NFL 2024 Super Bowl LIX Recap + Preaseason Picks/Awards Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is in the books. The game that was the Super Bowl was not quite the competitive game that we would expect from the biggest game in North American sports. The NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles demolished the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. In this post I will break down the game itself as well as the commercials I liked, the halftime show and a recap of my preseason and awards picks I made prior to Week 1. A lot to get into so let's get to work!

Super Bowl LIX Recap

Kansas City 22, Philadelphia 40
Pick: Chiefs
Anything that could go wrong for the Chiefs, went wrong for the Chiefs. The Super Bowl began with the Chiefs winning the coin toss but deferring to the Eagles. It would at first pay off as the Eagles would punt on their first drive. The Chiefs would start off running as they would hit a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster for their only 1st down in the 1st half. The Chiefs would only get one yard the rest of the drive as they were forced to punt. Jalen Hurts would hit passes of 20 and 27 yards. The 27 yard pass went to Jahan Dotson that would guide the Eagles to the 1-yard line. The first score of the game was a Tush Push touchdown for Hurts for a 1-yard touchdown. The next Chiefs possession would be another punt as they went seven yards on a drive. The last Eagles drive of the 1st quarter was a long march that would eat up 5:21 of possession time. The result of the drive was an intercepted pass by Bryan Cook. The Eagles would have the lead 7-0.

The 2nd quarter would play out much like the 1st quarter. They would get seven yards again but the big thing was a dropped pass to Travis Kelce that would be one of the reasons why the Chiefs would lose this game. The Chiefs punted to the Eagles again. Philadelphia would start on their own 43-yard line. A big play in the game was a Hurts pass to AJ Brown for a 22-yard gain to the Chiefs 32. The Eagles wouldn't gain a whole lot after that as three runs would only yield seven yards to a 4th down. Jake Elliott hit the field goal to a 10-0 Eagle lead. The next Chiefs drive would be a disaster and a half. Back-to-back sacks on Mahomes that would drive the Chiefs back six yards. The game would break wide open as a bull-rush by Josh Sweat would force Patrick Mahomes to throw a pass that was intercepted by Cooper DeJean for a 38-yard pick-six. A huge momentum shift as a turnover turned into points as the Eagles were up 17-0. The Chiefs would go minus six yards on the next possession but wouldn't turn the ball over again. Philadelphia would go 3:00 of possession time on eight plays for 17 yards but would punt back to the Chiefs. Deep in their own territory, the Chiefs would turn the ball over again on a Patrick Mahomes pass turned to interception this time to Zach Baun. Baun was a free agent signing that would prove to be useful. On the Eagles 2nd play of the drive, Jalen Hurts found AJ Brown open for a 12-yard score. The Eagles lead went up to 24-0 at halftime. 

The 24-0 halftime deficit was the largest that Patrick Mahomes had in his career. It was also the largest deficit since Super Bowl XXIV. Kansas City's first drive in the 2nd half would show progress. The Chiefs would go farther than they had ever in the game so far on a five play, 15 yard drive. It would lead to their first down since the 1st drive on a Patrick Mahomes pass to Xavier Worthy for a 8-yard gain. Pass protection would break down a lot as Mahomes was sacked again on back-to-back plays for a collective 7-yard loss. The Chiefs would punt again. With the lead in hand, the Eagles would utilize the talents of Saquon Barkley. Barkley, a free agent from the Giants, wouldn't have a spectacular game but he made it count with catches and carries. The running back had 37 total yards on the drive. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones would get injured during the Philly drive. The Eagles would get to the Chiefs 6-yard line but wouldn't go further. If there was something wrong that the Eagles did was pre-snap penalties on field goal attempts. A false start would send the Eagles back to the 11. Jake Elliott hit another field goal that would drive the Eagles lead to 27-0 with 5:22 left in the 3rd quarter. The Chiefs would go a bit further on their next possession with a five-play, 17 yard drive that would get another first down on a Patrick Mahomes pass to DeAndre Hopkins for a 11-yard gain. The Chiefs offense would falter yet again as a Kareem Hunt fumble that was recovered by Patrick Mahomes and an offensive holding call. The Chiefs would drive to get back to another 1st down. They would falter as on a 4th down and 4 play, Patrick Mahomes went right and tried for DeAndre Hopkins again but the wide out would drop it. The Eagles would get the ball as a result of another Chiefs miscue and turnover on downs. The Eagles first play of the game would cause it to be a nail in the coffin as Jalen Hurts hit Devonta Smith for a 46-yard score that was the biggest play of the game on offense for Philadelphia. The Eagles lead went up to a 34-0 score. The Chiefs would be playing against themselves, the Eagles and the clock. The Chiefs would go the distance as they reached past the 50-yard line and into Eagle territory. The play that would give the Chiefs that opportunity was a Mahomes pass that would see the best pass protection all day as he hit Xavier Worthy for a 50-yard play that would be the longest play for the Chiefs. Four plays later, on a 1st down and 10 play, Patrick Mahomes would once again hit Xavier Worthy in the endzone for a 24-yard score. The Chiefs were finally on the board but would miss on a 2-point conversion as Travis Kelce catch went incomplete. The Chiefs still had to contend with a 34-6 deficit as the 3rd quarter time dwindled. 

The Eagles next drive saw the end of the 3rd quarter and into the 4th quarter. Jalen Hurts would be used a lot as he saw Saquon Barkley for a 11-yard gain, AJ Brown on two plays later for a 9-yard gain. Then on a 2nd and 11 play, Hurts ran for a 17-yard gain to get the Eagles to the Chiefs 27-yard line. In a rare occasion in the game, Jalen Hurts was sacked for a five yard loss. The Chiefs defense would hold the line to the Chiefs 30-yard line and forced the Eagles to try for three again. Jake Elliott would hit yet again to get to a 37-6 lead. The next Chiefs drive ended in disaster again as Patrick Mahomes was stripped from the ball that was recovered by Milton Williams. The Chiefs defense would hold the Eagles yet again for another Jake Elliott field goal that would increase the lead to 40-6. The Eagles wouldn't score again in the game but by that time the damage had already been dealt. Racing against the clock, the Chiefs would drive the field again for a 12-play, 75-yard march that would get the Chiefs to another touchdown. The score went to DeAndre Hopkins on a pass from Mahomes to Hopkins on an out route pattern. Hopkins feet awareness would do the rest. The 2-point conversion was successful as Justin Watson caught the pass from Mahomes. The deficit was down to a 40-14 margin. With the lead in hand, the Eagles would turn to former Steeler Kenny Pickett. The quarterback wouldn't do a whole lot as the Eagles stalled out on their own 50-yard line. A turnover on downs and the next Chiefs possession would yield maximum results as Patrick Mahomes hit Xavier Worthy for a touchdown from 50-yards. A pass to DeAndre Hopkins on a 2-point conversion would get the Chiefs to a 40-22 deficit. It would be their last play and drive of their season and the game. On an onside kick, Harrison Butker would try to get the Chiefs the ball with 1:48 left. The attempt would fail as Grant Calcaterra would recover it. The Chiefs attempt of a comeback would fail. There would be no threepeat. The thrill of victory was felt on one sideline and the agony of defeat would be felt on the other as Kenny Pickett kneeled three times to kill the clock. The Eagles would get their revenge on Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in a total and utter domination by a final score of 40 to 22. The quarterback that was said to be too small to be an NFL quarterback would win the game's MVP, Jalen Hurts. 

