Strength of schedule for all 32 NFL teams: Which teams have the hardest, easiest schedule for 2024?

Dan Treacy

Strength of schedule for all 32 NFL teams: Which teams have the hardest, easiest schedule for 2024? image

Before the NFL enters its quietest stretch of the year, the spectacle that is the league's schedule release will give fans something to look forward to for the fall.

All 32 teams already know their opponents for the 2024 season, and they know which games will be at home along with which will be on the road. The NFL schedule release will finalize 2024 plans by revealing when each game will be played and when teams will be featured in prime time.

If the past two seasons are any indication, prime-time games don't necessarily guarantee success. The 2022 NFL schedule was loaded with prime-time games involving the Broncos, only for Denver's anemic offense to bore fans throughout the year. The Jets were the darling of the schedule release in 2023, receiving six prime-time games in Aaron Rodgers' first season with the team, but Rodgers' Achilles tear in the first of those six made New York a tough watch under the lights.

Still, the NFL schedule release is a sign of progress for some of the league's budding teams. The Bengals played just one prime-time game in 2021 but found themselves all over the schedule the following season after reaching Super Bowl 56. The Texans didn't even land a prime-time game in 2023, but that's sure to change in a major way now that C.J. Stroud has emerged as a premier talent. 

As the schedules are finalized, here's a look at each team's strength of schedule in 2024.

MORE: 2024 NFL Draft winners and losers

Toughest NFL schedule 2024

Cleveland Browns (.547 opponent win percentage)

Based strictly on 2023 winning percentage, the Browns have the NFL's hardest schedule in 2024. Cleveland's opponents had a combined .547 winning percentage last season, buoyed by the success of AFC North rivals in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. The Browns also have the Chiefs, Cowboys, and Dolphins on their schedule in 2024, though they host all three. 

With the Steelers' quarterback situation potentially more stable and Joe Burrow returning for Cincinnati, the path forward for the Browns may be even more difficult than that .547 mark indicates.

Fortunately for the Browns, many of their toughest matchups do come at home. On the flip side, Cleveland faces the Broncos, Commanders, and Raiders on the road. No game is easy in the NFL, but those will be prime opportunities for the Browns to make up the difference and snag wins on the road.

Here's a complete look at the Browns' home and away opponents in 2024. 

HomeAway
BengalsBengals
ChargersBroncos
ChiefsCommanders
CowboysEagles
DolphinsJaguars
GiantsRaiders
RavensRavens
SteelersSaints
 Steelers

Who has the easiest NFL schedule in 2024?

Saints, Falcons (.453 opponent win percentage)

Based on 2023 winning percentage, the Falcons and Saints share the easiest 2024 schedule. Atlanta and New Orleans both face opponents who had a combined .453 winning percentage in 2023, aided by the reality of a weak NFC South.

The Saints and Falcons also face the entire AFC West in 2024, which can be taken as good news. While the Chiefs are a monumentally tough opponent, the Broncos and Raiders have unstable quarterback situations, and the Chargers have major questions outside of QB Justin Herbert after missing the playoffs last season. 

MORE: How Spencer Rattler fits on Saints' depth chart

Here's a look at the opponents the Saints and Falcons will face in 2024.

Saints

HomeAway
BroncosBuccaneers
BrownsChargers
BuccaneersChiefs
CommandersCowboys
EaglesFalcons
FalconsGiants
PanthersPackers
RaidersPanthers
Rams 

Falcons

HomeAway
BuccaneersBroncos
ChargersBuccaneers
ChiefsCommanders
CowboysEagles
GiantsPanthers
PanthersRaiders
SaintsSaints
SeahawksVikings
Steelers 

How far will each team travel in 2024 NFL season?

ESPN's Adam Schefter posted a report from Bookies.com's Bill Speros about team travel for the 2024 NFL season. The graphic was broken down into the highest total mileage traveled, as well as the most time zones crossed.

