Ranking all 32 NFL teams by 2024 strength of schedule (including the Cowboys)
While the actual schedules won’t come out for several months, the world already knows who is going to be on the Dallas Cowboys slate of 2024 opponents. Two factors go into developing a team’s competitors each year. There’s a cycle of inter-conference faceoffs; each NFC division rotates through each AFC division every four seasons and the other NFC divisions every three seasons.
In addition, where a team finishes within their division dictates a same-finish matchup with one team from the opposite conference and whichever divisions aren’t in the rotation for that season. With those parameters, a 17-game slate is created and with that slate is embedded a certain level of perceived difficulty.
Perceived is the operative word here, because things change year to year. How a team finishes can be an indicator of who they will be the next year but somethings it is not.
Following the end of the 2022 season, the Cowboys were seen to have a hideously difficult schedule, ranking fourth overall with a .549 opponent’s combined winning percentage. But when the season actually played out, Dallas had the third-easiest slate (.446), only behind Atlanta and New Orleans.
It just so happens those two teams have the easiest strength of schedules going into 2024 as well; something about that NFC South.
Still, it’s a good glimpse into the challenges a team will face in the coming season. Here’s a look at how Dallas’ 17-game slate for 2024 stacks up to the rest of the league, in February.
Cleveland Browns (.547)
Baltimore Ravens (.536)
Pittsburgh Steelers (.533)
Green Bay Packers (.526)
Houston Texans (.526)
Buffalo Bills (.516)
New York Giants (.516)
Jacksonville Jaguars (.512)
Las Vegas Raiders (.512)
New England Patriots (.512)
Detroit Lions (.509)
Dallas Cowboys (.505)
Los Angeles Rams (.505)
New York Jets (.505)
San Francisco 49ers (.505)
Cincinnati Bengals (.502)
Kansas City Chiefs (.502)
Minnesota Vikings (.502)
Washington Commanders (.502)
Denver Broncos (.495)
Indianapolis Colts (.491)
Philadelphia Eagles (.491)
Tennessee Titans (.491)
Arizona Cardinals (.488)
Miami Dolphins (.488)
Seattle Seahawks (.488)
Los Angeles Chargers (.478)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.478)
Carolina Panthers (.467)
Chicago Bears (.467)
Atlanta Falcons (.453)
New Orleans Saints (.453)