Stats in this game would be rough as Patrick Mahomes hit 21 of 32 passes for 257 yards with three touchdown passes and two interceptions. The Chiefs run game would have pitiful numbers as Patrick Mahomes ran for his life with four carries for 25 yards. Kareem Hunt had three carries for nine yards. Xavier Worthy was the leading receiver for the Chiefs with eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns and had a catch of 50 yards to be the longest pass play for the Chiefs. Line play would be a factor in this game and the Chiefs would fail in every regard as they couldn't control the line of scrimmage and pass protection broke down. Dropped passes would also be a factor as well as not getting the run game going. Murphy's law applied best for the Chiefs as everything went wrong for them. Kansas City had 275 total yards in the game.

Jalen Hurts hit 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The two touchdowns went to Devonta Smtih and AJ Brown. Jalen Hurts was the leading rusher with 11 carries for 72 yards with a rushing touchdown. He had a run of 17 yards that was the longest run int he game for Philadelphia. Devonta Smith had four catches for 69 yards and had a catch that went for a 46-yard gain for the touchdown. Philadelphia would dominate on the defensive front. They wouldn't blitz a lot as most of the pressure would come on 4-man pressures. When you have that much while the rest of the defense can play pass defense, you can have success. With the defense figured out, the offense would grind out the Chiefs defense and cause them to be on the field for a long time. The Eagles would get 345 total yards in the game. 

In my closing thoughts, I think it serves as a reminder that the Chiefs success this season shouldn't be a failure. Yes, they didn't get the threepeat but it proves once again that it is difficult to even get to a Super Bowl, let alone win one, let alone get to another Super Bowl and to even get another Super Bowl win to defend your championship. The Eagles played a better game on Sunday and they had no pressure on them. They dominated the trenches, got takeaways and scored points like a pinball machine. The Philadelphia Eagles got their 2nd Super Bowl championship and their 5th overall championship in franchise history. 

Commercials

The commercials this year weren't too shabby. It certainly made the game a bit easier to digest as the Chiefs were getting stomped on. In most years, the commercials aren't good as they are mostly off the top and you have to get the humor of it. Here's some of the commercials that I liked. 

Mountain Dew:

Nike:

Hellman's:

UberEats:

The Mountain Dew one was kind of funny as you have the artist Seal as a seal singing a parody of his song "Kiss From A Rose." If only there was a biopic of Mike Ditka that Matthew McConaughey would star in. I think he has a case for Football being more like Foodball. 

Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar did the halftime show this year. For the most part, I didn't really understand it. I thought the show design was kind of neat and the choreography was kind of cool. The real winner was Samuel L. Jackson playing as Uncle Sam. Prince's performance in Super Bowl XLI was still top notch for me. 

Preseason Predictions + Awards Recap

Prior to the Week 1 Picks post last September, I made a preseason predictions post where I picked where the 32 teams will finish in the standings, the playoffs, the Super Bowl matchup and winner as well as the Awards winners as well as my bold predictions. It's a fun way to look back on where I was right and where I was wrong. This will be painful. Let's take a look:

Regular season predictions

NFC:

East

Philadelphia Eagles (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Dallas Cowboys (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

Washington Commanders (picked to finish 3rd; final result 2nd place): Incorrect

New York Giants (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

North

Detroit Lions (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place: Correct

Green Bay Packers (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

Chicago Bears (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 4th place): Incorrect

Minnesota Vikings (picked to finish 4th; final result: 2nd place): Incorrect

South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Atlanta Falcons (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

New Orleans Saints (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 4th place): Incorrect

Carolina Panthers (picked to finish 4th; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

West

Los Angeles Rams (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

San Francisco 49ers (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 4th place): Incorrect

Seattle Seahawks (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 2nd place): Incorrect

Arizona Cardinals (picked to finish 4th; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

AFC:

East

Buffalo Bills (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Miami Dolphins (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

New York Jets (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 3rd place): Correct

New England Patriots (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

North

Baltimore Ravens (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Cincinnati Bengals (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

Pittsburgh Steelers (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 2nd place): Incorrect

Cleveland Browns: picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

South

Houston Texans (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Indianapolis Colts (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

Jacksonville Jaguars (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 3rd place): Correct

Tennessee Titans (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

West

Kansas City Chiefs (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Los Angeles Chargers (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

Denver Broncos (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 3rd place): Correct

Las Vegas Raiders (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

The final tally of the teams I had correct was 20 out of 32 correct placing. In terms of percentages it is 62% correct. For perspective, I had 15 out of 32 correct last year and then 19 of 32 correct the year before. I would say it is a successful picks placing. 

Playoff Predictions

AFC

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (correct; Chiefs #1 seed)
2nd seed: Baltimore Ravens (incorrect; Ravens #3rd seed)
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills (incorrect; Bills #2nd seed)
4th seed: Houston Texans (correct; Texans #4 seed)
5th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (incorrect; Chargers #5 seed)
6th seed: Miami Dolphins (incorrect; Steelers #6 seed)
7th seed: New York Jets (incorrect; Broncos #7 seed)

Wild Card: 

Ravens over Jets (ravens did win their wild card matchup)

Bills over Dolphins (incorrect)

Bengals over Texans (incorrect)

Divisional

Chiefs over Bengals

Ravens over Bills (almost happened)

Conference Championship

Ravens over Chiefs (incorrect)

NFC

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (incorrect; Eagles #2 seed)
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams (incorrect; Rams #4 seed)
3rd seed: Detroit Lions (incorrect; Lions #1 seed)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (incorrect; Buccaneers #3 seed)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (incorrect; Cowboys didn't make playoffs)
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers (incorrect; 49ers didn't make playoffs)
7th seed: Green Bay Packers (correct; Packers #7 seed)

Wild Card:

Rams over Packers (kind of correct; Rams did win their Wild Card game)

Lions over 49ers (incorrect)

Buccaneers over Cowboys (incorrect)

Divisional:

Eagles over Buccaneers (Eagles did win their divisional game)

Lions over Rams (incorrect but Rams did lose their Divisional game)

Conference Championship:

Eagles over Lions (kind of correct; Eagles did represent the NFC in Super Bowl)

Super Bowl 59:

Ravens over Eagles (incorrect for the AFC winner and Super Bowl winner; correct for NFC winner).

Award Predictions:

MVP: Josh Allen (correct; you're welcome Josh!)

