To fully understand how the 2024 season might unfold, we need to move beyond broad predictions and take a closer look at each team’s schedule. Many of us in the sports community offer up our opinions and predictions without truly considering the nuances that can make or break a season. Sure, there will be upsets — those surprising victories that no one anticipated — but it’s crucial to also factor in division rivalries, the impact of home-field advantage versus away games, the time of year each matchup occurs, and even the weather conditions that could influence the outcome.
If I were to glance at each division, I could quickly predict win-loss records without much thought — but that’s precisely the problem.