All 32 NFL teams have the bulk of their rosters in place, and the entire 2024 season schedule has finally been released.
So, which teams are set to improve, and which ones will endure a steep dropoff? Let’s dive into five NFL clubs who will make a big jump in 2024 and five who will fall apart.
Which NFL teams are projected to have a great year in 2024, and which ones are expected to falter?
Big Leap: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals lost franchise quarterback Joe Burrow for the final seven games of 2023 with a season-ending wrist injury. All three of their AFC North division rivals tallied double-digit wins and went to the postseason.
And yet, the Bengals managed to finish 9-and-8, with second-stringer Jake Browning doing an admirable job in Burrow’s place.
So now just imagine what the Bengals will be able to do with a top-five quarterback in football returning. Not to mention the offensive line got deeper with the signing of Trent Brown and with the first-round pick of Amarius Mims.
In Burrow’s two healthy seasons, the Bengals have gone to one Super Bowl and two AFC Championship Games. As long as he’s behind center, the Bengals are a top-10 NFL team with a Super Bowl-caliber roster.
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Expect them to bounce back this year with a return to the postseason.
Fall Apart: Buffalo Bills
Make no mistake, the Buffalo Bills made the right call retooling the roster after yet another untimely postseason elimination. But sometimes, you need to take one temporary step back in order to set up long-term success, and that’s where Buffalo is heading into 2024.
Stefon Diggs had to go because of the problems he created in the locker room, sure. But Josh Allen is still without his No. 1 target, who put up 100-plus catches and over 1,000 receiving yards a season.
No. 2 wideout Gabe Davis also left in free agency to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Buffalo also bid farewell to star center Mitch Morse and defensive studs Tre’Davious White, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Leonard Floyd.
Buffalo hopes the new-look receiving corps of rookie Keon Coleman and veterans Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool, and Marquez-Valdes Scantling will help Allen retain his MVP form in the post-Diggs era.
Even if that happens, the Bills lost far too much talent on defense. Not to mention, the New York Jets are getting Aaron Rodgers back, and the Miami Dolphins are always in the mix. So the Bills simply look like the third-best team in their division right now, and that probably won’t be enough to sneak into the postseason.
Right now, the Bills feel like a one-and-done playoff NFL team at best.
Big Leap: Chicago Bears
This one is fairly obvious, isn’t it?
Thanks to the Carolina Panthers’ generosity, the Bears secured the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft…even though they won a respectable seven games last season.
With that pick, the Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams — regarded as one of the greatest QB prospects of the 21st century. And since Chicago wasted no time adding plenty of offensive firepower around Williams, we have no doubt that he’s going to produce early and often.
Chicago traded for Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen, signed running back D’Andre Swift, and used the No. 9 pick on can’t-miss Washington Huskies prospect and wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Throw in the returns of DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, and Khalil Herbert, and Williams will not be short of playmakers around him. I mean, it’s not a stretch to believe Chicago could boast three 1,000-yard receivers OR two 1,000-yard rushers this year.
The defense should be better in 2024 as young studs Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker and Tyrique Stevenson continue to improve. And having Montez Sweat for a full season after coming over in a mid-season trade last year will help tremendously.
Chicago won seven games in a tough NFC North last year. But they should finish above .500 at minimum, though we can see double-digit victories and a return to the postseason in 2024.
At long last, brighter days are ahead in Windy City.
Fall Apart: Denver Broncos
Denver re-emerged as a playoff contender in the final half of 2023, giving the Bronco faithful a thrilling reminder of what a postseason push feels like for the first time in seven years.
The Broncos started out 1-and-5 but rebounded with victories in six of their next seven to get back into the playoff picture. Russell Wilson was starting to play like a Pro Bowler again under Sean Payton, and the Broncos were looking like a legitimate threat to take the AFC’s last wild card spot.
But after losses in Weeks 15 and 16, the Broncos benched Wilson for the final two games and punted on the season. They finished 8-9 — the franchise’s best record in seven years — but fell short of the AFC’s final playoff spot.
Instead of running it back with Wilson and a Broncos team that improved considerably, coach Payton and GM George Paton decided to begin a scorched-earth rebuild.
The Broncos released Wilson and happily took on $85 million in dead money. Top wideout Jerry Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns, and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons was cut in another cap-saving move.
Denver used their first-round pick on Oregon QB Bo Nix. Payton stated after the draft that it’s a QB competition between Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job.
Hard to envision either QB succeeding with this supporting cast. Denver hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver or rusher since 2019. The o-line is still a mess, and the mediocre defense might return to “horrible” form with Simmons no longer serving as their last line of defense.
Denver made a run at the postseason last year. But they’re already a good candidate to be NFL’s worst team in 2024. Do not be shocked if they regress by as much as five wins this season.
Big Leap: Green Bay Packers
The Packers looked doomed after a Week 10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers dropped them to 3-6 on the year. It certainly looked like year one of the post-Aaron Rodgers era was going to be awfully forgettable for Matt LaFleur and company.
But Jordan Love put on the Superman cape and played like a seasoned vet and MVP over the final eight games, leading the Packers to a 6-and-3 finish that was just enough to sneak in as the NFC’s final playoff team.
After crushing the Dallas Cowboys at Jerry World on Wild Card Weekend, the Pack scared the daylights out of the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers. However, a late Love interception ended Green Bay’s season, as the 49ers squeaked out a 24-21 victory.
Finishing 9-and-8 and reaching the Divisional Round in year one of a rebuild? Yep, we cannot WAIT to see what’s next in store for Love and LaFleur.
Expect Green Bay to make the jump to Super Bowl contention this year. Love is only going to get better, especially with former rushing champion Josh Jacobs joining the offense — and with WR1 Christian Watson returning to full health.