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson (incorrect; Saquon Barkley won)

Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt (incorrect; Patrick Surtain II won)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Marvin Harrison Jr. (incorrect; Jayden Daniels won)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dallas Turner (incorrect, Jared Verse won)

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers (incorrect, Joe Burrow won)

Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell (incorrect, Kevin O'Connell won)

Bold Predictions

Mike McCarthy will be let go as Cowboys head coach prior to the Super Bowl - Correct, he was let go prior to the Divisional playoff. 
Tyreek Hill will achieve 2,000 receiving yards - Incorrect, He had 959 receiving yards. 
No team(s) will have 14 or more wins - Incorrect, four teams had 14 or more wins (Lions, Vikings, Chiefs and Eagles)
We will have four quarterbacks throw for more than 4,000 yards - Incorrect, six quarterbacks had more than 4,000 passing yards: Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold and Lamar Jackson. 

Farewell to 2024

Well another season ends in the books and hopefully you all enjoyed me reading all the goings on in the NFL season. I would like to announce that my days on Blogger are going to come to an end. Blogger has been somewhat of a useful tool for me to blog with but the years from 2017 to 2024 have been enjoyable. I am planning on going back to my roots and write on WordPress again. I had written on WordPress from 2012 to 2014. I just find it to be a bit more useful for writing blogs than Blogger. It doesn't mean that I won't stop writing for the National Football League. I plan on writing more on there about season recap, free agency, the draft, random blogs, etc. Until then, I hope you enjoy reading these blogs as much as I enjoy writing them. Farewell! :-)

-Tom

NFL 2024 Super Bowl LIX Pick

  Hello readers! Another week of National League action is coming upon us yet again. The big game to end all big games is here. The 32 teams that started the season back in September were reduced to 14 teams by the end of the regular season. The 14 teams were then reduced to 8 teams. Then the 8 teams were reduced to just 4 teams. By the end of Championship Sunday, the two teams to make out of the carnage and storm are the Kansas City Chiefs, American Football Conference champions, and the Philadelphia Eagles, champions of the National Football Conference. In this post, I will talk about notes for this Super Bowl, the broadcast notes, how the Chiefs and Eagles got to this point, a matchup history of the two squads in all-time history, the keys to victory for both sides, my pick for the big game and my record in the Super Bowl. A lot to get to so let's get to work!

Super Bowl Notes

Super Bowl LIX will be the 10th rematch of a prior Super Bowl. Such other Super Bowl rematches were XIII, XVII, XXIII, XXVIII, XXX, XLVI, LII, LIII, and LVIII. History has said that the rematch Super Bowl always went to the winner of the prior Super Bowl. Meaning the Chiefs will win this game, per history. 

Super Bowl LIX will have two teams that have been in the big game before. This is the 7th Super Bowl appearance for the Kansas City Chiefs (who played in Super Bowls I, IV, LIV, LV, LVII, LVIII). This is the 6th appearance for the Philadelphia Eagles (who played in Super Bowls XV, XXXIX, LII, and LVII). 

The halftime show will be headlined by Kendrick Lamar. It was announced on September 8th 2024 that Lamar will handle halftime duties. Lamar also was in the halftime show in Super Bowl LVI. Joining him will be SZA as a special guest. 

Officiating the big game will have a seven-man crew. The game's referee is Ronald Torbert who served as a referee in Super Bowl LVI. Joining Torbert will be Umpire Mike Morton (who becomes the 2nd player to play in a Super Bowl and officiate a Super Bowl, Morton played linebacker in Super Bowl XXXIV for the St. Louis Rams), Down Judge Max Causey, Line Judge Mark Stewart, Field Judge Mearl Robinson, Side Judge Boris Cheek, Back Judge Jonah Monroe, the replay official will be Kevin Brown and assisting with the replays will be the NFL front office. Carl Cheffers is the alternate referee. 

The pregame festivities will feature Jon Batiste, a native Louisianian, handling the National Anthem. Performing "America the Beautiful" will be Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle. Ledisi will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Signing during the songs will be Stephanie Nogueras signing the National Anthem and "America the Beautiful" and Otis Jones IV will sign for "Lift Every Voice and Sing." 

Security will be heightened for the big game due to the Bourbon Street Truck Attack on January 1st, 2025. The attack forced the Sugar Bowl to be delayed by a day. The NFL released a statement assuring the public that the game would be a "safe and enjoyable" experience for those who are attending the Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl LIX TV Broadcast Notes

Broadcasting the Super Bowl in the United States will be FOX. Super Bowl LIX is the 11th Super Bowl aired on the network since acquiring the NFC package back in 1994. Doing the play-by-play is Kevin Burkhardt who is calling his 2nd Super Bowl (1st was Super Bowl LVII). The Color commentator will be Tom Brady who is calling his 1st Super Bowl. He is certainly no stranger to being in a Super Bowl. Reporting on the sidelines for both teams will be Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi. 

Calling the game on the radio in the United States will be Westwood One. Doing the play-by-play is Kevin Harlan. Color commentary will be done by Kurt Warner. The sideline reporter will be Laura Okmin. Rules Analyst will be Gene Steratore. 

The game will also be aired on television in various countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Latin America, France and Taiwan. The FOX network will also have a Spanish-language feeds on the Fox Deportes and Telemundo channels. FOX Will also air a stream of the game on their free ad-supported streaming television service Tubi. 

Ad demand for the game has been very high. The cost for a 30-second spot is around $7 million dollars. FOX announced in November 2024 that all slots for the big game have been sold. In comparison, the final slot for Super Bowl LVI wasn't sold until the Monday prior to the game. 

Kansas City Chiefs Season Review: 

The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2024 season having back-to-back Super Bowl wins under their belt. It would be the first repeat champion since the 2003 and 2004 New England Patriots. The Chiefs had largely made history on repeating championships. To enter the halls of true greatness, they would have to win three straight. Something no one has ever done in the Super Bowl era. 

In the offseason, it would be a relatively quiet one as they maintained most of their starters from the 2023 squad. In the draft, they would select Xavier Worthy in the 1st round in a draft trade from Buffalo. In trades, the Chiefs added DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans and Joshua Uche from the Patriots. One notable addition was that they signed Caron Wentz in free agency as a backup quarterback. 

The Chiefs quest to win three straight started off on Opening Night against Baltimore. They would go toe-to-toe with their opposition in the past year's AFC Championship. They would ultimately win largely based on an out of bounds catch by Isiah Likely might've been a touchdown but Likely's foot touched the out of bounds line. The Chiefs would win 27-20. 

After the win, the Chiefs would go on to get wins by one score against Cincinnati, Atlanta and the Chargers. They would win against the Saints by that point in the season on a 26-13 margin at Kansas City. In a Super Bowl rematch, they would handle the 49ers at Santa Clara 28-18 largely on the legs of Patrick Mahomes. 

Old habits would return as the Chiefs would win by one-score margins against rival Las Vegas Raiders on the road 27-20. They would achieve a overtime win against Tampa Bay on a Kareem Hunt touchdown to get a 30-24 victory on Monday night. Luck would continue to go their way as they would fight a defensive game against Denver. Denver had a chance to get an upset win but a blocked field goal kick would undo that effort as the Chiefs would go to 9-0 on the season. 

