2024 NFL Strength of Schedule Ranking for the NFC: Kirk Cousins, Bijan Robinson, and the Falcons Have the Easiest Slate of Games

NFL training camps are underway, which means fans are starting to delve into the schedule for the upcoming season.

Pro Football Network recently put together our strength of schedule rankings for the 2024 campaign. We created this list using PFN’s internal ranks, sportsbooks’ opinions, and some advanced metrics.

Which NFC teams have the easiest slate of games? Who will face the toughest gauntlet? Here are strength of schedule rankings for the NFC and how each team ranks league-wide.

Ranking the NFC Teams by Strength of Schedule

1) Atlanta Falcons (1st overall)

Cousins represents a significant upgrade over 2023 Falcons quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke and will be dropped into a readymade offense that already includes RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts.

Atlanta should be considered the favorite in the NFC South and will potentially benefit from facing rookie QBs when they play the Commanders and Vikings on the road.

• Falcons Home Opponents: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks, Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers
• Falcons Away Opponents: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Commanders, Eagles, Vikings, Broncos, Raiders

2) New Orleans Saints (3rd overall)

It might be playoffs or bust for the Saints and head coach Dennis Allen, who’ve gone 18-18 in two seasons since Sean Payton’s departure. While New Orleans has difficult out-of-division games against the Eagles, Rams, Browns, and Chiefs on tap, it also gets to play the Panthers, Commanders, Broncos, and Raiders at home.

• Home: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Eagles, Commanders, Rams, Broncos, Raiders, Browns
• Away: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers

3) Carolina Panthers (5th overall)

The Panthers and new HC Dave Canales will need all the help they can get next season after Carolina posted the NFL’s worst record in 2023. Can Bryce Young turn things around after the Panthers added WR Diontae Johnson and offensive line help?

Carolina’s schedule — which features winnable home bouts against the Giants, Chargers, and Cardinals — isn’t all that challenging. It also includes a stop in Munich, Germany, under the 2024 NFL International Games banner.

• Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, Bengals
• Away: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Raiders

4) Chicago Bears (6th overall)

Optimism abounds in Chicago, where Caleb Williams and a WR trio including DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze are ready to get the Bears back into contention.

The NFC North might truly be up for grabs in 2024, and Matt Eberflus’ squad has the least imposing schedule in the division. Two matchups with the Vikings — who might have fellow rookie QB J.J. McCarthy under center — will be worth watching.

• Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots
• Away: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Commanders, Texans, Colts

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7th overall)

All four NFC South clubs have top-seven-easiest schedules — which should tell you everything you need to do about the weakness of the division.

The Buccaneers have earned three straight NFC South crowns but only won 17 games over the past two seasons. Can they hold off the Falcons, Saints, and Panthers in 2024?

• Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Commanders, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders
• Away: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cowboys, Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers

6) Philadelphia Eagles (10th overall)

Nick Sirianni’s Eagles underwent wholesale offseason changes following their 2023 collapse and should benefit from a manageable schedule next year.

A rematch against the Buccaneers (who upset Philadelphia in the Wild Card round) is on tap, as are potentially high-scoring games against the Packers, Ravens, Bengals, and Rams.

The Eagles will also play the NFL’s first-ever South American game, a Week 1 Friday matchup against the Packers in São Paulo, Brazil.

• Home: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Panthers, Falcons, Packers, Steelers, Browns, Jaguars
• Away: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Rams, Saints, Buccaneers, Bengals, Ravens

7) Washington Commanders (11th overall)

Washington’s rookie quarterback will face the imposing Eagles and Cowboys four combined times in 2024. However, Jayden Daniels will also play the NFC South, while their cross-conference opponent could have been far more arresting than the Titans.

The Commanders aren’t viewed as a playoff contender, but we’ve seen first-year QBs take their clubs on surprising runs in the past.

• Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Browns, Steelers, Titans
• Away: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens

8) Seattle Seahawks (13th overall)

Although the upcoming campaign could be a transitional year for the Seahawks as they adapt to first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, Seattle undoubtedly has the roster to compete for a playoff spot in 2024.

How they fare against the 49ers and Rams — who went a combined 4-0 against the Seahawks in 2023 — will determine how far Seattle goes.

