Can the Kansas City Chiefs do what no other team has done and win three straight Super Bowls?
Will the Detroit Lions, the only NFC team to never reach the Super Bowl, end that infamous streak?
Are the Buffalo Bills, losers of four straight Super Bowls in the ‘90s, ready to get back to the big game for the first time since those losses?
Is quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, ready to shed his playoff albatross and take the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl?
Can the Green Bay Packers, with the youngest roster in the league for the second straight year, bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Lombardi Ave.?
Will the San Francisco 49ers become the first NFC team in 50 years to return to the Super Bowl after losing in it the year before?
Finally, which are the real Philadelphia Eagles — the ones who began 2023 10-1, or the ones who finished the season 1-6?
All of those questions will be answered by February. Keep reading to see one opinion of what will happen in the 2024 NFL.
Four teams that will be better than you think:
Los Angeles Chargers — If you believe in the theory that to win you need a good quarterback and a good head coach, then the Chargers certainly qualify. Justin Herbert is a top-tier quarterback and new head coach Jim Harbaugh has won at every stop from the University of San Diego to Stanford to the 49ers to the University of Michigan. The Chargers won just five games last season; that could double this year.
Seattle Seahawks — Seattle missed the playoffs in 2023, which is rare for the Seahawks. They had been in the postseason all but two years since 2012. Pete Carroll was the architect for most of that success, but his voice may have grown stale after 14 years, at age 72. Mike Macdonald, who was highly regarded as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, takes over. The Seahawks have drafted well the past two years, and those young players may make the difference.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Want to win a bar bet? Ask what NFC team has the longest active streak of making the playoffs. You can collect when you answer “Tampa Bay.” Every year “the experts” pick someone else to win the South; last year it was New Orleans; this year it’s Atlanta. Don’t be surprised if Todd Bowles/Baker Mayfield and the Bucs make it six straight years in the postseason.
Washington Commanders — There are comparisons to be made between this year’s Washington team and last year’s Houston Texans. There is a new defensive-minded head coach (Dan Quinn), a rookie quarterback taken with the No. 2 pick (Jayden Daniels), and some good, young talent on both sides of the ball. Washington might not be ready to be a division winner, as Houston was last year, but the Commanders do seem headed in the right direction and will not be an easy win any longer.
Four teams who won’t be as good as you think:
Chicago Bears — Everyone’s chic pick to make the playoffs and challenge Detroit and Green Bay in the NFC North may still be a year, or more, away. Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, will be good. It’s just going to take time. In the modern era, only one quarterback has taken No. 1 overall and has made the playoffs, or even had a winning record as a rookie. That was Andrew Luck.
Los Angeles Rams — The Rams won’t be bad, but they could miss the playoffs which would qualify as “not as good as you think.” Aaron Donald, the heart of the defense, retired. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has to be close to doing the same. And head coach Sean McVay talks about it more than he does his game plan.
New York Jets — Let’s see a 40-year-old quarterback coming back from a torn Achilles, who decided to skip a mandatory minicamp to go to Egypt, behind an offensive line bolstered by two older, oft-injured tackles. What could go wrong?
Pittsburgh Steelers — Could head coach Mike Tomlin suffer his first losing season? Yeah, he could. The Steelers are decent, although when you have two quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, you may not have any quarterbacks. In a loaded AFC North, it’s going to be tough for Tomlin and the Steelers to find nine wins.
The Rookie Quarterbacks
There were an unprecedented six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Three have been named starters; two are waiting and one is out for the season with a knee injury.
Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix are all starters. Atlanta’s Michael Penix and New England’s Drake Maye are QB2s. Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy is out for the season.
The Rookie Head Coaches
There are eight new head coaches in 2024. Three, however, have previous NFL head coaching experience — Los Angeles’ Jim Harbaugh (with the 49ers), Atlanta’s Raheem Morris (Buccaneers), and Washington’s Dan Quinn (Falcons).
That leaves five true “rookie” head coaches: Antonio Pierce (Raiders), Jared Mayo (Patriots); Brian Callahan (Titans), Dave Canales (Panthers) and Mike Macdonald (Seahawks).
Pierce was the Raiders intern coach at the end of 2023. Mayo played for the Pats and was an assistant last year. Callahan came from Cincinnati where he was offensive coordinator. Canales was offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay. And Macdonald was defensive coordinator in Baltimore.
Philly/Jersey Head Coaches
There are 13 NFL head coaches, not even counting the Eagles Nick Sirianni, who have connections to Philadelphia or New Jersey. Here’s the list and the relationship.
John Harbaugh, Baltimore — former Eagles assistant coach under Ray Rhodes and then Andy Reid.
Sean McDermott, Buffalo — grew up in the Philadelphia area and was an assistant under Reid with the Eagles.
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland — grew up in Philadelphia.
Sean Payton, Denver — assistant coach under Rhodes.
DeMeco Ryans, Houston — played for the Eagles.
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis — assistant coach under Sirianni
Doug Pederson, Jacksonville — played for the Eagles and was head coach of the Eagles.
Andy Reid, Kansas City — was head coach of the Eagles.
Jon Gannon, Arizona — assistant under Sirianni
Raheem Morris, Atlanta — born and raised in Newark, N.J.
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota — his father Bill, a former FBI agent, is from Delaware County and played high school ball at St. James.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay — played at Temple, assistant coach under Reid.
Dan Quinn, Washington — born in Morristown, N.J.
Award Time
MVP (offense): Josh Allen, Buffalo
MVP (defense): Aiden Hutchinson, Detroit
Rookie (offense): Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona
Rookie (defense): Terrion Arnold, Detroit
Coach: Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles
Playoff Predictions
NFC: East: Eagles, North: Lions, South: Buccaneers, West: 49ers
Wild Cards: Packers, Seahawks, Cowboys
AFC: East: Bills, North: Ravens, South: Texans, West: Chiefs
Wild Cards: Bengals, Dolphins, Chargers
Super Bowl Pick
In the NFC the final four will be Detroit, Green Bay, San Francisco and the Eagles. Throw out the 49ers because that Super Bowl loser jinx is real. The Eagles’ defense is scary and not in the way you want it to be scary. The Packers may still be too young. That leaves the Lions. Detroit will play 14 of its first 15 games in domes where quarterback Jared Goff had a 104 QB rating (as opposed to 87.9 outdoors). If the Lions get home-field advantage they could get to their first Super Bowl, which happens to be in a dome.
In the AFC it’s just too easy to pick Kansas City. The Chiefs caught some breaks last year and it just seems like it’s time for the breaks to go against them. Houston may be in the same boat as Green Bay, just not quite ready (that’s my 2025 Super Bowl). It will come down to Buffalo vs. Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game. Everyone is overlooking the Bills, except the Bills. This might finally be Sean McDermott and Josh Allen’s year.
Final Score: Buffalo 31, Detroit 28.
