NFL Schedule Reveal: 2 NFC West Teams Face Unique Challenge In 2023
The 2023 NFL schedule was officially released last night, and it appears two NFC West franchises have drawn the short end of the stick.
As pointed out by Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper this Friday morning, the Rams and 49ers both face a unique challenge this upcoming season due to an interesting scheduling quirk.
Los Angeles and San Francisco are each set to play four teams coming off a bye in 2023. No other NFL team will play more than two such games.
It's generally considered a disadvantage to play a team coming off a bye, given the extra time they have to prepare for the matchup.
The fact that the 49ers and Rams each have to play four such contests - three if you don't include San Francisco's matchup against Jacksonville coming off their own bye - means they're two of the unluckiest teams to come out of schedule release day.
Expect the Rams and 49ers to be the lesser-rested team in several of their games this season.