The 2024 NFL schedule is officially here, with the league announcing Wednesday all 272 of its upcoming regular-season matchups. There are lots of premium showdowns to be found, from the Week 1 opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, to the Christmas Day doubleheader pitting the reigning champions against the revamped Pittsburgh Steelers. In short, good games await.
With that in mind, it’s not too early to crown some winners from the 2024 schedule release. But when there are winners, of course, there are also losers. So here are our initial assessments:
You could just as easily put them in the “Losers” category, if they’re concerned about Aaron Rodgers staying upright following a lost 2023 season. But six prime-time games in the first 11 weeks? Talk about getting a real spotlight! If Gang Green actually lives up to its potential, they will justify the must-see-TV approach by the NFL.
Getting the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, on four days rest, is a sack of coal by itself, but consider also that it will fall in between a stretch featuring back-to-back road games against the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles. And then there’s the Week 18 finale against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Good luck!
Pressure is on the No. 1 overall pick to deliver immediate results as the Chicago Bears‘ next face of the franchise, but the early season slate should help him just as much as the Bears’ upgraded supporting cast. Chicago’s first 10 games are some of the easiest in the entire NFL in strength of schedule, with matchups against rebuilding squads like the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers.
Loser: Baltimore Ravens
The Steelers may have a tough road (see above), but they can at least rest a bit easier knowing their bitter AFC North rivals also have a daunting path back to a potential conference title game. Lamar Jackson and Co. draw the Bengals, Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys in the first five weeks alone, and their bye doesn’t come until the all way in Week 14, the middle of December.
Not only will Jordan Love and Co. avoid playing even a single team that’s coming off its bye week, but the Packers will also avoid a typical road contest by playing on a neutral site to open the year, with Sept. 6’s Friday night matchup with the Eagles in Brazil. The strength of schedule had already positioned Green Bay well, but a return…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…