Getty Kyle Van Noy had an angry reaction to the Baltimore Ravens' tough schedule for 2024.
The Baltimore Ravens are less than happy with the hand dealt to them by the NFL’s schedule makers for 2024, with veteran edge-rusher Kyle Van Noy among those to speak out.
Van Noy posted on X shortly after the schedule was officially released on Wednesday, May 15. He was responding to a post from teammate, safety Kyle Hamilton, aimed at a challenging slate of three games in 10 days.
The run begins with a trip to take on the New York Giants in Week 15. It ends with facing the Houston Texans on the road on Christmas Day, just four days after the Ravens host the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hamilton sounded eager for the challenge: “3 games in 10 days. let’s get to it,” but Van Noy was less than impressed. The 33-year-old responded, “Yeahhh that ain’t right! Might have to play with these for that stretch fr fr!!”
@kyledhamilton_ Yeahhh that ain’t right! Might have to play with these for that stretch fr fr!!
Both Hamilton and Van Noy used images to suggest the Ravens are going to be left fatigued and needing extra protection by the demands of this schedule. Their posts on social media hint at a genuine feeling of dissatisfaction from the franchise.
Ravens Unhappy With Schedule
As Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports put it, “the Ravens are legitimately unhappy about more than a few aspects of their schedule.” Those aspects were broken down by DeArdo’s colleague Jonathan Jones.
He explained how the Ravens “note that they have played 22 Monday Night Football Games, that they’re going to get two this year, so it’ll be 22 under or in the John Harbaugh era, that 18 of them have been on the road. They note that in October, three of their four October matchups, as we see right here, are going to take place on the road. At Cincinnati, at Tampa and at Cleveland.”
Over at @NFLonCBS: The Baltimore Ravens are less than thrilled with their 2024 schedule
Jones also referenced how “for the fourth time in franchise history the Ravens are going to be playing on Christmas Day. Spending a second consecutive year away for the Holiday. And then they know it marks the first time in league history that a team had played away on consecutive Christmases.”
Those are enough reasons for the Ravens to be miffed about the imposing schedule they face this year. Timing and geography aren’t the only reasons it’s a gruelling program.
There’s also the not-so small matter of formidable strength of schedule. The Ravens “will face a league-high 10 opponents that made the playoffs in 2023,” according to DeArdo.
It’s little wonder Van Noy’s ire has been raised.
Kyle Van Noy Knows the Physical Cost of This Schedule
As a senior figure on the roster, Van Noy knows the physical cost of a tough schedule. The 11-year pro has experienced plenty of NFL battles as a two-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots, but Van Noy still finds what the Ravens are facing difficult to believe.
I’m still shocked nfl teams are schedule 3 games in 10 days… like what….
Having to overcome so many daunting matchups on the road take its toll. There’s a risk that toll claims its price at the business end of a season when the games matter more.
The Ravens only need to think back to last season for a painful reminder of what this theory looks like in practice. Baltimore lost just one game away from M&T Bank Stadium en route to a 13-4 record.
They had dominated during the regular season, but the Ravens looked a little battle fatigued in the playoffs. Van Noy and Co. needed a 24-point second half to break a 10-10 with the Texans, before being muscled by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Avoiding a repeat of that disappointing ending won’t be easy. Not based on the miles the Ravens need to cover to beat some of the NFL’s best teams this season.