The equivalent of Christmas in spring took place Wednesday, when the NFL unveiled its 2024 season schedule. Now begins the analysis of schedule winners and losers and predictions of which teams have the best chance to make championship runs.
There is no shortage of highs, lows and intriguing elements to the regular-season slate. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights ahead.
Biggest prime-time draws: The Jets, 49ers and Cowboys. This trio leads the league with six games each on the night-time schedule. Let’s just hope Aaron Rodgers doesn’t get hurt again, because that might make the Jets tough to watch, as we all saw last season. In addition to those six prime-time games, the Jets also have another nationally televised game in Week 5 against the Vikings in London. Nine other teams, including the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs, have five prime-time contests.
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Worst prime-time draw: The Panthers. Last season’s worst team (Carolina went 2-15) doesn’t have a single prime-time contest in 2024, though that could change later thanks to flex scheduling, if the Panthers exceed expectations.
Best Thursday night matchup: Ravens-Chiefs kicks off the NFL season Sept. 5 on NBC, but we also have lots of good choices from “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon Prime Video. Twelve of those 16 games are divisional contests, but we’ll give top billing to the Week 10 AFC North showdown between Lamar Jackson’s Ravens and Joe Burrow’s Bengals.
Worst Thursday night matchup: Broncos at Saints in Week 7. Yeah, it’s Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans, but neither the Broncos nor the Saints is expected to be a contender. This could be painful to watch.
Best “Sunday Night Football” matchup: Bills at Ravens in Week 4. This could be a potential AFC Championship Game preview.
Worst SNF matchup: Bengals at Giants in Week 6. Why? Just why?
Best “Monday Night Football” matchup: Lions at 49ers in Week 17. It stinks to have to wait until Week 17 for a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game, but this contest shouldn’t disappoint.
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Worst MNF matchup: Is it the Week 3 Commanders at Bengals matchup, or the Week 5 Saints-Chiefs showdown? Either has the potential to be a one-sided affair.
Best international contest: Packers versus Eagles in Brazil, Week 1. These two NFC contenders start the season’s five-game international series off with a bang, playing Sept. 6, a Friday night.
Worst international contest: Giants versus Panthers in Munich. Sorry, Germany. With the Panthers going through growing pains, and the Giants on shaky footing because of Daniel Jones’ lack of progress, this is not likely to be an instant classic.
Most taxing travel: The Chargers, who must traverse 26,803 miles and play in the Eastern Time Zone five times.
Lightest travel slate: The Commanders, who will travel just 10,550 total miles while playing nine home games, one more just up the road in Baltimore and just one game in the Pacific Time Zone (at Arizona).
Craziest stretch: The Chiefs’ Weeks 14-17 homestretch. The defending champs will host the Chargers in prime time, travel to Cleveland, host C.J. Stroud and the Texans six days later and then, on four days’ rest, travel to Pittsburgh for a Christmas Day game.
Best revenge game: Chiefs at 49ers, Week 7. Sure, we could go with the Week 1 Baltimore-Kansas City AFC title game rematch. And there’s Russell Wilson’s Week 2 return to Denver as Pittsburgh’s new quarterback. Or Minnesota’s home showdown vs. Kirk Cousins and Atlanta in Week 14. But Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs absolutely ripped the 49ers’ hearts out with their overtime march to victory in the Super Bowl, so Kyle Shanahan and company will be out for blood.
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Biggest overall winners: The NFL and its streaming subscription broadcast partners. Add Netflix to a mix that also includes YouTube TV, Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. For the NFL and its owners, it’s a case of the rich getting richer. Last year, Peacock paid more than $100 million for the exclusive rights to a playoff game. Amazon reportedly paid more than $100 million for the rights to the first Black Friday game last season. Now, Netflix reportedly has paid about $150 million for two NFL Christmas Day games in 2024. It will broadcast at least one more Christmas Day game in 2025 and 2026.
Biggest losers: Cash-strapped football fans. It will now cost between $800 and $1,000 for fans to have access to all of the NFL’s games this season. That’s tough with everything costing more right now.
(Top photos of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes: Rob Carr and Jeff Dean / Getty Images)