In a Divisional rematch against Buffalo, the Chiefs bid for an undefeated season would end as Kansas City wouldn't be able to handle Josh Allen and the Bills running game. They wouldn't overcome the turnovers by Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City lost 30-21. The two teams would meet again. 

The luck would continue the Chiefs way as they would go up a bit against Carolina the next week. They would survive as the Panthers mounted a comeback but would be too late. The next two games were against AFC West rivals. The first was a Black Friday fight against the Raiders. Luck would go the Chiefs way as the Raiders had a botched field goal snap as they won 19-17. The good news was that they clinched a playoff berth. The 19-17 would come again as they would beat the Chargers on a Matthew Wright 50-yard field goal that would doink the goal post but would ultimately go in. They also clinched their 9th AFC West title. 

The Chiefs would have better showings against Cleveland as they routed the Browns 21-7. In a future Divisional preview, the Chiefs would win against the Texans 27-19. On Christmas Day, the Chiefs would put forth their best performance of the season as they beat the Steelers 29-10 in the biggest point margin of the season. They would clinch the #1 seed in the AFC with the win. In a meaningless game, the Chiefs would go into hibernation against the Broncos as routed the Chiefs 38-0. It would be their 2nd loss of the season but they would have a break the week after in the Wild Card round as they had the bye. 

With a week of rest for most of the players and nearly a month since the starters had last played, they faced off against Houston in the Divisional. They would beat the Texans 23-14 despite being outgained in yards against Houston. The Chiefs would host the Bills in the AFC Championship game. In a back-and-forth affair against the Bills. The Chiefs would win 32-29 with three total touchdowns on Patrick Mahomes and a go-ahead field goal by Harrison Butker. The Chiefs would hold off one last Buffalo drive on a missed catch by Dalton Kincaid. The Chiefs would have a shot to get a third straight win in the Super Bowl. The opponent is a familiar one in the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Philadelphia Eagles Season Review: 

The Philadelphia Eagles 2024 season started with a loss. A loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card last season. A 32-9 drubbing that would be the last game for center Jason Kelce. The Eagles would start off with a 10-1 record before dropping six of their last seven games and falling to the aforementioned Buccaneers. Changes would be needed to return to the Super Bowl in Philly. 

Changes would come swiftly to the Eagles in the form of coaching and free agency. The Eagles would bring in Kellen Moore from the Chargers to be the offensive coordinator. They would also add Vic Fangio to run the defense as defensive coordinator. The biggest roster change would come in the form of a running back. 

In one of the biggest free agency moves in recent memory, Saquon Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley had spent the last six seasons with the rival New York Giants. In a bold move, he would sign with the Eagles. He would certainly prove the Giants wrong in letting him go. 

With the new coordinators and Saquon Barkley signed, the Eagles would see to revamp their defense. In the draft, they added Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd selection in 2024's draft and added Cooper DeJean at #40 to rebuild the secondary. In a trade with Pittsburgh, the Eagles acquired Kenny Pickett for a 2024 3rd round pick and two 2025 7th round picks. 

The season would begin outside of the United States in Brazil. The Eagles would overcome a deficit and test out their new weapon at running back against Green Bay. They would prevail 34-29. On Monday night, the Eagles would suffer a loss against the Falcons as Kirk Cousins would hit Drake London late on a game-winning drive 22-21. The Eagles would rebound and would get a 15-12 win against the Saints who had one point been the highest scoring offense in the league at that time. The lowest point of the season came at Tampa Bay. The Eagles suffered their worst loss of the season as their offense was stagnant and the Buccaneers put the hurt with a 33-16 loss in a NFC Wild Card rematch. 

The Eagles would have a bye in Week 5 to regroup. The team would not lose another game for two months. They would get a win against Cleveland 20-16 at home. In a reunion at New Jersey, Saquon Barkley ran over his old team for 176 yards with a touchdown 28-3. They would dominate against the Bengals 37-17. Former head coach Doug Pederson would return to Philly with his Jaguars. He would lose 28-23 against the Eagles as their record improves to 6-2. 

The big test of the season came in Dallas. The test would become open book as Dak Prescott would not play in the game. The Eagles smelled blood in the water as they routed the Cowboys 34-6. Another NFC East team would play on Thursday night. The Eagles started off slow but would score 20 points in the 4th quarter as they got another win. 

The Eagles went to Los Angeles to take on the Rams and would manhandle the Rams 37-20. The two teams would meet again. In a potential Super Bowl preview, the Eagles would get a close win at Baltimore as Saquon Barkley won the battle of running backs against Derrick Henry. Philadelphia beat Baltimore 24-19. The Eagles hosted the Panthers and would get a close win 22-16 as the Panthers would give the Eagles somewhat of a scare. The next week, Pittsburgh came to town. In a battle of Pennsylvania the Eagles would handle the Steelers 27-13 as Jalen Hurts threw two passing touchdowns and the Steelers handled the task of slowing Saquon Barkley to 65 yards rushing. 

The Eagles had won 10 straight games going into the game at FedEx Field. In a game that would see Jalen Hurts injured with a concussion. The Eagles would fight hard against the Commanders. A steady performance by Kenny Pickett wouldn't be enough as the Commanders won by a Jayden Daniels touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder and a successful two-point conversion. Despite the loss, the Eagles were still in the driver's seat to get the #2 seed but not the #1 seed. 

The Eagles would clinch the NFC East with a win against Dallas. Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee would hit for three touchdown passes as they would clobber Dallas 41-7 at home. It would be the first Eagles sweep of the Cowboys since 2011. The Eagles would achieve another win against the Giants in the season finale 20-13 despite not having Saquon Barkley play. 

Saquon Barkley by that time had gained 2,005 yards something that hadn't happened since Derrick Henry did it in 2020. He became the 9th running back in NFL history to achieve the mark. Barkley wouldn't start in Week 18 due to wanting to rest. He had only needed 100 yards to tie Erik Dickerson's single season rushing record. 

The Eagles would have the 2nd seed in the playoffs. Their first opponent was the Green Bay Packers. They had last played against each other in Week 1 in Brazil. They had played a close game but this playoff game wouldn't be anywhere close to the regular season matchup. Turnovers and bad play doomed the Packers as the Eagles handled the Packers 22-10. 

The next opponent was the Rams. It was another rematch game for the Eagles. Unlike the regular season matchup, the game in the playoffs was a lot closer than Eagles fans would've wanted. The Eagles would win the game 28-22 mostly on the back of Saquon Barkley. The elements was in play as snow came into Philadelphia. The Eagles would win it based on an incompletion thrown by Matthew Stafford. 

The NFC Championship would also feature another rematch. The Eagles final road to the Super Bowl was against the Washington Commanders. Washington had played well against them, splitting the regular season series. The Commanders even beat the #1 seeded Detroit Lions in the Divisional playoff. Washington and Philadelphia played a tight game for a part of the game. Then the Eagles offense went off on their rivals. Saquon Barkley got things going with a 60-yard run for a touchdown. The inexperienced Commanders would be overpowered as the Eagles won in a rout 55-23. The Eagles would make it back to the Super Bowl after a year absence. 

