The return of Aaron Rodgers, the arrival of Caleb Williams and a scorching seat in Dallas – we take a look at a few of the largest storylines heading into the 2024 NFL season…
Aaron Rodgers in New York 2.0
Let’s do that once more, we could? The New York Jets entered the 2023 marketing campaign purring with long-lost hutzpah, gleaming with postseason potential behind their high tier protection, solid of younger expertise and, in fact, the four-time MVP quarterback they’d acquired from the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
These hopes would fade 4 performs into the opening sport of the season as Aaron Rodgers suffered a year-ending Achilles damage, paving the best way for a season of Zach Wilson-spearheaded disappointment. The Jets completed the 2023 marketing campaign 7-10 to increase the NFL’s longest energetic dropping streak whereas persevering with their wait on a return to the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time since defeating Don Shula’s Baltimore Colts in January 1969.
However Rodgers is again, albeit on the age of 40, to tug the strings to an offense blessed with younger expertise in operating again Breece Corridor and star receiver Garrett Wilson, having additionally added veteran wideout Mike Williams and upgraded the offensive line with tackles Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and first-round rookie Olu Fashanu. Regardless of the crew’s troubles, the Jets nonetheless ranked third in EPA/play final season. If Rodgers can orchestrate one thing near a high 10 offense, a long-awaited return to the playoffs may very well be in sight.
What model of the Chiefs offense will we see?
The Chiefs have a proclivity for dispensing kicks to the enamel. An Andy Reid play-call from the school-yard, a trigonometry-testing Patrick Mahomes throw, a ‘how is he so open?’ Travis Kelce catch-and-clobber.
Their largest enamel kick but arrived final season as they snatched an unlikely second straight Tremendous Bowl behind a rampant Steve Spagnuolo Trent McDuffie-patrolled, L’Jarius Sneed-ignited, Chris Jones-inspired protection that had duck-taped over the offensive averageness shut rivals had been praying for. Their most ominous portrayal of inevitability but. Chiefs averageness is just a little completely different to regular averageness when No 15 is again there.
For the primary time since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018 the Chiefs offense ranked decrease than sixth in yards, whereas additionally falling to fifteenth in factors having didn’t put up greater than 20 factors in 4 of six video games throughout November and December (not very Chiefsy). They dropped to eleventh in EPA/play, their receivers have been responsible of essentially the most dropped catches within the league and Travis Kelce was held under 1,000 yards for the primary time since 2015.
This offseason they sought the form of explosiveness Mahomes’ armoury had lacked final 12 months, drafting 40-yard sprint record-breaker Xavier Worthy and including veteran Hollywood Brown, bolstering a receiving group by which Rashee Rice had impressed as a rookie and complementing Isiah Pacheco as he stomps by a few of the NFL’s most achieved inside blockers.
Sneed might have left an unnerving void upon departing within the offseason, however the Chiefs nonetheless don one of many league’s most creative defensive schemes. Flip the notch up ever so barely once more on offense and so they may very well be even scarier, if that’s attainable/authorized.
The brand new face of Chicago
There may be new hope in Chicago, the place rookie quarterback Caleb Williams fronts a recent period of optimism for the Bears after being chosen with the primary total choose in April’s NFL Draft. The previous USC man succeeds Justin Fields, now of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the newest celebrity playmaker to emerge from faculty and a quarterback prospect as highly-anticipated and as highly-regarded because the likes of Trevor Lawrence and Andrew Luck.
His skillset is tailored to the NFL’s fashionable dual-threat calls for and the explanation he has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes such is his mobility to govern the pocket, such is his potential to create off-script, such is his potential to flee strain.
His arm expertise passes the attention take a look at with the precision and energy to assault all ranges of the sphere, fizzing quick-release passes into quick and intermediate avenues in addition to comfortably taking the highest off a protection to flip the sphere in a single play. He looms as the last word playmaker, armed with the Mahomes-esque present to improvise by absurd arm angles with which to squeeze passes by visitors and round our bodies.
