Nobody will have a harder road than the Cleveland Browns in 2024 on the basis of last year’s records.
The NFL shared the strength of schedule for all 32 teams Tuesday. The Browns have the highest opponent winning percentage (.547) in the league. The Atlanta Falcons are at the opposite end of the spectrum with a .453 opponent winning percentage.
Going solely off how a team performed in 2023 can be a bit deceiving because it doesn’t reflect the offseason moves that made a franchise better or worse.
The Dallas Cowboys, for example, went 12-5 but had a more notable list of departures than they had arrivals. The Green Bay Packers, at the other end of the spectrum, should improve upon their nine wins if Jordan Love’s second half is indicative of where the quarterback will start in 2024.
Having said that, the three top teams in strength of schedule all coming from the AFC North is a sign that that could be the hardest division to navigate.
All four North teams had a winning record in 2023 and none figures to suffer a big drop in 2024.
The Cincinnati Bengals have quarterback Joe Burrow back healthy and haven’t acceded to the trade request of wide receiver Tee Higgins. The Pittsburgh Steelers should have improved QB play by effectively swapping Kenny Pickett for Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Signing running back Derrick Henry could provide a slightly new dimension to the Baltimore Ravens, who also managed to retain Pro Bowl defensive lineman Justin Madubuike. The Browns didn’t lose any of their best players and brought in Jameis Winston to have a solid contingency plan if Deshaun Watson’s downward spiral continues.
The Ravens remain the early favorites to stay on top in the AFC North, but you can make a case for any of their three rivals dethroning them this year.
2024-05-14 16:29:21
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