The Buffalo Bills have known their 2024 opponents for some time, but after the official release of the team's schedule on Wednesday night, the Bills are officially looking ahead to next season. And while some of the matchups are obviously difficult, a handful of teams on the schedule present new — and maybe some unexpected — challenges.
Every season, the NFL's playoff picture sees significant turnover. In fact, in 19 of the past 21 seasons, at least one team has finished first in its division the season after finishing last.
The Bills are already expected to have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, but if these five teams live up to their offseason improvements, the Bills could find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture come January.
5. Arizona Cardinals — Week 1
After starting the 2023 season with only one win in their first nine games, the Arizona Cardinals saw pro-bowl quarterback Kyler Murray return to the lineup before snatching three wins from their final eight opponents.
Still less than impressive, but the Cardinals getting a full season of Murray while adding the NFL draft's best pass catcher in Marvin Harrison Jr. will do wonders for their chances of returning to relevancy in 2024.
Harrison Jr., widely considered the most NFL-ready prospect in this year's class, was one of seven players drafted by the Cardinals in the top 100 picks — the most by any team.
They've still got a long way to go, but if they can get significant contributions from multiple rookies and their free agent class, they've got a chance to surprise some teams this upcoming season — and the 2023 Bills were no stranger to surprises.
Another year under the guidance of head coach Jonathan Gannon should pay dividends too.