Every team's strength of schedule for the season. 👀
Where does your team land?
📺: NFL Schedule Release — Wednesday 8pm ET on NFLN/ESPN2
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Dennis Allen and Derek Carr couldn’t take advantage of the NFL’s easiest schedule last year, but they’re getting another shot in 2024. The New Orleans Saints are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the easiest strength of schedule this season (.453), which is the same position they found themselves in a year ago.
And as we saw, it didn’t matter. Allen’s defense was beaten by backup quarterbacks like Joshua Dobbs and Desmond Ridder. Carr wilted in prime time matchups with the few playoff teams on their schedule, coming up short against the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams.
Here’s where the Saints ranked in strength of schedule each year after Drew Brees retired, and where their final record landed:
- 2021: 22nd (9-8)
- 2022: 14th (7-10)
- 2023: 1st (9-8)
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2024: 1st (to be determined)
But teams change from year to year. Games that look like cake walks can turn out to be challenging. Squads that look like Super Bowl contenders on paper may end up just being paper tigers. That’s true of the Saints, too. Right now they aren’t regarded too highly. It’s on Allen and Carr to turn things around, rebuild their reputation at the national level, and regain the confidence they’ve lost with the fanbase. Or else teams will be looking at them as easy wins in 2024, too.