• Home: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, Vikings, Giants, Dolphins, Bills, Broncos
• Away: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Bears, Lions, Falcons, Patriots, Jets

9) Dallas Cowboys (14th overall)

The Cowboys had one of the NFL’s easiest 2023 schedules, allowing them to dominate cellar-dwellers like the Giants, Jets, Patriots, and Commanders. They might not have as easy a time next season, though, when their schedule ranks near the middle of the pack.

A cross-conference, intrastate matchup against the Texans will be a must-watch, as will games out-of-division games against the Lions, Ravens, Bengals, and 49ers.

• Home: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions, Ravens, Bengals, Texans
• Away: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers, Browns, Steelers

10) New York Giants (15th overall)

The Giants will face a nearly identical schedule to the Commanders. But their Colts-Seahawks-Vikings opponent cluster is more difficult than Washington’s Bears-Titans-Cardinals slate.

New York’s order of games could become important in 2024. While the Giants didn’t draft a rookie quarterback, they could consider benching Daniel Jones near the end of the season to prevent his 2025 injury guarantees from kicking in.

• Home: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Colts
• Away: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, Steelers, Browns

11) Detroit Lions (19th overall)

The Lions lived up to all the hype in 2023, capturing the NFC North title while winning their first playoff game in over 30 years.

Dan Campbell’s club will face a stiffer challenge next season, as the Packers, Bears, and Vikings are ascending, giving Detroit far more intradivisional competition.

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Jared Goff will kick off the Sunday Night Football schedule against his former team, with the Lions facing the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Detroit managed a one-point win when these two clubs last met in the NFC Wild Card round.

• Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Bills
• Away: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Colts

12) Los Angeles Rams (20th overall)

After entering the season near the bottom of most NFL power rankings, the Rams surprised en route to 10 wins and a playoff appearance. Can they overtake the 49ers and win their first NFC West championship in three years?

Los Angeles has a slightly easier schedule than San Francisco, which has yet to appear on our list.

• Home: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins, Raiders
• Away: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Lions, Bears, Saints, Patriots, Jets

13) Arizona Cardinals (21st overall)

Arizona didn’t have many 2023 highlights outside of its upset victories over the Eagles and Cowboys. Still, Kyler Murray looked more comfortable in the Cardinals’ offense as the season progressed (as you might expect from a QB who didn’t play until Week 10 while recovering from a torn ACL).

Although Arizona might be a year away from contending, a draft haul that included WR Marvin Harrison Jr., EDGE Darius Robinson, CB Max Melton, and RB Trey Benson is cause for celebration.

• Home: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Commanders, Patriots, Jets, Chargers
• Away: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Dolphins, Bills

14) Green Bay Packers (22nd overall)

Green Bay fielded the NFL’s youngest roster last year and filled many of its positional holes during free agency, adding contributors like RB Josh Jacobs and S Xavier McKinney.

Jordan Love and Co. nearly advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2023. The arrow is pointing directly up for the Packers, who will face the Eagles in the NFL’s first-ever Brazil game in 2024.

Green Bay wraps up the season with matchups against the Vikings and Bears that could theoretically decide the NFC North.

• Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Saints, Colts, Texans, Dolphins
• Away: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Eagles, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans

15) Minnesota Vikings (25th overall)

Minnesota grabbed McCarthy in the draft to finalize an offseason that saw the Vikings bring in free agents like RB Aaron Jones, EDGEs Jonathan Greenard and Van Ginkel, and LB Blake Cashman.

Sam Darnold could start ahead of McCarthy to begin the 2024 campaign, but the Michigan product should be throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison by midseason. The Vikings have a Week 6 bye; if they’re 1-4 by that point, Kevin O’Connell could deploy McCarthy in Week 7 against the Lions.

• Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, 49ers, Falcons, Texans, Colts, Jets
• Away: Bears, Lions, Packers, Rams, Seahawks, Giants, Jaguars, Titans

16) San Francisco 49ers (27th overall)

The 49ers will face one of the NFL’s most difficult slates after narrowly losing Super Bowl 58 to the Chiefs. However, sportsbooks don’t mind, as San Francisco is still tied for the league’s highest 2024 win total (11.5).

MORE: Try PFN’s 2024 NFL Playoff Predictor

Brock Purdy and Co. went 5-1 against the NFC West in 2023, with their only loss coming in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Rams in which Darnold started. Can they dominate the division again next season?

• Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs
• Away: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Bills