Normal supervisor Ryan Poles went out this offseason to make sure his new prized asset was strolling right into a scenario to succeed. He traded for veteran extensive receiver Keenan Allen – one of many league’s most gifted separators – signed pass-catching operating again D’Andre Swift and tight finish Gerald Everett, and drafted defense-dwarfing rookie wideout Rome Odunze with the ninth select of Washington.
DJ Moore returns for his second season after placing up a career-high 1,364 yards in 2023 as Chicago’s downfield flyer, the Bears are loaded with youth throughout their offensive line, and Matt Eberflus has constructed a protection that ranked high 10 over the second half of final season. Expectations simply acquired just a little increased for a crew with only one profitable season within the final decade.
Can King Henry encourage a Ravens Tremendous Bowl cost?
It made good sense, proper? Longevity-defiant bulldozer meets headache-inciting enlargement on offense. The Baltimore Ravens leveled up once more this offseason once they signed Derrick Henry on a two-year $16m deal as he moved on from the Tennessee Titans in pursuit of a deserved Championship run.
In an period of committee backfields and dual-threat runners, Henry has swatted away operating again narratives with 5 1,000-yard campaigns in his final six, in between which he nonetheless managed 937 yards in an eight-game 2021 season minimize quick by damage. Twice in that interval he led the league in speeding yards, notably surpassing 2,000 yards in 2020, whereas main all backs in carries 4 instances since 2019.
Not is it the run-dominant Greg Roman scheme of the previous awaiting him, the type that may have relished a Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry backfield tandem of torment, however maybe that’s the conundrum dealing with Baltimore’s shut contenders.
As an alternative he joins a Todd Monken offense, one designed to intensify the passing skills of its quarterback extra continuously with extra three-receiver personnel teams. With that comes the defensive conundrum: fill the field to suffocate Henry up entrance and sacrifice personnel towards a pass-catching group of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, or play gentle and drop into excessive coverages to fight the go whereas inviting the run. Henry was THE offense in Tennessee, and even then foiling him proved tough. Cue pick-your-poison carnage in Baltimore.
Granted, Baltimore have not simply deserted the run beneath offensive coordinator Monken; they nonetheless ranked third in rush EPA and led the league in speeding yards per sport final season behind the NFL’s finest speeding quarterback in Jackson. In addition they, although, have not operated with a bell-cow again since Ray Rice from 2009-2013. For all their speeding efficiency, floor management was an space by which they have been annoyed by Spagnuolo’s Chiefs throughout their playoff defeat, ending a season throughout which they’d been dominant. Henry presents a treatment to as a lot.
The Kirk Cousins issue
The Atlanta Falcons are all in. The cavalry have arrived and expectations are hovering after an offseason by which proprietor Arthur Clean and Normal Supervisor Terry Fontenot accelerated the franchise’s pursuit of a return to the playoffs for the primary time since 2017. Atlanta changed Arthur Smith with Raheem Morris at head coach, earlier than parting with quarterback Desmond Ridder and signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180m contract, ending the veteran’s time with the Minnesota Vikings after seven seasons and buying what they hope to be a solution to years of uncertainty beneath middle since Matt Ryan.
Cousins has long-been among the many league’s most polarising quarterbacks, persistently producing the numbers of a high half quarterback with out ever actually inspiring perennial Tremendous Bowl rivalry. He led Minnesota to the playoffs on simply two events and is notably coming off an Achilles tear, which noticed him miss uncommon time by damage. For all of the qualms and queries over his postseason credentials, Cousins is a confirmed operator with the flexibility to maximise expertise, of which there’s loads in Atlanta.
He enters an offense anchored by one of many NFL’s most dynamic weapons in operating again Bijan Robinson, with a 1,000-yard receiver in-waiting in Drake London, tight finish Kyle Pitts and offseason addition Darnell Mooney for firm alongside one of many league’s finest offensive traces.
He additionally groups up with first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, whose expertise beneath Sean McVay ought to supply some familiarity following Cousins’ time with the latter in Washington. It is win-now time for the Falcons.
