With the release of all 32 NFL teams' schedules, teams like the Los Angeles Chargers now know what lies ahead of them for the upcoming 2024 season.
Who can begin saying anything about the 2024 Chargers without starting off with new head coach Jim Harbaugh? The former Michigan lead man instantly made the Chargers must-see television for the upcoming season, even with the team finishing in fourth place in the AFC West with a record of 5-12 last year.
We'll first see Harbaugh leading the Chargers on September 8 in a division matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at home in SoFi Stadium. Seeing how much of a dramatic shift the Chargers fanbase will experience in their home stadium this coming season is bound to be interesting — and again, it's all because of Harbaugh.
But Chargers' fans may have to exercise at least some level of patience, given that this will be Harbaugh's first season. Not to mention that the team took a bit of a hit in free agency due to cap restrictions. However, they'll still have Justin Herbert on the offensive side and Joey Bosa on the defensive side. So, should everyone stay relatively healthy, winning more than five games should be no problem.
The Chargers could begin the season 2-0
The NFL schedule makers apparently thought it would be nice to welcome Harbaugh back into the league with the league's second easiest schedule, according to Sharp Football Analysis. The proof is in the first two weeks of the season.
The Chargers begin at home with the Raiders, who will likewise be under a new head coach, and worse, without a challenge at starting quarterback. Then in Week 2, it's a road trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to face the Panthers, who won just two games last season and were one of the worst offensive teams in the league.
Even in a second consecutive road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week, it doesn't get too challenging until Week 4 versus the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Chargers even have an advantage there as they'll play host while the Chiefs will be coming off a brutal stretch against the Ravens, Bengals, and Falcons, two of those being in prime time.
The first two and a half months for the Chargers are definitely manageable, even for a team that's starting over.
The Chargers' Weeks 11-15 will be the toughest stretch of the 2024 season
If the Chargers can rack up a good number of wins from September through the first half of November, then they'll still be in decent shape before a gauntlet awaits them. From Week 11 through 15, the Chargers face the Bengals, Ravens, Falcons, Chiefs, and Buccaneers.
The good news is that not all these teams were in the playoffs last year. But the bad news is that three of them were, and two of them (Ravens, Chiefs) played in the AFC Championship, with one of those being the Super Bowl champions.
In further bad news, the teams that didn't make the playoffs (Falcons, Bengals) are in prime spots to make their return to the postseason in 2024. Should Joe Burrow return healthy and ready to go, there's no reason the Bengals won't be vying for a spot on the AFC side of the playoffs.
The Falcons, meanwhile, went and grabbed Kirk Cousins to help improve their inept offense from last season. Atlanta has always felt a quarterback away from truly competing, and now they seemingly have their man to propel them to the next level.
But that's not all. Two of the biggest tests for the Chargers during this stretch will be in prime time. It will be another Harbaugh Bowl in Week 12 when the Chargers host the Ravens for Monday Night Football in a brother-versus-brother showdown. It will be their first time facing each other since the Super Bowl 11 years ago.
Then in Week 14, the Chargers travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. But at least they'll end the gauntlet facing the Buccaneers at home, their third of five home games during the stretch.
Follow Us
Subscribe
