OWINGS MILLS — After finishing with the best record in the NFL, the Ravens will face the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL next season.
The most challenging slate of games could be in the Ravens’ division.
All four teams in the AFC North — Ravens (13-4), Browns (11-6), Steelers (10-7) and Bengals (9-8) — finished above .500. It’s just the second time since the NFL began using divisions in 1933 that every team in a division finished above .500, joining the NFL West in 1935, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
The AFC North will be tough again, which has had an effect the strength of the schedule.
The Steelers have the toughest schedule, followed by the Patriots, Browns, and then the Ravens, according to the annual report by Sharp Football Analysis. The Vikings have the fifth-toughest schedule.
With odds released for all 32 NFL teams, Sharp calculated the NFL Strength of Schedule by using projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers.
The teams with the easiest schedule are: 1. Atlanta Falcon; 2. Los Angeles Chargers; 3. Chicago Bears; 4. New York Jets; and, 5. New Orleans Saints.
Of the 17 teams that had the hardest 2023 schedules, only four went to the playoffs —Steelers, Browns, Ravens, and Rams — with 4-of-17 going over their win total, according to Sharp.
The Ravens won the AFC North and will play a first-place schedule for the first time since 2020 when they finished 11-5 and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Buffalo Bills.
In 2024, the Ravens will play the AFC North teams, the division winners of the AFC East, AFC South, and NFC South, and all the teams in the AFC West and the NFC East.
The dates and times of the games will be released in May.
The home schedule:
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cleveland Browns
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Buffalo Bills
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Denver Broncos
- Washington Commanders
- Philadelphia Eagles
The road schedule:
- Steelers
- Browns
- Bengals
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Houston Texans
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The combined record of those teams is 155-134, and eight made this year’s playoffs, including five division champions.
The Ravens will make a trip to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 2019. They will also travel to Dallas for the first time since 2016.