The Packers’ defense has the depth and star power to emerge as a top-10 unit under new HDC Jeff Hafley. The free agent signing of Xavier McKinney can only help a vulnerable secondary that struggled against top offenses last year, too.
This Green Bay team will certainly finish better than 9-and-8, with 11 to 12 wins and a Super Bowl run very much in play here.
Also Read: All 32 NFL Teams’ Head Coach Mount Rushmore: Which 4 Coaches Made It For Your Team?
Fall Apart: New Orleans Saints
Even in football’s worst division, and with one of the league’s easiest schedules a year ago, the Saints only finished 9-8 and missed out on the postseason for the third straight year.
Well, it’s hard to envision things improving for Dennis Allen’s crew in 2024. Once again, GM Mickey Loomis selfishly refuses the need to rebuild, instead running it back with an overpaid and aging core.
Derek Carr isn’t the needle mover this team thought the longtime Raider would be. He’s an average QB at best, and he’s not about to improve at the age of 33. Get over it already.
The defense remains a top-10 unit, sure. But Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, and Tyrann Mathieu aren’t getting any younger. Star cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been limited to 17 games since 2022, so the Saints can’t rely on him to stay healthy anymore.
Alvin Kamara isn’t getting younger, either. There is no clear-cut WR2 to complement Chris Olave, and the leaky o-line will be hit even further if Ryan Ramcyzk’s knee issues force him into retirement.
Throw in the fact that the Atlanta Falcons are now the team to beat in the division, and New Orleans looks like an NFL team that will be lucky to finish better than 7-10. This feels like a year where they finally unravel to the point where a full-scale rebuild commences in 2025.
Big Leap: Atlanta Falcons
Sticking on the NFC South topic…
The Falcons were the big winners of free agency after signing Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million.
Never mind the backlash surrounding the Michael Penix Jr. pick at No. 8 overall. This is Cousins’ team for the time being, and that means the Falcons are the clear-cut favorites to win the NFC South.
This team won seven games last year with a mediocre QB tandem of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. Well, Cousins promises to make the most of an elite supporting cast that features a top-five o-line in football and weapons Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Tyler Allgeier. Throw in a deep and youth-filled defense that took major strides in 2024, and you have the makings of a division winner.
Atlanta hasn’t made the postseason since 2017. Thanks to a soft schedule and the luxury of playing in football’s worst division, the Falcons are a virtual lock to win ten games. They should return to the postseason in year one of the Cousins-Raheem Morris era, with a deep playoff run certainly not out of reach.
Fall Apart: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield was a fun comeback story in 2023, but color us skeptical that he’s going to repeat that success after five meh years to begin his career.
Tampa lost top corner Carlton Davis after trading him to the Detroit Lions, as well as two quality pass-rushers in Devin White and Shaq Barrett. Not a whole lot was done by GM Jason Licht to address those losses, either.
Even in football’s worst division last year, the Bucs finished a mediocre 9-and-8. Yes, they crushed the Philadelphia Eagles on Wild Card Weekend, but that was a one-off slump by Nick Sirianni’s crew. The Bucs are still several tiers below the NFC’s heavyweights, including those very Eagles.
Well, the Falcons are clearly the better NFL team with Kirk Cousins, and the Carolina Panthers shouldn’t be pushovers anymore after offseason reinforcements.
Plus, keep in mind that the Bucs must play other first-place finishers, the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions, giving them a much tougher schedule than their NFC South counterparts.
Add it all up, and it just feels like the Bucs are bound to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Consider last season a mirage and not a sign that the window is staying open in the post-Tom Brady era.
Big Leap: New York Jets
The Jets won seven games last season despite a hapless QB trio of Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian. Not sure why, but something tells us that the Jets will be a lot better with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers captaining the offense.
Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on his first drive in his Jets’ debut last season, but he’s close to full strength and will be ready for Week 1. Of course, Rodgers isn’t the only reason why we’re so excited about a Jets turnaround this year.
The offensive line was New York’s other primary weakness last year, but GM Joe Douglas brought in three new quality starters: Tyron Smith, John Simpson, and Morgan Moses. He also used his first-round pick on Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, giving the Jets valuable depth that they lacked in the trenches last year.
And, of course, Rodgers’ return will benefit Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Breece Hall, and newcomer Mike Williams – who should slot in nicely as the Jets’ No. 2 receiver.
Throw in the Jets’ owning a top-10 defense led by Sauce Gardner, CJ Mosley and Quinnen Williams, and you have the makings of a bonafide Super Bowl contender.
Not only do the Jets look like the team to beat in the AFC East, but they have all the pieces to win the Super Bowl with a healthy Rodgers. Finally, it’s something for Jets fans to be excited about.
Fall Apart: Cleveland Browns
On one hand, you can argue the Browns will remain a Super Bowl contender after finishing 11-6 last season despite using FIVE starting quarterbacks.
Well, let us remind you of three things:
1. The Browns’ best QB last year, Joe Flacco, is now with the Indianapolis Colts
2. Deshaun Watson still hasn’t figured it out with the Browns
3. The Browns play in football’s toughest division.
Oh, and the Browns were 6-2 in one-score games last year. The law of averages says that the “luck” factor will balance out and go against them this year.
Until/unless he shows he has it, we’re not sold on Watson as the answer at QB. Nick Chubb is coming off a significant season-ending knee injury that may prevent him from ever regaining his prime again.
To us, the Browns are the fourth-best team in the AFC North, with Joe Burrow returning, and the Steelers are upgrading at QB by getting both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Consider last year’s lightning in the bottle because these Browns are poised to return to mediocrity in 2024.
Also Read: All 32 NFL Teams’ Best And Worst Quarterback Draft Picks in Their History
