Tag: 2024 NFL schedule

Minnesota Vikings 2024 preseason schedule released

The preseason of the NFL is met with excitement because fans get to see their team and players get to prove themselves.

The preseason of the NFL is met with excitement because fans get to see their team, and players get to prove themselves.

They cut the number from four to three because the regular season was extended back in 2021. Because of that, the team will have an uneven number of home games. Now, because they have nine home games during the regular season, they will only have one during the preseason.

Their preseason schedule consists of:

  • Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, TBD
  • Week 2: at Cleveland Browns, August 17
  • Week 3: at Philadelphia Eagles, TBD

All three teams will present unique challenges for the Vikings in how they can challenge the team as they prepare for the regular season. Specifically, their defenses are unique and challenging enough to make the quarterback competition between Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy interesting.

Look for official dates and times to become official as we get closer to the preseason-opening up following the Hall of Fame Game on August 1.

2024 NFL schedule: CBS Sports really wanted the Bills-Chiefs matchup

A note on #Bills vs. #Chiefs in 2024:

Every year when the NFL schedule is released there are questions that come about. Most of them center around one question: Why?

Relating to the Buffalo Bills hosting the Kansas City Chiefs at 4 p.m. in Week 11? We have an answer.

According to the Associated Press, CBS Sports had this matchup as their top request to be put in a 4:25 p.m. timeslot in 2024. Networks can do just that with the NFL.

Per the report, that timing is the one that draws the most viewers each week.

Last year, CBS averaged 24.64 million viewers in their 10 doubleheader 4:25 p.m. weeks while Fox averaged 24.62 million.

Next season will mark the fifth-straight year the Bills and Chiefs will do battle in the regular season.

And with this reported request, we know why this upcoming contest is not on prime-time football.

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Bengals favored in double-digit matchups in 2024

The Bengals are one of the most favored teams in the league next year.

The Cincinnati Bengals might suffer from a rare disadvantage on the 2024 NFL schedule, sure.

But there are some notable positives, too.

One? The Bengals are favored by more points than any other Week 1 team.

And two? Joe Burrow and Co. are favored in 13 of their 17 games next season, with only a handful of teams favored in more games on the opening lines.

There are exceptions outpacing the Bengals in this regard — such as the 49ers stunningly sitting as favorites in every single game.

But for the Bengals to sit favored in double-digit games alongside the likes of the 49ers, Chiefs and Ravens — to name a few — speaks to how oddsmakers feel about Burrow and Co. going into next season.

A look at the numbers, courtesy of Ben Fawkes:

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Bengals preseason schedule released

Cincinnati’s preseason schedule was announced too.

When the regular season schedule was released for the Cincinnati Bengals and all of the other NFL teams, the preseason schedule was released along with it.

The Bengals will be playing in three games this year before the season officially begins.

The first will be Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second week of the preseason will be a game against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 17 at 2 p.m., and five days later on Aug. 22 at 8 p.m., the Bengals will play their final preseason game of 2024 against the Indianapolis Colts.

They will have two weeks to rest before they play a game that actually matters after that when they begin the season on Sept. 8 against the New England Patriots.

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Bengals suffer rare disadvantage on 2024 NFL schedule

This one doesn’t happen often.

Of the many scheduling quirks for the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals schedule now that it has been released, the bunching of short road weeks is notable.

In fact, it’s an outright rarity.

According to ESPN’s Brian Burke, only the Cowboys and Bengals have three short road weeks on the 2024 schedule. Per the research there, just two other teams have had more — since 2002.

Short road weeks, meaning coming off a short week due to a Monday night game, or having a short turnaround from a Thursday game to a game on Sunday — like when the Bengals play on Thursday, November 7 in Baltimore after playing on Sunday, November 3 against Las Vegas.

Cincinnati’s schedule has plenty of positives too, such as five primetime games and a soft opening slate. Still, this is one of those setbacks that could profoundly impact the season.

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Texans enter 2024 season with seventh-hardest schedule

The Houston Texans enter the season with one of the toughest schedules in the league, and one of the rockiest paths back to the postseason.

Life as a reigning division champion is tough, as is evident by the Houston Texans’ impending 2024 schedule. 

After a surprising run to the AFC Divisional Round, the Texans added to their roster, hoping to elevate into Super Bowl contention. With star quarterback C.J. Stroud entering year two of his rookie contract, Houston took big swings, acquiring Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs in trades, and signing Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair during free agency.

If the Texans hope to return to the postseason, they must overcome a rigorous schedule that includes seven playoff teams from a year ago. Three of the franchises made it to the conference championship game, including reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City. 

With the release of the 2024 schedule and projected win totals, Sharp Football Analysis revealed its strength of schedule model.

Houston enters the year with the league’s seventh-hardest schedule, with an implied win total of 9.8 games, which would be higher than Las Vegas’ total of 9.5. 

The national media seems eager to see how Houston handles the challenge, placing them in four primetime games and six nationally televised contests. Before 2024, the Texans played standalone games in three seasons combined. 

Sharp Football’s prediction from a year ago proved fairly accurate. The top 16 predicted easiest schedules from 2023 resulted in 11 teams — including the Texans —posting a winning record. 