Chiefs-Eagles: A Matchup History

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are no strangers to meeting in either the regular season or the Super Bowl. The all-time series has the Chiefs leading the series by a 6-5 margin. The first matchup between the two happened on October 22nd, 1972 with the Eagles winning 21-20. The Chiefs would win the next two matchups in 1992 and 1998. The Eagles answered back by winning three straight matchups in 2001, 2005 and 2009. Kansas City would win the next four of five matchups including games in 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2023 (which would be Super Bowl LVII). Philadelphia won last year's big game on Monday night. The most famous matchup would have to be Super Bowl LVII which resulted in a 38-35 victory for the Chiefs. 

Keys to Victory

Kansas City Chiefs:

No I in team: Patrick Mahomes has had to carry on the bulk of the offense in the Chiefs scheme of things. The Eagles will definitely aim to contain him and frustrate him with their hits, sacks and hurry throws. I think the Chiefs will need to do is rely a bit more on their running game. It would be bold to have Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco to have a good day if things go well for the Chiefs in this game. 

Slow Down Saquon Barkley: Chris Jones and the defensive line will have their work cut out of them as they will have to take on the mammoth task of slowing down Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley had 2,005 rushing yards in the regular season and currently has 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. The Eagles rely on him in their run game and I feel they will try to use him in outside runs. The linebackers need to be focused and play well to contain him. I don't think they can stop him but slowing him down will help out. 

The Trenches: The playoffs and Super Bowl gets heightened in importance of line play. The game of football is won in the trenches between the offensive and defensive lines. The Chiefs will need to get their offensive line to protect Mahomes and play well as a unit to limit the green jerseys as visitors to the Chiefs backfield. To get a good running game going will need to have holes in the trenches. 

Philadelphia Eagles:

Throw, throw and then run: The Chiefs will have to expect that you're running the football with Saquon Barkley. The Eagles offense practically runs on the legs of Saquon Barkley. I would suggest that Kellen Moore gives the ball to Jalen Hurts and have him throw on 1st down or 2nd down and hope for the best. The last thing the Eagles would want to see is Chris Jones breaking early and getting tackles for losses. 

Contain Patrick Mahomes: The Vic Fangio defense is mostly built on getting the most out of his defensive line. The line uses stunts and power moves to break free and go after the quarterback. It would be wise for him to plug up the strong and weak sides of the offensive line and force him to make a hurried throw or a bad pass. Fangio doesn't use blitzes a lot but it doesn't mean he doesn't use it at a high rate. To beat the Chiefs offense is to pressure Patrick Mahomes all day. 

Protect the football: The Eagles will use their running game quite a bit in this game likely and they need to ensure that ball security is the highest priority. Turnovers can cost a team in a Super Bowl big time. You might be able to recover from a turnover in the regular season but the stakes are so much higher in the Super Bowl. You only get one shot. The Eagles will need to play a field position game a bit as well but ultimately fundamental football will win you games. 

Super Bowl LIX Pick

Note: Time is in US Eastern

Kansas City @ Philadelphia (FOX; 6:30 pm)

The big game will come down to really the battle in the trenches. Might sound a bit boring of a take but it is true. The big plays you see come down to how much pass protection the offensive line gives to a quarterback. The team I feel who is the first to get 100 rushing yards might be the one who wins this game. Whether it is Kareem Hunt, Isiah Pacheco or Saquon Barkley who gets it, that might be the game decider. Might be wise to get DeAndre Hopkins involved early with a few catches here and there. Hopkins is also playing in his first Super Bowl. Pass protection might be a big thing to keep in mind as both teams tend to rely on the pass just as much as the run. The advantage possibly in that is the Eagles but the Chiefs aren't no slouches either. Special teams wise, I think the Chiefs have probably the better of the two kickers in Harrison Butker. He doesn't slip in big situations for sure. Super Bowl LIX feels like a similar situation in Super Bowl LVII, the only difference is that the Eagles have Saquon Barkley and the Chiefs have DeAndre Hopkins. The Eagles feel like a team of destiny in dethroning the Chiefs and they certainly don't have the pressure on them to achieve history in threepeating. The Chiefs on the other hand, feel like there's that pressure but it just doesn't feel like there's pressure on them. If that makes sense. Andy Reid will bring his squad back down to earth and make them realize that its a game-to-game situation. The fact that the Chiefs are here trying for a threepeat is an achievement onto itself. I think the game will be a somewhat of a shootout like Super Bowl LVII but my pick is...

Chiefs 34, Eagles 31

The Chiefs achieve the threepeat and the Eagles falter late in the game as the Chiefs overcome deficits to get the third straight Super Bowl win. The Eagles will get a running game going early with Saquon Barkley getting a lot of carries. I feel the touchdowns will come from Travis Kelce, DeAndre Hopkins, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. I will take the Chiefs. 

Super Bowl Record

I had been doing picks for the Super Bowl roughly since Super Bowl XXXII when the Packers and the Broncos played (yeah I have a good memory fairly). Safe to say there was a long stretch when I had lost three straight Super Bowls and then five straight Super Bowls. 

Super Bowl XXXII: Packers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won)
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won)
Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won)
Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost)
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won)
Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won)
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost)
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl LIII: Rams vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl LIV: 49ers vs Chiefs (lost)
Super Bowl LV: Buccaneers vs Chiefs (won)
Super Bowl LVI: Rams vs Bengals (won)
Super Bowl LVII: Chiefs vs Eagles (lost)
Super Bowl LVIII: 49ers vs Chiefs (lost)

All-time record: 11-15

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional: 2-2

Conference Championship: 1-1

2012: 164-90-2
2013: 162-92-1
2014: 172-83-1
2017: 164-92
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1
2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all the Monday/Tuesday after the Super Bowl for the Super Bowl LIX recap post! Enjoy the big game!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Preseason Predictions + Playoff/Super Bowl/Awards Predictions

 Hello readers! As of writing this piece, the regular season is just two weeks away. Indeed, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on September 5th. It'll be here before you know it or even hit you. In this post, I will do my predictions on where the 32 teams will end up by the time the regular season is said and done. Next, I will do the playoff and Super Bowl prediction. Lastly, I will do a prediction on who will win the awards as well as who will lead the league in certain categories. Let's get to work!

Disclaimer and Preseason Predictions

I feel a disclaimer is in order. I do not work for the National Football League nor its television partners or for a particular news organization. All of this is purely my opinion and I am not getting paid whatsoever for these predictions and picks. If I get anything right it is purely my opinion and luck. If I get something wrong then I guess oh well. Anyway, let's get to the Preseason predictions. 

Let's start with the AFC.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills (1st in AFC East): A lot happened in the offseason as Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs to Houston for some futures. Josh Allen will need to do more with less but they still have James Cook to help him out with a crew of weapons in Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Khalil Shakir from the draft as well. With the pressure on the offense, the defense will need to step up just as much. Pass Rush needs to find a way to get it going. Suffice to say, until proven otherwise, the Bills are still my class of the AFC East. 

