What does Ravens G.M. Eric DeCosta’s look at first on the schedule? “December”

[Steely McBeam]

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Different people look at different places first when the league releases the schedule. Where does Ravens G.M. Eric DeCosta go when he sees his team’s schedule?

“December,” he recently told PFT PM, without hesitation, when asked that question.

“I look at December games because I know those are going to be critically important and those can really impact your team,” DeCosta added. “Last year was a great example. Our schedule was very tough beginning of the year and our December schedule was pretty fortuitous. We ran the table. That was a great thing for us to get into the playoffs, momentum and all those kind of things. I think the December games are very, very big. We’ll look at the home and aways in December. I’ll look at that and we’ll see what it looks like.”

Different General Managers have different approaches. Earlier in the week, Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert said he looks at one game — the first one.

Wherever anyone looks, we’re three days away from getting a chance to study the full slate of 2021 games. For some teams, the timing of the games will go a long way toward having a seasons that ends, or that doesn’t, with a playoff berth.