Houston repeating as AFC South champions may be more challenging than returning to the playoffs. Houston’s Week 1 opponent Indianapolis has the seventh-easiest predicted schedule.

Jacksonville currently owns the14th-easiest schedule. As for Tennessee under first-year coach Brian Callahan, things become daunting with the sixth-hardest schedule. 

This season, the AFC South plays each opponent from the NFC North and AFC East, inluding No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. After starting 3-8, the Bears went 4-2 in the final six games.

Coupled with a potential quarterback upgrade, plus the additon of Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen and top-10 pick Rome Odunze, the Bears may be on the rise. 

 

Changes came to the AFC East this offseason following the departure of Bill Belichick in New England after two-plus decades. Former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo took over but it’s likely a retooling year with a rookie quarterback.

On top of matchups with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, Houston a plays Baltimore and Kansas City outside the divisional alignments. 

The combined winning percentage of those three a year ago was 70.5%. Houston’s scheduled opponents won 53% of their games last season. 

Ravens 2024 NFL schedule anomalies and factoids

The Ravens ’24 slate has plenty of built-in factoids, quirks, nuggets and tidbits, so let’s dive right in to it. 

After what felt like multiple delays and announcements, the 2024 NFL schedule was finally announced.

The Ravens ’24 slate has plenty of built-in factoids, quirks, nuggets, and tidbits, so let’s dive right into it.

Sunday is the Day of Rest 

As a character said in the movie Concussion, the NFL owns one day of the week (Sunday). Yet Baltimore will not be in action on at least seven Sundays this upcoming season.

It could be eight once we learn the date and time of the regular season finale at home versus Cleveland. The week 18 tilt is currently TBA.

Working Five Days a Week

We have a strange scheduling quirk with those seven games scheduled for days other than Sunday. The Ravens will play every day of the week, other than Tuesday and Friday, this season. Wednesday games are very rare, but that is the day when December 25th happens to fall in 2024.

The Ravens have a much-hyped Yuletide clash with the Houston Texans, kicking off at 4:30 EST that day.

Diverse Portfolio of Network Appearances

These days, leagues love to spread the wealth around when it comes to having broadcast partners. When combined with today’s philosophy of fragmentation into streaming services, this practice often creates unnecessary headaches for fans.

Well, here’s your new school version of TV Guide, so you don’t have to check what channel the Ravens are on every week.

Amazon Prime Video (1) 11/7 Cincinnati

CBS (7) 10/6 at Cincinnati, 10/13 Washington, 10/27 at Cleveland, 11/3 Denver, 11/17 at Pittsburgh, 12/1 Philadelphia, 12/15 at N.Y. Giants, 12/15

ESPN (2) 10/21 Tampa Bay, 11/25 L.A. Chargers (this will be the next “Harbowl” as it features the two Harbaugh brothers squaring off against each other).

FOX (2)  9/22 at Dallas, 12/21 Pittsburgh

NBC (3)  9/5 at Kansas City, 9/15 Las Vegas, 9/29 Buffalo

Netflix (1) Christmas Day at Houston

TBA (1)  Week 18 Cleveland

 

2024 NFL schedule: Bills open as Week 1 favorites vs. the Cardinals

2024 NFL schedule: #Bills open as Week 1 favorites vs. the #Cardinals:

The 2024 schedule for the Buffalo Bills is now live.

Following the NFL releasing every team’s upcoming slate, odds are now live too.

BetMGM has Buffalo opening up as a seven-point, touchdown favorite in their season opener. That game will feature the Arizona Cardinals heading to Orchard Park.

Based on last year, that comes as little surprise.

The Bills had an 11-6 overall record in 2023. That helped them lock in their fourth-straight AFC East title.

Speaking of four, the Cards had a 4-13 record last season. That gave them the No. 4 overall pick at the 2024 NFL draft which ended up being wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

All in all… yes, Buffalo is the clear favorite here.

In addition to the spread, the over/under has opened at 48. The moneyline sits at Bills (-355) and Cardinals (+280).

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NFC South has the lowest divisional strength of schedule

The Saints have the easiest schedule in the NFL, and the NFC South has the easiest schedule as a division. One of these teams must climb up from the bottom:

The NFL schedule released Wednesday evening and revealed when the New Orleans Saints will play their opponents. The Saints have the easiest schedule in the NFL, but they aren’t alone. Solely based off the opponent’s record last year, New Orleans and the Atlanta Falcons have the easiest schedule in the NFL. The NFC South as a whole has the easiest schedule in the league

But the Saints found themselves in this position last year and still weren’t successful. Strength of schedule will never outweigh strength of team. The Saints will have to improve to take advantage of this opportunity. Also, in a way the entire division having an easy schedule devalues the advantage in the race for the divisional crown.

Strength of schedule is greatly influenced by your divisional opponents. That’s emphasized by Tampa Bay having the highest in the division but fifth-lowest in the league. That’s even with playing the other divisional leaders in the NFC.

Playing Carolina twice a year brings down your rating significantly. They had the worst record in the league, but it’s hard to place too much onus on them when no team hit double-digit wins in 2023. Here’s how each NFC South team ranks:

  • New Orleans Saints / Atlanta Falcons: .453 (32nd)
  • Carolina Panthers: .467 (29th)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: .478 (27th)

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