As the 2024 NFL Schedule is set to be released very soon, we already know who is going to be facing the toughest competition for this year. The NFL is all about parity and competition, so it is not unusual for some of the best teams to have the hardest schedules.
In addition to some of the better teams, it is obvious that basically everyone in the AFC North will have some of the toughest schedules, as all of those teams had winning records this previous season.
NFL Insider Names Teams With Hardest Schedules For 2024
NFL insider and a top football analyst, Warren Sharp has crunched the numbers and found the five teams with the toughest schedules for this upcoming season. Using projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers, in addition to the records of the 2023 season, Sharp has come away with the hardest schedules of this year.
According to Sharp, the five hardest schedules belong to:
It is clear that the odds makers know how good the AFC North is. The three teams that made it to the post season last year in that division are all in this list. All four of those teams had winning records as well.
The Patriots are an interesting team here as they will have to go against three solid teams in the AFC East this season. According to the odds makers, they are going to be the worst team in the NFL this year.
How Warren Sharp Determines Strength Of Schedule
While some may doubt how Sharp comes up with the strength of schedule, consider what he predicted this previous year.
Of the 15 teams predicted to have the easiest 2023 schedules, 11 finished with winning records (Saints, Colts, Texans, Lions, Jaguars, Steelers, Packers, Buccaneers, 49ers, Browns, and Bengals)Of the 15 teams predicted to have the hardest 2023 schedules, only 5 finished with a winning record (Bills, Chiefs, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Vikings)
So while this is not an exact science, there is clear evidence that teams with the hardest schedules do not do as well over the course of the season. While the AFC North teams will have a very tough time this season, the other teams on this list will probably be the worst teams in the league.