Winners and Losers from the NFL Schedule Release
As much as the common fan doesn’t like to acknowledge it, the NFL is a business. The NFL is very aware of the product they are presenting, and they do their best to create the most captivating product throughout the NFL season. The NFL can manipulate storylines and capitalize on players' stardom to draw people to a TV screen or bring them out to games in person. The creation of the schedule can help show what the NFL expects this season, and their hopes are reflected in which teams the schedule benefits and hurts. The schedule can benefit or harm teams in various ways, from how many primetime games they have to how many far-distance road trips the team has. All these small things can add up and hurt or benefit a team’s chances of having success this season. With that, let’s evaluate who got a break with the NFL schedule release and who got the short end of the stick.
Schedule Release Winners
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears - With the latest number-one overall pick, Caleb Williams, set to start for the Bears, it is crucial that Williams and the Bears get off to a successful start this season. Chicago is not only a historic franchise but also is set in the city with the second-largest media market in the country. The NFL recognizes that the Bears now finally have the pieces to have success and it would be great for the league if the Bears were relevant again in the scope of the NFL landscape. With this in mind, they frontloaded the schedule with many easy opponents including the Titans, Colts, Panthers, Cardinals, and Patriots all before they must play their tough in-division rivals the Packers and Lions. By frontloading the schedule with easier opposition, they give Caleb Williams the best opportunity to get some confidence before playing their first prime-time game of the season on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions.
Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers - The Chargers haven’t been relevant since they left San Diego behind and have lived in the shadows of SoFi stadium behind the LA Rams ever since. However, there is new excitement in the area with their new Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh, fresh off of winning a College Football National Championship with Michigan, coming to the team. The NFL certainly did its best job of trying to capitalize on the hype by giving the Chargers three early winnable games with the Raiders, Panthers, and Steelers right off the bat. Additionally, they gave the Chargers some easier games toward the end of the regular season in the Broncos, Patriots, and Raiders to end the season so the team can hopefully gain some momentum going into the playoffs.
Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets - If you’re noticing that the schedule winners are the top three media markets in the country, you’d be correct and that’s not by mistake. After the Jets lost Aaron Rodgers four snaps into the 2023 season, the NFL was determined to make sure they get their money's worth from the team this season. The Jets got dished a very tough first game on the road against the 49ers in prime time but following that game the schedule really opens up as they play the Titans, Patriots, Broncos, and Vikings in which the Jets should be favored to win all of these games. Additionally, the Jets get six primetime games which is tied with the 49ers and Cowboys for the most in the league. Aaron Rodgers has always shined during prime time, unlike many other quarterbacks in the league who shrink in the spotlight, giving an advantage to the Jets this season.
Schedule Release Losers
Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons - Unlike Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins has been notorious for shrinking under the spotlight of prime-time games. Additionally, with the added pressure of Micheal Penix Jr. sitting in the wings, there is a lot of pressure for Kirk Cousins to perform well early on in the schedule. Unfortunately for Kirk, the NFL is seemingly trying to start a QB controversy by giving the Falcons the Steelers to start and then two prime-time games against the Eagles on Monday Night Football and the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. If Kirk Cousins struggles under the pressure of the national spotlight of prime time against a daunting opening schedule, then the Falcons faithful might quickly become divided on whether Kirk Cousins or Micheal Penix Jr. should be the quarterback for the rest of the season.
Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have been known to always have a winning season typically ending with something resembling a 9-8 season. However, with this schedule, the Steelers will be fortunate to get seven wins this season. The Steelers not only play in what is considered the toughest division in the NFL right now, the AFC North, but also, they got no breaks with this schedule. For starters, they instantly have to go on the road for two away games against the Falcons and Broncos with a new QB under center in Russell Wilson which isn’t great for building a rhythm early on unless they win both road games. Secondly, the back half of the schedule is a gauntlet of playoff-caliber teams with the Ravens twice, Browns twice, Bengals twice, Eagles, and Chiefs. With this difficult schedule, Russell Wilson needs to play well to keep his job, or else the fans will quickly begin demanding for Justin Fields to get a shot.
Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers - After a season where the Panthers were nearly unwatchable, finishing with a 2-15 campaign, the NFL has deemed they shouldn’t be watched by a national audience this season. The Panthers were the only NFL team to not receive a prime-time game this season. Bryce Young had a tough rookie season with nearly no help offensively and what’s worse is the team didn’t even have their first-round pick this season since they gave it away to acquire Bryce Young last season. This Panthers team won’t be much better this season, even with a schedule that isn’t incredibly taunting except for a four-game stretch where they face the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Eagles, and Cowboys late in the season. The Panthers will get no opportunity to show a national audience that they are a franchise worth watching this upcoming season with no prime-time game slots given to the team which will hurt the overall likeability of the team.
