We’re only in the first month of the 2024 NFL season, but it’s already not too early to stick a fork in 10 of the 32 NFL teams.
From erroneous on-field play to injuries to key players to underachieving performers and tough schedules, these 10 NFL teams may as well throw in the towel now and accept that 2024 isn’t their year. So, let’s get right to it!
Which ten NFL teams have no shot of having a good 2024 season?
Carolina Panthers
Well, so much for inevitable improvement by Bryce Young and the Panthers as a whole.
There were several reasons to be optimistic about a better year in Charlotte. Dave Canales was brought in as the new head coach after saving Baker Mayfield’s career in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers.
GM Dan Morgan brought in four new weapons in Xavier Legette, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Brooks, and Ja’Tavion Sanders, and rebuilt the o-line with the signings of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt.
But it took just two games for the new Panthers’ head coach to bench Young, who completed just 55.4 percent of pass attempts for 245 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. Carolina was outscored 73-13 in those games, prompting the Panthers to bench Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton after Week 2.
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And it’s not just Bryce Young’s play. The offensive line is no better than last year’s group. None of Young’s weapons are getting open, and the defense is so helpless to the point that you can’t help but wonder why they didn’t just pay Brian Burns instead of trading him to the New York Giants for pennies on the dollar.
And did we mention that Carolina plays in the same division as three other legitimate NFC playoff contenders?
We feel for Carolina fans, who have become football’s biggest embarrassment under owner David Tepper. The only silver lining is that they’re well-suited to get a new promising quarterback prospect in Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders, or Quinn Ewers in next year’s draft.
New York Giants
The Giants have wasted another season by giving Daniel Jones — by far the worst starting quarterback in football — a sixth year at the helm. What can we say? Find someone who loves you the way the Giants organization loves lackluster quarterback play.
And don’t say you didn’t see this coming, Big Blue fans. This NFL team let Saquon Barkley walk for nothing in free agency, leaving DJ without the one game-changing weapon who could semi-make up for his limitations.
The offensive line is no better than the wretched unit we’ve seen in the Meadowlands for years, and the defense somehow hasn’t improved despite the offseason addition of star pass-rusher Brian Burns.
Not only is Daniel Jones out of here once the offseason begins, but you’re allowed to question if head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are the right guys in charge. I mean, it’s kinda weird to willingly jeopardize your job for a bottom-tier QB like Jones.
Like Carolina, there’s one silver lining here for Giants fans: They’re virtually assured an early pick that will allow them to get a new quarterback.
Denver Broncos
Expectations were low for the Broncos this year following the departures of Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, and Justin Simmons. But alas, after a disappointing 1-and-2 start, it became obvious rather quickly that this would especially be a long year in Denver.
Sean Payton’s decision to retain Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator has blown up in his face, as expected. GM George Paton barely rebuilt that awful offensive line and did nothing to improve the running back or receiver room before drafting Nix.
Denver hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher or receive since 2019, and it already looks like that streak will continue again in 2024. Ho hum.
The least Broncos fans are asking for is a sign that the Payton-Nix tandem can work — and that Paton can actually rebuild a roster the right way. Maybe things will get a little better as the season progresses, but this team ain’t making the postseason with very little talent — and it doesn’t help sharing a division with three far superior teams that include the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans hoped that hiring a young head coach with an offensive background in Brian Callahan would help second-year QB Will Levis hit his ceiling. Obviously, that hasn’t happened.
Levis has struggled with accuracy and turnover woes, throwing three interceptions alone over the Titans’ first two games. And it’s not a good reflection on Levis when a rookie head coach publicly rips you to the media.
DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd haven’t been the impact players that the Titans envisioned. The offensive line was supposed to improve with second-year guard Peter Skoronski and rookie JC Latham, but Levis hasn’t stood a chance behind that atrocious offensive line.
And be real with yourself. Assuming the Houston Texans win the AFC South, you think the Titans can steal a wild card berth over the gauntlet of contenders in the AFC? Not a chance.
If you’re a Titans fan, it’s not too early to hop on #TeamTank and hope your team finishes in a draft spot that can help them land one of the top 2025 NFL draft prospects.
Also Read: Power Ranking All 32 NFL Teams After Week 2 Games
Indianapolis Colts
When you play in the same division as the powerhouse Houston Texans and a talented Jacksonville Jaguars team, you can’t be giving games away. And Shane Steichen’s Indianapolis Colts have already done that.
Anthony Richardson hasn’t taken the necessary steps forward after flashing all-world potential in the four games he played as a rookie before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Star wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has gotten off to a slow start. Promising rookie Adonai Mitchell has been a total non-factor.
And the front seven which was supposed to be a strength has already been hit with two brutal injuries. Samson Ebukam is out for the entire year with a torn Achilles tnedon, and All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner played two games before hitting the injured reserve.
Not ideal considering the Colts were gashed for 261 yards in Week 2 to the Jordan Love-less Green Bay Packers. And believe us, that schedule’s only about to get a whole lot tougher.
