Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Chargers Draw Easy 2024 Opponents, But Can They Overcome Historic Schedule Hurdles?

Originally posted on LAFB Network | By Ryan Anderson | Last updated 5/22/24

The NFL schedule makers giveth and they taketh away. While the Los Angeles Chargers will benefit from the 2nd easiest slate of 2024 opponents, they have been given an uphill battle in another respect; Rest. According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Chargers are one of two teams since 2000 to play zero games against an opponent on a short week.

Los Angeles Chargers Post Bye Week Stretch Run

That isn’t the only scheduling anomaly the Chargers will face. They will play six teams who have over a week to prepare for the game and zero games against teams with less than a week to prepare. This is the only time for something this imbalanced to occur since 2000.

Here are those six games:

Week 7 at Arizona on MNF
Week 8 vs. New Orleans (Saints are off a Thursday game)
Week 11 vs. Cincinnati (Bengals are off a Thursday game)
Week 12 vs. Ravens on MNF
Week 13 at Atlanta (Falcons are off a bye)
Week 14 at Kansas City (Chiefs are off a Friday game)

The Chargers see their bye in the earliest slot in the NFL calendar, Week 5. Every one of these extra rest games occurs after. The Chargers’ bye is the only week of the schedule that they will have a rest advantage over their opponent. Week 6 is sandwiched between divisional games, the Chiefs and then the Broncos.

The Chargers have a 17-day rest deficit after Week 8. That is the largest rest deficit in the NFL from Week 8 on. This, of course, is the hardest stretch of the season, as injury attraction mounts and the possibility and pressure of a playoff run looms.

This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.

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