The Chargers will travel more miles than any other NFL team, nearing 27,000 air miles for the 2024 season. The Dolphins, Seahawks and Patriots are the three other teams that will cross the 25,000-mile mark.

The Commanders will travel fewer miles than any other NFL team, registering just over 10,500 air miles. The Bengals (10,611) aren't far behind Washington, with the Colts, Steelers and Falcons all flying less than 13,000 miles this season.

The Chargers will also cross 36 time zones — more than any other NFL team. The Raiders (34) are the only other team that will cross over 30 time zones.

The Texans will only cross eight time zones — the fewest in the league. The Steelers are the only other team that will cross 10 or fewer time zones.

2024 NFL strength of schedule rankings

RankTeamOpponent win pct. (2023)
1.Cleveland Browns.547
2.Baltimore Ravens.536
3.Pittsburgh Steelers.533
4.Green Bay Packers.526
 Houston Texans.526
6.Buffalo Bills.516
 New York Giants.516
8.Jacksonville Jaguars.512
 Las Vegas Raiders.512
 New England Patriots.512
11.Detroit Lions.509
12.Dallas Cowboys.505
 Los Angeles Rams.505
 New York Jets.505
 San Francisco 49ers.505
16.Cincinnati Bengals.502
 Kansas City Chiefs.502
 Minnesota Vikings.502
 Washington Commanders.502
20.Denver Broncos.495
21.Indianapolis Colts.491
 Philadelphia Eagles.491
 Tennessee Titans.491
24.Arizona Cardinals.488
 Miami Dolphins.488
 Seattle Seahawks.488
 Los Angeles Chargers.488
28.Tampa Bay Buccaneers.478
29.Carolina Panthers.467
 Chicago Bears.467
31.Atlanta Falcons.453
 New Orleans Saints.453

MORE: Ranking all 32 NFL Draft classes from best to worst

Last season's win percentage is not a perfect way of evaluating each team's strength of schedule, particularly after a busy offseason that saw some teams upgrade and others lose key pieces.

Below is a look at Sharp Football Analysis' strength of schedule rankings based on their opponents' projected 2024 win total, from hardest (Steelers) to easiest (Falcons). 

Strength of schedule rankTeam
1Pittsburgh Steelers
2New England Patriots
3Cleveland Browns
4Baltimore Ravens
5Minnesota Vikings
6Tennessee Titans
7Houston Texans
8Denver Broncos
9Las Vegas Raiders
10Buffalo Bills
11Dallas Cowboys
12Detroit Lions
13New York Giants
14Green Bay Packers
15San Francisco 49ers
16Los Angeles Rams
17Arizona Cardinals
18Seattle Seahawks
19Jacksonville Jaguars
20Washington Commanders
21Kansas City Chiefs
22Tampa Bay Buccaneers
23Carolina Panthers
24Philadelphia Eagles
25Miami Dolphins
26Indianapolis Colts
27Cincinnati Bengals
28New Orleans Saints
29New York Jets
30Chicago Bears
31Los Angeles Chargers
32Atlanta Falcons

How is the NFL schedule determined?

If you believe your team has a difficult or easy schedule, no one is to blame. The NFL schedule makers only determine when teams play the games, not which opponents they face. That's determined by a set of rules, and it's why each team already knows its home and away opponents for 2024.

The NFL uses this formula to put together each team's schedule:

  1. Each team plays six divisional games, facing each divisional opponent three times at home and three times on the road (six games).
  2. Each team faces all four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (four games).
  3. Each team faces all four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (four games)
  4. Each team faces two more intraconference opponents based on the prior year’s standings. For example, because the Browns already play the entire AFC North and AFC West in 2024, they face the teams in the AFC South and AFC East that finished in the same spot in the standings as Cleveland did (second) the previous season. In their case, it's the Dolphins and Jaguars (two games).
  5. Each team plays one additional game against a team from the other conference based on the prior year's standings on a rotating four-year cycle. These games match a first-place team from one division against a first-place team in an opposite conference division that the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in each division are similarly paired. The home conference for this game rotates each season (one game).

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.