The Falcons will be at a “rest disadvantage” slightly more times than at an advantage this season.
The schedule has been released and with it, the NFL has renewed our excitement and bewilderment for the season just as we entered the dead period following the draft. They seem to do a great job of that.
One of the things I like to do after the official schedule is released is to go into the weeds a little bit and look at some of the logistics of Atlanta’s schedule in terms of where the team will have more of a rest advantage and where they will be at a disadvantage. I started this series three years ago and it’s always been an insightful exercise.
First, for the purposes of this breakdown, let’s define what the terms “rest advantage” and “rest disadvantage” are.
A rest advantage is when the Falcons have more time to prepare than their opponent for a specific matchup than vice versa. This could be because their opposition is coming off of a Monday Night Football Game, because Atlanta is coming off of a bye week, or when the Birds are coming off of a Thursday Night Football game and have an extra three days of rest. If the Falcons have at least one more day to prepare than their opponent, that will be classified as a “rest advantage” game.
As you may have guessed, a rest disadvantage is the exact opposite — it’s when the opponent has more time to prepare for their matchup against the Falcons. This could be because they are coming off of a bye week or their own Thursday Night Football Game. Atlanta would also be at a disadvantage if they were to be coming off of a Monday Night Football game, giving them one fewer day to recover and prepare for the next matchup.
Last season, the schedule makers gave the Falcons three games where they were at an advantage from a rest perspective — the team went 2-1 in those matchups.
On the flip side, Atlanta was at a rest disadvantage for four separate matchups, going 2-2 in those matchups.
Here is this season as a whole:
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 p.m. EST, September 7
Week 2: @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m. EST, September 14
Week 3: @ Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. EST, September 21
Week 4: vs. Washington Commanders, 1 p.m. EST, September 28
Week 5: BYE WEEK
Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills, Monday Night Football, 7:15 p.m. EST, October 13
Week 7: @ San Francisco 49ers, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m. EST, October 19
Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. EST, October 26
Week 9: @ New England Patriots, 1 p.m. EST, November 2
Week 10: @ Indianapolis Colts (IN BERLIN) 9:30 a.m. EST, November 9
Week 11: vs. Carolina Panthers, 1:00 p.m. EST, November 16
Week 12: @ New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. EST, November 23
Week 13: @ New York Jets, 1 p.m. EST, November 30
Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1 p.m. EST, December 7
Week 15: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m. EST, December 11
Week 16: @ Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. EST, December 21
Week 17: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. EST, December 29
Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints, TBD
Rest Advantage Weeks
This is defined as weeks when the Falcons will have a longer period of time to prepare for an opponent than their opponent will have to prepare for them.
Week 2: @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m. EST, September 14 – 1 day
The NFL is really going to give the national audience a chance to assess the Vikings in the early going this season, coming off of their 14-3 campaign in 2024, giving them a standalone game in four of the first five weeks before their Week 6 bye.
Atlanta gets a slight edge from this in their Week 2 SNF matchup, as Minnesota plays on Monday Night Football against Caleb Williams and the Bears in the league’s first week. Coming off a potentially emotionally charged up division matchup in their first game, things could bode well for Atlanta in terms of a letdown happening.
Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills, Monday Night Football, 7:15 p.m. EST, October 13 – 7 days
The early bye week is never ideal, but it feels like Atlanta will need every bit of preparation before what’s arguably the toughest game on their schedule against the Bills in Week 6, on Monday Night Football. Buffalo comes off a division game against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 5, here.
Week 16: @ Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. EST, December 21 – 3 days
Atlanta comes off of what at that point may be the most pivotal game of the season in Week 15, at Tampa Bay in what could very well be yet another two horse divisional race between the franchises. That’s Atlanta’s lone Thursday night game this season and with it will be a “mini bye” before the Week 16 matchup against Arizona.
Total Rest Advantage Time: 11 Days
Rest Disadvantage Weeks
This is defined as weeks when the Falcons will have a shorter period of time to prepare for their opponent than their opponent will have to prepare for them.
Week 7: @ San Francisco 49ers, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m. EST, October 19 – 1 day
Atlanta finishes out a brutal three-game stretch between weeks 4 and 7 (with the bye baked in) with a Sunday Night Football matchup in San Fran. They’ll have one fewer day to prepare coming off the MNF game against Buffalo. This will be the first time they travel outside of Atlanta following Week 3.
Week 12: @ New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. EST, November 23 – 7 days
You never want to be on the business end of another team’s bye week, and you in particular don’t want that team to be your biggest division rival, whom you have to travel to meet. That’s what the Falcons face in Week 12, with the Saints coming off a Week 11 bye and likely circling this matchup (and the Week 18 matchup) as their Super Bowl in 2025.
Week 17: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. EST, December 29 – 3 days
In what could be a pivotal NFC game down the stretch, the Rams will have a few extra days of rest coming off a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Cardinals in Week 16.
Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints, TBD – 1 day
Both Saints games will see the Falcons at a disadvantage in terms of rest, though this one not as dramatically so as the first one. Atlanta’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football will give the Birds one fewer day to prepare for their regular season finale.
Total Rest Disadvantage Time: 12 Days