Miami Dolphins (2nd in AFC East): Miami made the playoffs last season on the front of a stellar offense lead by Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill. The running game should be a bit better if not as great as 2023. The big question will be the defense. Giving up Christian Wilkins to free agency might cost the Dolphins some wins. Injuries to Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb will pit the shoulders of the offense to keep up with the AFC East race. I think they have more than enough talent to get to 2nd and win the wild card. 

New York Jets (3rd in AFC East): The Jets season last year ended in less than five minutes as Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury. After that first game, the Jets were put into a tailspin of mediocrity and misery. Hopefully Rodgers will be able to last a few more minutes this season than last one. He will need to in order to take advantage of the talent of Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. The defense should be a underrated aspect of this team should the quarterback suffers another injury. I think the Jets have the capabilities to earn a playoff spot but I'm not sure. 

New England Patriots (4th in AFC East): For the first time since Week 16 of the 1999 season, there won't be a head coach named Bill Belichick patrolling the sidelines. Hoodie and sweatpants and all. Taking over for the legend is Jerod Mayo, a former understudy of Belichick's who earned the opportunity of a lifetime. The former linebacker will have his work cut out for him as the Patriots aren't likely going to be good. The passing game is lacking a bit on weapons. If the combo of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson can get things going on the ground, they could be a good group. Defensively, the Pats will still have a solid group with a defensive-minded head coach roaming the sidelines. 

With the return of Aaron Rodgers, the AFC East could possibly be a 3-team race to the top. Other than the Patriots and Bills, no other team has won the AFC East since 2009. Miami might be the sexy pick for them to take the top spot but their offense will need to step up big. 

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens (1st in AFC North): Baltimore fell short of reaching the Super Bowl and this group looks like to be the group to possibly overthrow the Chiefs in the AFC. Lamar Jackson looks to be the driver's seat in a great offense that got the free agency prize in Derrick Henry. The weapons should be good as well. Defensively the Ravens will get a new coordinator in Zach Orr who should maintain the same system but the losses of Patrick Queen and Geno Stone to free agency will pit the defense in a bind. Should be a group that gets far in the AFC North and well into 2024. 

Cincinnati Bengals (2nd in AFC North): Cincy faltered down the stretch in 2023. The biggest reason was that Joe Burrow's health was an issue as he was out for the rest of the season. Without a solid line, the Bengals are one Burrow injury from falling off the cliff again. The group around him will be good and young as Zack Moss and Chase Brown will take the reins for the ground game. Ja'Marr Chase is dealing with a contract holdout but Tee Higgins is ready to go. Defensively, the Bengals were awful on defense. Getting Geno Stone from Baltimore via free agency will help them out a bit. I think the Bengals will have a group that can challenge the Ravens but should be playing for a wild card spot. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (3rd in AFC North): Gone is Kenny Pickett and coming in is Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The upgrade at quarterback will be good for the Steelers offense as they were lacking a bit. The running game should be good as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will tag team opposing defenses. The wide receiver group will be a mix as George Pickens will likely play for time as the #1 wide receiver. There was talk of Brandon Aiyuk wanting to become a Steeler but as of writing this, he's still a member of the Red & Gold. Defensively, the Steelers still have a group that can help keep them in games. With new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the Steelers offense could be a more physical offense with an improvement over Matt Canada who the Yinzers wanted gone for quite a while. I think the Steelers could be a dark horse candidate team. 

Cleveland Browns (4th in AFC North): The Brownies made the playoffs last year on the shoulders of quarterback Joe Flacco. The former Raven took them to the playoffs and could only reach the Wild Card round against Houston. Gone is him and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt who moved to take over the struggling offense in New England. With the big contract that was given to DeShaun Watson, the Brownies will have to play him again and hope he stays healthy. The defense could be a bit of a oddity but they do have Jim Schwartz running things while Kevin Stefanski runs the offense. The run game, their bread and butter, will be a bit shaky as Nick Chubb could be the one that will have to carry the team. At least they added a weapon in Jerry Jeudy. I think the Browns will fall back to a position that their fans are used to at this point, dead last. 

Last year's iteration of the AFC North saw all four teams with a winning record for the first time in the Post-Merger era. This year's version will likely not see that as I think at least one team having more losses than wins. The Ravens-Bengals race to the top could be intriguing down the stretch. Pittsburgh is possibly my dark horse pick to make noise in the AFC North. Cleveland will Cleveland their way through 2024.

AFC South

Houston Texans (1st in AFC South): The Texans were a big surprise in 2023 as the division winner and even won a playoff game. Some caution to the wind could be in order here as C.J. Stroud could be entering the Sophomore jinx. Despite this, the Texans traded for Stefon Diggs to help complement Nico Collins and Tank Dell. On defense they picked up Danielle Hunter from the Vikings to help the pass rush. I like the Texans but as a serious title contenders would be a bit of a high step. 

Indianapolis Colts (2nd in AFC South): The Colts faltered a bit on the early going. Anthony Richardson (yeah kind of forgot about that guy) is back for year two in his career. The jury is still out on whether or not the quarterback can be a versatile quarterback and lead a team to a playoff spot. Outside of Richardson, the Colts added Michael Pittman and drafted AD Mitchell. Josh Downs could be a fun option at tight end. Defense could be a bit of a question mark. I think they could have a 9-8 season at best. 

Jacksonville Jaguars (3rd in AFC South): Around this time last year, the Jaguars were a hot pick to possibly be a Super Bowl contender and a team that could threaten the Chiefs dominance in the AFC. This year seems just like a miserable sad story. It could be that the Jaguars were 8-3 at one point last year and then finished with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence got paid and then will have to work more with less. On defense, the Jags put a lot of capital to rebuild that unit. It will be Ryan Nielsen, defensive coordinator, who will have to help keep the Jaguars in games. It coulb e be a trying year for Jacksonville. 

Tennessee Titans (4th in AFC South): Out is Mike Vrabel and in is Brian Callahan. DeAndre Hopkins will have some time to recuperate from injury as he won't be back until possibly October. Calvin Ridley will help bolster a wide receiving corp that needs a bit of help. Will Levis will be the man to help out and carry this team. The running game could be lacking a bit in terms of veteran talent with the loss of Derrick Henry. I don't see a whole lot of noise coming from the Music City but I don't think they'll be completely awful. 

The AFC South is a bit of an interesting division. The Texans coming out of the pack and challenging the Jaguars was a bit of a surprise. The division will be up for grabs if any of the starting quarterbacks get injured early on in the year. I don't think the division will be the best out of all of the AFC but it is certainly better than past years. 

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (1st in AFC West): Big shock I know that two-time defending champions will go for another division championship. The case for the champs is pretty good. The offense should get better and the defense should be just as good. Sure L'Jarius Sneed going away in free agency is going to come back and bite them back a bit. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will just pick up some random person and turn them into a machine that opposing quarterbacks shake and quiver. Patrick Mahomes will be getting a bit of help as they added Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy in the draft (courtesy of their conference rival Bills). More to come on whether this team can three-peat in the playoff predictions but this team has more than enough talent to win the AFC West. 

