Football season isn't quite here yet, but the upcoming 2024 NFL season schedule has been leaked. After getting an early sneak peak, there are some notable key matchups that you may want to have marked on your calendars; starting with a Week 7-Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and 49ers, that will be played in San Francisco on October 20 at 4:25 pm ET (FOX).
Not only that, week 7 also includes a Thursday Night Football AFC-NFC matchup, in which Denver's head coach Sean Payton will travel back to New Orleans, as the Broncos will take on the Saints, his former team, in a game that will be broadcasted on Amazon Prime.
Another game to look out for will be between the Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets, on Monday October 14 at 8:15 pm ET (ESPN). As some might remember this is the same Monday Night Football matchup, in which Rodgers tore his left achilles tendon on the first drive of the season last year. I guess the NFL wants to see how that game plays out with a healthy Rodgers, as they are putting those two teams up against each other on primetime once again.
Other key noteworthy headline games include:
Week 5: Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans (October 6)
Week 10: Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Rams (MNF; November 12)
Week 11: Houston Texans @ Dallas Cowboys (MNF; November 18)
Week 16: Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs (Sat. night; December 21)
Also to point out, the Christmas game matchups have been announced, which will be broadcasted on Netflix this year. On Wednesday, December 25, the Chiefs vs. Steelers will play at 1 pm ET, then right after will be the Ravens vs. Texans at 4:30 pm ET.
Football on Wednesday hasn't been done since 1936. Then live football on Netflix hasn't been done... ever.
Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria put out the following statement, "There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We're so excited that the NFL's Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix."
The Thanksgiving games will include the following matchups: Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions; New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys; Miami Dolphins @ Green Bay Packers.
Then the Las Vegas Raiders will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs for the Black Friday game.
The five international games that will take place are as follows:
Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles; September 6 in São Paulo, Brazil
New York Jets vs. Minnesota Vikings; October 6 in London, England
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears; October 13 in London, England
New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars; October 20 in London, England
New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers; November 10 in Munich, Germany
Former Houston Texans defensive end, JJ Watt gave insight to what matters most to NFL players when taking the first look at the released season schedule.
NFL Schedule Release Day.
Here’s what players look at:
- First Game
- Bye Week
- Thursday Night Game
- Any other games that may disrupt routine/recovery (International, MNF, etc)
- Possible weather games (Buffalo in December, Miami in Sept, etc)— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) May 15, 2024
I guess it's safe to assume, NFL players care about their work schedule just like everyday Joe's, and when viewing this season's itinerary, there is certainly much anticipation mounting for the upcoming 104th season of the NFL.
Fans and players alike both can already feel the excitement as everyone awaits the first kickoff on September 5 at 8:20 ET, which will feature a rematch of last season's AFC Championship game, between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
In view of the schedule being released, one of the key points that Watt didn't list is the strength of the opponents, that your team will be facing for the year. Based on 2023 regular season records of each NFL team, the Cleveland Browns have the hardest strength of schedule, as their opponents for the 2024 season have a combined 2023 win/loss record of: 158-131.
Furthermore, 12 out of the 17 opponents that the Browns will face this season had above a .500 record last season, and eight of those were playoff teams in 2023.
2024 Strength of Schedule (based on 2023 regular-season records): pic.twitter.com/T50tUocm1X
— Ivan Urena (@Ivan_Urena1) January 9, 2024
To see more details regarding your favorite team, check out: NFL schedule release and leaks live updates (CBS)