Quarterbacks coming back from damage
Rodgers isn’t the one marquee quarterback primed to make a comeback. Joe Burrow, sporting newly-bleached Slim Shady hair, returns to spearhead a Cincinnati Bengals cost as one of many extra certified combatants to the Mahomes reign of dominance. Cincinnati had been among the many favourites to make a return to the Tremendous Bowl final season earlier than Burrow suffered a year-ending wrist damage towards Baltimore in Week 11.
The Bengals retained Tee Higgins to protect one of many league’s most harmful receiving duos alongside Ja’Marr Chase, fortified their offensive line with veteran proper sort out Trent Brown, add tight finish assist through former Dolphin Mike Gesicki and launched Zack Moss, coming off a career-year, as a alternative for operating again Joe Mixon. A wholesome Burrow thrusts them straight again into rivalry.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is in the meantime poised for his first full season as starter after seeing his rookie 12 months minimize quick by a shoulder damage in Week 5, till which level there had been early indicators of an ideal match inside Shane Steichen’s Colts offense. With out Richardson the Colts managed a 9-8 season to marginally miss out on the playoffs. Now they welcome again one of the crucial explosive two-way athletes to check on the place as he continues his growth.
Deshaun Watson returns from a season-ending shoulder damage having seen Joe Flacco and the league’s finest protection lead the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs; Justin Herbert returns from a year-ending finger damage to steer the Los Angeles Chargers of their first 12 months beneath Jim Harbaugh; Daniel Jones enters a make-or-break season with the New York Giants (seems like we’ve stated that earlier than) on the again of struggling a torn ACL.
Are Houston right here to remain?
The Houston Texans grew to become one of many tales of the 2023 marketing campaign as they mounted a shocking run to the playoffs, ending 10-7 within the common season and beating the Browns on Wild Card weekend earlier than ultimately arising quick towards the Ravens within the Divisional Spherical.
On the coronary heart of their season was rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who diced NFL defenses with knowledgeable precision, masterful contact and veteran-esque anticipation amid a blossoming relationship with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on his approach in direction of profitable Offensive Rookie of the 12 months.
It marked progress forward of schedule beneath head coach DeMeco Ryans, who had in the meantime come throughout from the San Francisco 49ers to propel the Texans offense from backside three to high half within the league, inside which edge rusher Will Anderson Jr additionally claimed Defensive Rookie of the 12 months.
They bulked up once more this offseason as they acquired four-time Professional Bowler Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Payments on the again of six straight 1,000-yard campaigns. He joins a weapons room already together with Nico Collins, who put up a career-high 1,297 yards final season, second-year stud Tank Dell, tight finish Dalton Schultz and newly-introduced Joe Mixon.
If Diggs’ arrival wasn’t clear indication of a perception in rivalry ahead of anticipated, the Texans additionally signed defensive lineman Denico Autry and edge rusher Danielle Hunter. The AFC’s contenders have a brand new drawback to cope with.
Is the Payments’ window nonetheless open?
The Buffalo Payments have been banging, not simply knocking, on the door. Over the past 4 years they’ve received 4 successive AFC East titles, misplaced an AFC Championship Sport and suffered three straight Divisional Spherical eliminations, three of these 4 defeats coming by the hands of Mahomes and the Chiefs, together with the notorious ’13 seconds’ sport.
Issues had been heading south final season once they discovered themselves 6-6 getting into their Week 13 bye, just for Sean McDermott’s aspect to complete the season on a six-game profitable streak that all of the sudden had them pitted as one of the crucial harmful groups within the playoffs. Then they bumped into Mahomes, Spagnuolo and the Chiefs.
There was high-profile change in Buffalo in the course of the offseason as Diggs was traded to the Texans, with Josh Allen’s receiving core now led by Khalil Shakir – who teased breakout indicators in 2023 – rookie Keon Coleman, veteran Curtis Samuel and tight finish duo Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, the latter of whom emerged as a trusted goal in his rookie marketing campaign. Between final 12 months’s wobbles – which might quantity to the mid-season firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey – and heightened competitors within the AFC, the partitions are closing in ever so barely.
However with Allen stays a season reveller in carnage, a two-way wrecking ball able to torpedoing your finest laid plans on the bottom or flipping the sphere with one dunk-on-them bomb. With Allen and a high 10 protection in tact, they will problem. However each expectations and projections really feel extra obscure.