Los Angeles Chargers (2nd in AFC West): The Chargers finally got rid of the anchor weighing them down in Brandon Staley and got the complete opposite in Jim Harbaugh. History says that the first year of a Harbaugh coached team will do well. A lot of it depends on Justin Herbert health. Austin Ekeler did move on from LA and it will be up to Josh Palmer and Ladd McConkey to get this team's offense to where they need to go. Defense will stay the same as they didn't see movement in that part of the team. I think the Chargers could be a playoff team but if Herbert is injured they will falter down the way. The ceiling is a possible playoff team. 

Denver Broncos (3rd in AFC West): This time last year was full of questions on whether the marriage of Sean Payton and Russell Wilson would last. It didn't take long for the union to reach its breaking point. With Wilson gone to the Steelers, Sean Payton can finally mold this team in his image. Bo Nix could be a solid starter but it will be up to the wide receiver corp to guide this team to where they want to go. Javonte Williams is an underrated running back but his line will need to give them a chance to do something.  Defense is a bit of a worry but that could be something that the Broncos could seek in the draft come next spring. I think the ceiling for them is 8-9 wins. 

Las Vegas Raiders (4th in the AFC West): At this time last year, the Raiders were in another year of Josh McDaniels coaching the team. The guy would last just 25 games going back to 2022. Antonio Pierce would take over and help lead the Raiders to a close winning season. Josh Jacobs left via free agency and I'm not sure if the running game can match the production that the former Raider put up. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison will have to pick up the slack. I like Gardner Minshew for the memes but as a solid starter is a bit of a stretch. The defense could be another average unit but they did add Christian Wilkins from Miami to help with the pass rush with Maxx Crosby. Is it possible that the Raiders make noise in the division? Possibly, but the recent history of the Raiders seems to say otherwise. 

The AFC West does have the defending champions in it and the rest of the division just wishes that they could knock the Chiefs off their perch. All three teams could possibly take the spot as 2nd fiddle to the Chiefs but they won't likely move past them. I keep thinking that the division will be the best but it always lets me down. 

The AFC in general is likely going to be a bloodbath again as the Chiefs are the favorite to win the conference yet again. All the other teams in the conference want to overtake them but will it be enough to do it? More to come on that in a bit later. Let's look at the NFC. 

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (1st in NFC East): Philly at this time last year made it to a Super Bowl. They certainly looked like they would make it back again but then the losses started to come. The Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills put the Eagles record at 10-1 and looked like they would run away with the NFC East. They would go 1-5 after that game. The Eagles case to making back to a Super Bowl will be intriguing. They added Saquon Barkley and got a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox also retired in the offseason. In their place they put forth Cam Jurgens and Jordan Davis. The Eagles case for winning the NFC East is this: no team has not repeated as division champs. I think they have the capabilities to do it. 

Dallas Cowboys (2nd in NFC East): Dallas has both a low floor and a high ceiling. It is typically the case for them. After laying the biggest egg in franchise history in losing to the Packers last year, the seat to Mike McCarthy is starting to get hot. The seat was so hot that the head coach might've gotten shown the door and Bill Belichick to walk right in. The Cowboys will need to get a lot more of Dak Prescott this year while Tony Pollard is gone. In his place is Ezekiel Elliott. Dan Quinn is also gone and in his place is Mike Zimmer. I think the Cowboys still make the playoffs but they falter down the stretch. 

Washington Commanders (3rd in NFC East): Year 2 of the new ownership and boy did they clean house. Gone is Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn is back in the head coaching ranks. The Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels in the draft. The big concern is the offensive line and ensuring that the wide receiving corp can help out the rookie. Austin Ekeler needs to also find a renaissance and maintain the production that he had in the Chargers. Despite the question marks, maybe Washington could be a team that might get lucky and get 8 wins. 

New York Giants (4th in NFC East): The G-Men were on the heels of a renaissance season in 2022 and they fell back to earth in 2023. The reason for the fall was obvious, the offense stunk, Daniel Jones had a regressive year and was injured and there wasn't stability at that position. Tommy DeVito being a meme was kind of fun though. The Giants success will come down to the offensive line and having a rebound year for Daniel Jones. Malik Nabers getting some playtime will be fun. Saquon Barkley leaving the Giants might be a bit of a concern as they don't have the talent at running back to help out the offense. Devin Singletary is a question mark in terms of production. Brian Burns might be a worthy option to getting the pass rush back to prominence. The Giants are a weird team and I don't trust them. I don't see them doing a whole lot. 

Another year another rough year for the NFC East. I think its going to be a race with Philadelphia and Dallas going for the top while the Commanders and Giants being the fodder for the two. Washington might not be the slouch that they were in the past but things are looking up. 

NFC North

Detroit Lions (1st in NFC North): The Lions did what they were expected to do in 2023. Now it is time to see if they can do something that they haven't done in a long time, go to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. The depth is arguably the best in the NFL. The offense might've gotten better with a year into them gelling together. The defense might get better as well with an improved secondary that practically let opposing wide receivers run rampant. Unless they really fall off a cliff, I don't see the Lions dropping out of 1st place. Let's just hope. 

Green Bay Packers (2nd in NFC North): The Pack were a possible playoff team in 2022 but faltered. In 2023, they looked like a bit more of a faltering team in the 1st half, then they won seven of their last nine games to finish with a 9-8 record and won a playoff game. We shall see if the Packers can get a productive, high octane year from Jordan Love. The weapons that he has seems to suggest that he should do well. The defense might be a bit of a question mark with a new system from Jeff Hafley. The schedule might be a bit of a daunting task as the Pack have to travel to Brazil in Week 1 and then play against a bunch of playoff teams from last year. I think the Pack will come short of 1st. 

Chicago Bears (3rd in NFC North): The hype for the Bears is astounding. Drafting Caleb Williams as the #1 overall pick and then drafting Rome Odunze. The Bears also added Keenan Allen to complement D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet to the pass catching group. I feel the hype is a bit much. The Bears didn't do a whole lot in 2023 as they went 7-10. The defense is still kind of questionable as well. Suffice to say, the offense should get better however. I don't see the Bears being the team that the world expects to see. 

Minnesota Vikings (4th in NFC North): Free Agency, injuries and just plain snakebit on certain players is making things tough for the Purple Gang. Gone is Kirk Cousins and in is Sam Darnold. J.J. McCarthy out for the season will hurt but Darnold is somewhat of a capable starter. I just question on how well he can succeed in the offense. Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler were the prizes of free agency for the Vikes as they will help out fill the hole left by Alexander Mattison and Dalvin Cook. The issue for the Vikings is also whether or not the Bears and Packers can play well. If they do then its a log jam that the Vikings will likely see themselves in the basement. 

The NFC North might actually be the best division in the NFC with talent all around for all four teams. Indeed old school fans would like to see nothing more than a return to the Black and Blue division of the 1970's. 

