Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles players at line of scrimmage
Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles players (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The spectacle that is the NFL schedule release will offer fans something to look forward to for the fall, and no fan base may be happier than the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints before the league enters its quietest part of the year.For the 2024 season, all 32 teams are

already aware of their opponents and which games will be played at home and away. The NFL schedule release, which includes the times of every game and the teams that will play in prime time, will complete arrangements for 2024.Now, we will find out which team will have it

easier than others when it comes to upcoming opponents.Based on the victory percentage of their opponents from the previous season, the league revealed the strength of schedule for each of its 32 teams on Tuesday. Furthermore, the research indicates that the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are tied for the weakest SoS going into the 2024 season at (.453).

Although they were unable to capitalize on the NFL’s most favorable schedule in 2023, Dennis Allen and Derek Carr will have another opportunity.

Only the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints have a strength of schedule lower than .465. New Orleans’s schedule feels a little more difficult because the Saints will play eight playoff teams from 2023, while the Falcons will only play six.

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The Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers both have a better strength of schedule, thus even if the Falcons and Saints have the least challenging schedule, they won’t have a significant advantage over the other two teams in their division. Tampa Bay’s schedule is the fifth easiest, while Carolina’s is the fourth easiest.

Atlanta Falcons Shocked Everybody By Taking Quarterback In The 2024 NFL Draft

Atlanta Falcons fan at draft (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)The award for most surprising pick during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft definitely goes to the Atlanta Falcons, who shocked everyone by taking Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.The Falcons were so secretive about their choice that they didn’t even let Kirk Cousins know that it was going to happen.Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, made it clear via NFL Network that the Penix pick came as “a big surprise.”

“We had no idea this was coming. The truth is the whole league had no idea this was coming. We got no heads up. Kirk got a call from the Falcons when they were on the clock. That was the first we heard. It never came up in any conversation.”

Atlanta Falcons Offer The Most Absurd Explanation For Their Head-Scratching Decision To Draft Michael Penix Jr. At No. 8 Overall

Michael Penix Jr. throwing a football

Michael Penix Jr. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)The Atlanta Falcons have explained their decision to draft Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as the No. 8 overall pick.The team surprised everyone with their choice on Thursday night, but perhaps no one as much as their own QB, Kirk Cousins.

The team just handed the veteran a four-year, $180 million deal, suggesting they’re in win-now mode. But their decision to select Penix is clearly a move with the future in mind, and that’s exactly how the front office sees it.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the team opted to go with Penix because they felt it would be their only shot at securing a top first-round pick for a while, given how good Cousins is expected to be.

“Part of the reason Atlanta selected Penix is that it believes it won’t have a top pick in coming drafts with Cousins under center the next few years, a team source told The Athletic,” Russini wrote.

 

Atlanta Falcons GM Says The Team Couldn’t Afford To Pass Up On Penix

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot also explained the choice to draft Penix to reporters, insisting the team couldn’t pass up the opportunity, though their belief in Cousins remains the same.

“When you can add a high-caliber player like that with his intangibles, those tools — he’s a winner. Very, very excited. You don’t pass up that opportunity,” he said.

“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We’re very excited about Kirk, we’re very excited about our team. Michael Penix is, we’re talking about the future. The draft is — you look at the future and you look at big picture…. Kirk is our quarterback, but adding Michael Penix is thinking about the future.”

Russini has also reported that Cousins was stunned by the choice as he wasn’t informed of it until the team was on the clock.