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The release of the 2023 NFL schedule is a highly anticipated event for football fans. It provides insight into the upcoming season's matchups and storylines while giving each team's backers something to either look forward to...or dread.
In this article, we will analyze the winners and losers of the recently released 2023 NFL schedule, highlighting teams with favorable or challenging circumstances. By examining factors such as home and away game distribution, and opponents, we can identify the teams that are poised for success or face significant obstacles in the upcoming season.
From playoff contenders to rising teams, the schedule will undoubtedly play a huge part in the 2023 NFL season's outcome. Let's take a look at some winners and losers of the recently-released schedule.
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Winners
New York Jets Fans
After years spent in the NFL wilderness, Gang Green finally appears on the road back to relevance thanks to the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, as well as an evolving core of young, talented players led by head coach Robert Saleh.
Thanks in large part to Rodgers’ marquee drawing power, the trending Jets are scheduled to play five primetime games in the 2023 season, including two on Monday nights, two on Sunday nights, and a Thursday night matchup.
While New York will be playing under the bright lights often, they draw a tough road - hence this being labeled as a win for Jets fans. In addition to playing in the beefed-up AFC East, the Jets have an out-of-conference gauntlet that includes the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers. It’s an exciting schedule that will be loads of fun for fans of the J-E-T-S but will test the mettle of New York’s revamped Rodgers-led squad.
Detroit Lions
After a breakout 9-8 campaign last season that included winning on the field and gaining popularity off it - thanks to a well-received starring role in HBO's Hard Knocks series - Dan Campbell and his crew of ankle biters will have plenty of national attention in 2023. The Lions will have four games in national primetime - including a high-profile season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs - as well as their traditional Thanksgiving Day tilt.
It will be interesting to see how Detroit handles success. They are suddenly serious title contenders in an NFC North division that’s now without Aaron Rodgers. In addition to a beatable division schedule, the Lions will face the lowly NFC South as part of their out of conference calendar. Overall, Detroit has the NFL’s ninth-easiest schedule for the upcoming season based on 2023 win-total projections.
Atlanta Falcons
Opportunity always seems to await in the topsy-turvy NFC South, a division that we’ve often seen turned upside down from year to year. As Arthur Smith enters his third year at the helm of the Atlanta Falcons, the NFL schedule makers appear to have done him a real solid, as the Dirty Birds have the league’s easiest road based on opponents’ 2022 winning percentage.
In addition to divisional opponents that are all in different stages of rebuilding in Carolina, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay; the Falcons draw desirable out-of-division matchups against the NFC North and AFC South. All told, the teams Atlanta plays this year posted a combined record of 119-167-3 last season.
The Falcons will hope to see a leap from second-year QB Desmond Ridder, as well as better play on the defensive side of the football in 2023. While the schedule certainly appears to be favorable, the addition of generational running back prospect Bijan Robinson to a young offense that also boasts Kyle Pitts and Drake London offers tantalizing potential. A big turnaround from last year’s 7-10 campaign suddenly seems very possible.
Losers
Philadelphia Eagles
Much was made of the Eagles “easy” 2022 schedule which saw them play a pushover seemingly every week in their march towards a pristine 14-3 regular-season record, NFC Conference title, and Super Bowl appearance.
Well, what goes around comes around, apparently, as Philly draws the NFL’s toughest 2023 schedule based on their opponents’ winning percentage in 2022. Following their Week 10 bye, the Eagles face a daunting stretch that includes matchups with the Chiefs, Bills, Niners, Cowboys, and Seahawks. While GM Howie Roseman has this squad loaded and primed for another year of success, they will undoubtedly face tougher competition in the upcoming season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Long a league doormat, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally have reason to be excited about their future thanks to a 2022 playoff run led by franchise QB Trevor Lawrence and head coach Doug Pederson. As they prepare for Lawrence's third year with the team - and Pederson’s second - the Jags face an AFC South division in which Houston, Indianapolis, and Tennessee all drafted quarterbacks, and all bring a various levels of uncertainty in 2023.
While that all sounds well and good, there’s the nagging fact that Jacksonville will be playing two games across the Atlantic this year, facing Atlanta and Buffalo back-to-back in Weeks 4 & 5. As a perennial cellar dweller, the Jags have been a natural sacrificial lamb for the NFL’s global aspirations, and they’ve been the league’s most frequent flyers, playing an eye-opening nine games outside of the U.S. over the past decade.
That type of global exposure is fine when you’re only winning 2-3 games per season, but this Jaguars squad has legitimate aspirations of winning their division and advancing in the postseason, which is a road made tougher by being forced to spend multiple weeks abroad, and more importantly, losing a precious home game.
Los Angeles Rams
Following a Super Bowl victory, the Rams looked hungover for the majority of 2022, battling through injuries to both Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp before eventually shelving their stars down the stretch in what was an abysmal 5-12 campaign.
There was buzz that L.A. head coach Sean McVay seriously considered stepping away from coaching after last year’s disappointing season. When he gets a look at the Rams’ 2023 schedule…he might wish he had.
In addition to a rugged divisional minefield that features the Niners and Seahawks, the Rams will face both the Bengals and Eagles over the first five weeks of the season. At least those games are at home. Among L.A.’s road clashes are out-of-division trips to Dallas, Green Bay, Baltimore, and a cross-country trek to face the Giants in New York. While there's good reason to have belief in McVay and company's ability to overcome all obstacles, it could be another long season in L.A.
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