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1st in NFC South): Tampa was somewhat of a surprise team in 2023. Baker Mayfield and the offense really kept the gravy train rolling where Tom Brady left off. Who would've thought that Baker Mayfield would be the successor to the goat. I'm kind of bullish on their defense and if they can keep their offense going they should find success in 2024. It depends on how well Baker Mayfield can keep it going. 

Atlanta Falcons (2nd in NFC South): The Falcons lacked the presence of a quality quarterback last year. They went out and got Kirk Cousins and apparently drafted his successor as well. Kind of a weird move to do that. Despite that, the Falcons offense should find some success on the same production level that they had when Matt Ryan was quarterback. The defense might get better or it could get worse. The shining light is Raheem Morris's ability to get more out of less. It could be a fight between the Falcons and the Buccaneers for the top spot. 

New Orleans Saints (3rd in NFC South):  We weren't sure what to make of the Derek Carr led Saints heading into 2023. Fortunately, they did live up to that expectation. They didn't do a whole lot on offense and the defense didn't make things interesting either. A lot of capital was spent on rebuilding the offensive line. The Saints did also get Chase Young to bolster the defensive line which could be an interesting move. A lot of risk in putting the Saints above anywhere but 3rd but they shouldn't be terrible to be in the basement. 

Carolina Panthers (4th in NFC South): Floor for the Panthers: 3-4 wins. Ceiling for them: 5-6. The Panthers were the worst team in football and they didn't even get the 1st overall pick in this spring's draft. A new year with a new head coach in Dave Canales who is quite the unknown if there ever was one. The offense should find themselves with some help in getting Diontae Johnson and picking Xavier Legette in the draft. The defense will likely stay the same but a tish worse now that Brian Burns is now a Giant. Won't be a successful year in Carolina but hopefully better than last year. 

Not a lot of solid teams for the NFC South. The shift from the Buccaneers and Saints to the Buccaneers and Falcons will make this a division where two teams will fight hard for. The Saints and Panthers will try to knock them down a peg but I don't see the two teams doing a whole lot this year. 

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (1st in NFC West): The big surprise I think will be a rebound year for the Rams. A risk that I feel will be worth it. The case for it: Matthew Stafford is healthy, the wide receiving corp will get better. The running game will get back to normal I feel with Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson. At least on a physical level. The case against it: Puka Nacua not being 100% throughout the season and Cooper Kupp having more of the same. The offense will need to step up. Aaron Donald retired and Raheem Morris became the head coach in Atlanta. While the Rams can't replace a sure-fire hall of famer in Aaron Donald, they did add Braden Fiske and Jared Verse as a replacement. 

San Francisco 49ers (2nd in NFC West): The 49ers were one score from winning it all in the Super Bowl. The case for them to make it there again is pretty strong. They did resign Brandon Aiyuk despite a long drawn out drama saga that almost felt like a soap opera. Trent Williams is a question mark for the start of the season with a holdout. Christian McCaffrey is a question mark with his health as well. The talent for the 49ers is unquestionably great. The rest of the division will get better and will look to knock the defending NFC champs off their pedestal. The key to a Super Bowl return is of course Brock Purdy. 

Seattle Seahawks (3rd in NFC West): A strange year incoming for Seattle. Pete Carroll is gone in favor of a younger staff. Mike MacDonald will take over as head coach. The book is still out on him but he should have somewhat of a decent roster to work with. Geno Smith will look to improve with a good receiving group with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The running game should get better as well. MacDonald's expertise is defense and he will look to improve a group that finished 25th in points against. A winning season should be expected for the new coach and his group. 

Arizona Cardinals (4th in NFC West): A down year for the Cardinals last year. In year 2 for Jonathan Gannon, he will need to see improvements. One of the improvements that should help right away is Marvin Harrison Jr. as a weapon for Kyler Murray to throw to. The upside for Kyler was that he should be healthy for the season, something that he didn't have at the start of last year. The defense is still a question mark heading to the year but at least fireworks should be prevalent as the offense should put up points on the board. It should be a better year than the 4-13 trainwreck that was 2023 but not quite a playoff year for the Cards. 

The NFC West is possibly the best division in the conference. Two of the last three conference champions were from the division. The Rams-Niners series will be intriguing. A lot of questions still remain. Can the 49ers reach the big game again? Can the Rams finally overcome big brother and dominate the division? How well will Mike MacDonald do in his first year? What is the ceiling for the Cardinals in 2024? So many questions. 

So for the NFC vs AFC debate. I think the power has shifted a bit back to the middle where the AFC and NFC are pretty level. The Chiefs are the likely favorite to do it all again while the Bills, Ravens, Dolphins and Texans hope to knock them off. In the NFC, the 49ers are trying to get back there again while the Packers, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys, Bucs and Rams hope to be the ones to reach the big game. 

Playoff Predictions

With 4-5 months of carnage that is the regular season finally reduces the amount of teams left from 32 to 14, teams can finally begin to start the 2nd season. Time to expect where the 14 teams stand and who makes it past the massive carnage and reach the ultimate prize. Let's start with the NFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams
3rd seed: Detroit Lions
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers
7th seed: Green Bay Packers

Super Wild Card Weekend

Rams over Packers
Lions over 49ers
Buccaneers over Cowboys

Divisional

Eagles over Buccaneers
Lions over Rams

Conference Championship

Eagles over Lions

Next is the AFC...

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd seed: Baltimore Ravens
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills
4th seed: Houston Texans
5th seed: Cincinnati Bengals
6th seed: Miami Dolphins
7th seed: New York Jets

Super Wild Card Weekend

Ravens over Jets
Bills over Dolphins
Bengals over Texans

Divisional

Chiefs over Bengals
Ravens over Bills

Conference Championship

Ravens over Chiefs

Super Bowl LIX Prediction

Drum roll please...

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ravens over Eagles

Yep you saw that correctly. I am predicting that the Chiefs will not three-peat. I repeat WILL NOT THREE-PEAT! I just think that the pressure will be too much on them and that everyone will be playing them a little harder to knock them off their perch. Time for a new champion to arise! 

Awards Predictions

With the preseason and playoff predictions out of the way, time for awards predictions. Here I will predict who will take Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year for the respective offense and defensive players, the Offensive and Defensive players of the year, Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year. One of my favorite parts of predicting. 

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dallas Turner
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt
Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson
NFL Most Valuable Player: Josh Allen
Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell

Hot Takes

Mike McCarthy will be let go as Cowboys head coach prior to the Super Bowl
Tyreek Hill will achieve 2,000 receiving yards. 
No team(s) will have 14 or more wins
We will have four quarterbacks throw for more than 4,000 yards

Alright. That's all for this post. Expect the Week 1 picks post sometime on Monday or Tuesday (I'm writing this portion on Saturday). With the picks post, the season gets going and the biggest seasons in sports gets underway as the National Football League is back! See you all soon!

-Tom

Rest in Peace Johnny Gaudreau (1993-2024) and Matthew Gaudreau (1994-2024)