotlight type games for a reason, and so it’s on us to go out and show what we can do.”

With Joe Burrow back healthy, all eyes will be on the Bengals to see if they can come back from what was a disappointing 9-8 season to get back to the heights of the back-to-back AFC Championships they were in the two seasons prior.

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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce happy to play Bengals early in season

Interesting Bengals-related comments from Travis Kelce.

The Cincinnati Bengals schedule was released on Wednesday and one of the big time matchups comes early on in the seasons when they face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.

Last season, the game they played against the Chiefs was in Week 16, a game the Bengals lost 25-17 when Jake Browning was leading the team under center since Joe Burrow was out after getting wrist surgery.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce doesn’t mind that the game is earlier this season, as he said on his New Heights podcast which he hosts with his brother Jason. He actually prefers they play the Bengals earlier in the year.

“I do like playing the potential, like, top teams in the league early,” Kelce said. “I’d rather play them early or like midseason. I don’t like playing at the end of season outside of the division. I just feel like it’s too close to the playoffs and if I have a chance to play them in the playoffs, I want to keep that game fresh. I feel like we’ve always played the Bengals in December or January. In my head, I’m like, ‘Man, I really just want to save the game and the excitement and the hype of that game for the playoffs.’

“Now with that being said, it comes around in the playoffs and you’re still excited and it’s still an unbelievable matchup. I think it’s cool that this year, we play the Ravens early [and] we play the Bengals early, and those are going to be two of the best teams in the NFL. So I’m excited, and it gets those two under our belt and kind of gives us somewhere to kind of gauge where we are amongst those teams early on. I like to see where I’m at and see what direction I need to go right now, if that makes sense.”

It’s possible Bengals players feel the same way about the schedule being set up the way it is. The Chiefs are obviously a team they could match up against in the playoffs. They will be able to measure where they are against the best in the league early on in the season.

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Did Taylor Swift have any influence on the 2024 NFL Schedule?

Did Taylor Swift and her enormous popularity have any influence on the 2024 NFL Schedule and where the Chiefs play

At first, it sounds like one of those outlandish conspiracy theories that we kept hearing during the last postseason:

“Taylor Swift is directly impacting the National Football League.”

However, in the case of the 2024 scheduling process, it is true. The Eras Tour is truly a pop culture force of nature, with the Swifties set to take over three more NFL stadiums for nine remaining shows.

“We certainly considered the tour dates that hit NFL stadiums,” said Mike North, NFL Vice President for Broadcast Planning, on a media conference call following the release of the upcoming season schedule.

“I think she’s in Miami, maybe New Orleans, Indy. We certainly considered those.”

Yes, the Dolphins, Saints, and Colts were all assigned road games on the weekends when Tay and her entourage visited those respective cities.

North is aware of one specific conspiracy theory from Wednesday’s schedule announcement but quickly discredited it.

“One thing we didn’t consider was that I saw a lot of conspiracy theorists talking about Kansas City at Buffalo in the middle of the season, right when Taylor’s playing Toronto,” he continued.

“That one definitely did not hit our radar screen.”

Swift has six shows scheduled in Toronto, just across Lake Ontario from Buffalo, between Nov. 14 and 23.

She is off on Nov. 17, when her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs visit the Bills. Again, this is just a mere coincidence. However, the fact that a brand as big as the NFL is even talking about this tells you just how much of an impact Swift and her devoted fan base have on American culture.

Although it is difficult to compare the two phenomena, as they occurred in two vastly different media landscapes, it certainly feels like the Swift-Kelce relationship is generating much more publicity than the Jessica Simpson-Tony Romo affair ever did.

It is clear now that the current so-called America’s Team is Kansas City. Swift and Kelce have become America’s favorite power couple.

So when the upcoming season kicks off on Sept. 5th, with an AFC title game rematch, Ravens fans must accept that their team will be the proverbial “bad guys.”

However, as Swift once told us, it is “exhausting always rooting for the Anti-Hero.”