There is buzz around the LA Chargers heading into the 2024 season but that is not a surprise. Every year the Chargers turn into one of the most talked-about teams in the league and this year it is because they hired Jim Harbaugh as the head coach.
The combination of Harbaugh and Justin Herbert has the makings to be one of the best in the league. At the root of all success in the NFL is a great head coach and quarterback pairing, which is giving fans a lot of optimism about how quickly this team can right the ship.
There are a lot of variables that go into a team's success. Outside of injury luck, the biggest variable that can dictate a team's success is the schedule. A tough schedule can make the playoffs an insurmountable task; an easy schedule can catapult a team to more wins than expected.
After weeks of anticipation, the Chargers' 2024 schedule has officially been released. Here is the breakdown.
Chargers' 2024 preseason:
- Week 1 vs. Seahawks
- Week 2 vs. Rams
- Week 3 @ Cowboys
Chargers' 2024 regular season:
Week | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
1 | vs. Raiders | 1:05 P.M. PT |
2 | @ Panthers | 10:00 A.M. PT |
3 | @ Steelers | 10:00 A.M. PT |
4 | vs. Chiefs | 1:25 P.M. PT |
5 | BYE | |
6 | @ Broncos | 1:05 P.M. PT |
7 | @ Cardinals (MNF) | 6:00 P.M. PT |
8 | vs. Saints | 1:05 P.M. PT |
9 | @Browns | 10:00 A.M. PT |
10 | vs, Titans | 1:05 P.M. PT |
11 | vs. Bengals | 1:25 P.M. PT |
12 | vs. Ravens (MNF) | 5:15 P.M. PT |
13 | @ Falcons | 10:00 A.M. PT |
14 | @ Chiefs (SNF) | 5:20 P.M. PT |
15 | vs. Bucs | 1:25 P.M. PT |
16 | vs. Broncos | 1:05 P.M. PT |
17 | @ Patriots | TBD |
18 | @ Raiders | TBD |
How hard is the Chargers schedule in 2024?
Strength of schedule (SOS) is always one of the most talked-about aspects of the NFL schedule release every year. The traditional way to calculate SOS was to take the winning percentage from the previous year of every opponent that a team plays.
However, that is a flawed system that is based on results from last year that have absolutely nothing to do with this year. If we were going off that system, the Chargers would check in with the sixth-easiest schedule as opponents had a combined .478 winning percentage in 2023.
The best way to measure upcoming SOS is Warren Sharp's method of ranking by 2024 win totals, not last year's winning percentage. According to that method, the Chargers have the second-easiest SOS in the league.
How is the Chargers schedule made?
Every year there are a set number of factors that determine who the Chargers (or any team, for that matter) are going to play. These factors allow fans to know who the opponents are going to be before the schedule is even announced.
This is how it breaks down for the 17-game NFL season:
- 6 games against divisional opponents (Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders)
- 4 games against rotating AFC Division (AFC North in 2024 for Chargers)
- 4 games against rotating NFC Division (NFC South in 2024 for Chargers)
- 2 games against same-seeded team from other 2 AFC Divisions (Last place teams in AFC East, AFC South)
- 1 game against same-seeded team from rotating NFC Division (Last place team in NFC West)
The rotating divisions change every year. Two of the games are at home, with two on the road.