So stick a fork in the Colts, who won nine games last year with Gardner Minshew as their main quarterback. Expectations were higher for Steichen’s group this year, but you can’t start 0-and-2 in a tough AFC conference and expect to compete for a wild-card berth.
At least Indiana Pacers season is just around the corner…
New England Patriots
Nobody expected much of the Patriots in year one of the post-Bill Belichick era. Rookie head coach. Rookie GM. Promising rookie quarterback learning on the sidelines in favor of journeyman Jacoby Brisset.
Oh, and you know, playing in the same division as three Super Bowl hopefuls in the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets. Not to mention that this Patriots offense isn’t exactly, well, filled with game-changing weapons.
The Patriots’ Week 1 upset of Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals may go down as the highlight of their season. And that’s okay. The reality is that the Patriots aren’t in it to win it this year but rather accepting short-term suffering with the hope of regaining that championship DNA under Mayo.
A gauntlet of a schedule awaits the Patriots. Look at their upcoming games, and it’s hard to circle more than five victories for the year. Pats fans need to keep their expectations realistic and let year one of the rebuild play out, with the hope that they can take the next step forward within a couple of years.
Washington Commanders
If the Commanders were to make a surprise run at the playoffs with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, a lot was gonna have to go right. The defense would have to make considerable strides, and Terry McLaurin was going to have to play up to his Pro Bowl-like standards.
But alas, the Washington offense has been overly reliant on Daniels’ legs and the stud running back duo of Austin Ekeler — the team’s leading receiver through two weeks — and Brian Robinson Jr.
Washington would have been 0-2 if the Giants hadn’t botched their kicker situation in Week 2. We saw how vulnerable the Commanders’ o-line and defense are in their humiliating Week 1 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a clear-cut reminder that there’s a lot of work ahead for Dan Quinn’s group.
The Commanders have the misfortunes of playing the entire AFC North this year, plus the surprisingly strong NFC South on top of the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles twice a year.
Washington needed its offense or defense to emerge as a juggernaut to have a chance. Neither has happened, and with the Commanders’ top veteran players underachieving early, it’s clear that year one of the Daniels era won’t be as electrifying as Robert Griffin’s 2012 rookie year in DC.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, so much for the Jaguars bouncing back after an awful second-half collapse a year ago. This team is stale and broken despite elite talent on both sides of the ball, and there’d be no shock on this end if Doug Pederson were fired by the midway point of this NFL season.
There’s just too much talent for this team to be sluggish and unimaginative on offense. Most teams dream of an offensive nucleus like that of Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Gabe Davis, and Travis Etienne.
But for whatever reason, the Jaguars offense looks even worse than the one that endured a two-month power outage over the final stretch of 2023. And there’s nothing to convince us that something is about to change.
The Texans already look poised to run away with the AFC South, and the Jaguars don’t inspire confidence as a potential wild card team over the likes of the Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Bills or Chargers.
And their schedule from here on out is one of the toughest in football. There are no more than three “should win” games on their schedule — meaning something in the 7 to 8-win range is far more likely than a return to the postseason.
Los Angeles Rams
We don’t wanna panic too much over the Rams’ slow start. Don’t forget they were 3-and-6 a year ago before winning seven of their final eight games to sneak in as a wild card team.
But this year’s Rams are far different than the 2023 group. For one, franchise icon Aaron Donald is long gone after unexpectedly retiring.
Secondly, this team has lost superstar wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp for several weeks, leaving Matthew Stafford with Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, and Tyler Johnson as his main receivers.
And as we saw in their humiliating blowout loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, the Rams just don’t have the depth and star power to compete without Donald, Nacua, and Kupp.
The NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks aren’t pushovers this year, either. Lots of seasons left, but the 2024 Rams already look a lot closer than the letdown that was the 2022 squad — NOT the 10-win unit from a year ago.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were brutally exposed by the Buffalo Bills in their Week 2 Thursday Night Football loss — even before Tua Tagovailoa left that game with a concussion.
Once the Dolphins announced that Tagovailoa had to go on the injured reserve and miss a minimum of four games, the final nail was placed in the coffin of Miami’s postseason hopes.
Sorry, but Skylar Thompson isn’t it. That offensive line was already problematic a year ago, and it’s even worse this year without Robert Hunt — who gets to forget the ways of winning on a miserable Carolina team.
The Dolphins’ secondary is also a mess despite the presence of Jalen Ramsey — leading us to call for GM Chris Grier to see if Xavien Howard would return on a new deal. The pass-rush was non-existent once Jaelan Phillips went down with a season-ending injury a year ago, and it doesn’t look much better despite his return.
So…the entire defense is a mess, and Tagovailoa is missing at least one month of action. And to think the Dolphins are trying to hold off the Bills and Jets for the AFC East crown? Yeah, that’s not happening.
If they get lucky, Miami might sneak in as an NFL wild-card team. But they’ll just get crushed by their wild-card round opponent — likely the Bills, Chiefs, Texans, Ravens, or Bengals. Neither matchup inspires much confidence if you’re the Dolphins.
Week 1 was fun, but the Dolphins are now done. We’ll see you in 2025.
Also Read: The Most EMBARRASSING Record Held By Each Of The 32 NFL Teams