The brand new head coaches
Marquee modifications on the sideline have been afoot in the course of the offseason, significantly in Hollywood as Jim Harbaugh made his long-awaited return to NFL teaching by buying and selling in his School Nationwide Championship-winning Michigan for the duty of main Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in direction of glory. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler all departed as central figures to the Chargers offense, whereas J.Okay. Dobbins and Gus Edwards reunited with new offensive coordinator Greg Roman in view of a stronger floor menace than final season.
Joe Alt was additionally drafted with the fifth total choose as a possible cornerstone at offensive sort out alongside Rashawn Slater and Zion Johnson. It’s a rebuild job of types, headed by a star quarterback however a younger receiver group, together with a protection that underperformed miserably final 12 months regardless of its expertise.
The New England Patriots embark on a brand new period in 2024 as they start life beneath first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, who takes over from Invoice Belichick following his departure after 24 seasons. Belichick’s exit got here within the wake of a 4-13 end to the marketing campaign, on the coronary heart of which had been an offensive capitulation that may lead the Patriots to North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third total choose on the Draft.
Elsewhere, Dave Canales is the person tasked with overseeing the event of 2022 No 1 choose Bryce Younger following his gruelling rookie 12 months with the Carolina Panthers, having simply helped Baker Mayfield revive his profession in Tampa. Mike Macdonald leads the post-Pete Carroll period in Seattle as one of many NFL’s defensive masterminds, whereas Dan Quinn is again in a high job with the Washington Commanders as one in every of eight head coach appointments this previous cycle.
Dak, Dallas and a scorching seat?
How very Dallas Cowboys it was of them. You might virtually see it coming. Jordan Love, the Inexperienced Bay Packers and the youngest offense within the league driving a shock run to the playoffs, versus the league’s finest scoring offense led by a scorching Dak Prescott and with Dan Quinn’s Micah Parsons-inspired protection nestled within the high 5.
The Cowboys had gone 12-5 within the common season to cruise to the NFC East title, solely to search out themselves trailing 27-0 within the first half of their Divisional Spherical conflict, by the top of which Matt LaFleur’s Packers had run out 48-32 winners.
How rapidly Tremendous Bowl rivalry reworked into intense strain on the way forward for head coach Mike McCarthy, whose job Jerry Jones would later elect to spare within the offseason. He now faces one other 12 months of scrutiny as Dallas resume their agonising pursuit of a primary Tremendous Bowl berth since lifting the Lombardi Trophy after victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on the finish of the 1995 season.
One portion of enterprise was sorted on the finish of preseason when the Cowboys made extensive receiver CeeDee Lamb the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL historical past, whereas each Prescott and Parsons nonetheless await their coveted pay days.
They’ve in the meantime misplaced defensive string-puller Dan Quinn to Washington, seen pick-six service provider DaRon Bland dominated out for as much as eight weeks, misplaced offensive sort out Tyson Smith, bid farewell to Tony Pollard and seen linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, whereas Trevon Diggs returns from damage. McCarthy’s seat is burning.
Large footwear to fill in Philly
One of many unsung storylines of the season comes at Lincoln Monetary Discipline, the place the Philadelphia Eagles start life with out stalwart middle Jason Kelce following his retirement from the NFL after 13 years earlier this offseason. Kelce had been the centrepiece to one of many league’s most achieved offensive traces, with unerring reliability in go safety and serving as essentially the most dominant lane-ploughing run sport architect in his place.
The Eagles had consulted at size with Kelce when it got here to drafting a middle in 2022, the seven-time Professional Bowl enjoying an instrumental function in choosing out Cam Jurgens as a perfect successor upon his retirement. Jurgens was taken out of Nebraska with the 51st choose within the second spherical earlier than backing up Kelce as a rookie after which beginning 11 video games at proper guard final season.
He now shifts throughout to centre stage in an offensive line that performed a defining function in one of many league’s best short-yardage models, with a brand new star title for whom to clear the trail in Saquon Barkley following his introduction in free company.
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