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NFL 2024 Midseason Thoughts: November 7, 2024

 

 

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Buffalo Bills: 7-2

Buffalo has been happily rolling over their opponents throughout the year so far, with the exception of Houston and Baltimore. The Buffalo offensive unit stalled briefly, but with the emergence of Keon Coleman and addition of Amari Cooper, things should be on the right track heading toward January. Slugfests over the horizon with Kansas City, San Francisco, and Detroit.

 

Prediction: 12-5, 1st Place in AFC East

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New York Jets: 3-6

The New York Jets have been an uninspiring unit thus far this season. This was when Garrett Wilson and Aaron Rodgers were finally supposed to prove all this hoop-lah was worth it. The top of the line defense should be giving the opposing offense a fight. It has all fallen a little bit flat. The firing of Saleh, acquisition of Davante Adams, switching around play calling duties. I can’t help but wonder who really is behind the wheel.

 

Prediction: 6-11, 3rd Place in AFC East

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Miami Dolphins: 2-6

Miami’s offense has looked dead without Tua behind center. Everything clicks when he is there, and crumbles when he is not. This much talent on offense and a quietly stalwart defense, leaves me confused as to why there hasn't been a better backup QB plan by Miami.  

 

Prediction: 13-4, 1st Place in AFC East

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New England Patriots: 2-7

Tumultuous start to the year. Some drama over what has been said to who, an early bench, and there might be hope? Drake Maye looks like he has a head on his shoulders and is putting in tremendous effort. Hopefully this experience will translate to a decent foundation for the team to find its identity in the future.

 

Prediction: 4-13 4th in AFC East

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Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-2 (Homer Take inc.)

Pittsburgh has had a strangely loud offseason. Let me be clear, this is not the standard. Dumping the entire QB room of Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, and moving to grab Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for pennies and pocket lint. Additional offseason acquisitions of Queen, Elliott, and Jackson, shore up an already elite unit. Starting the year 4-2 under backup Justin Fields, switching to Russell Wilson and rattling off another two wins is eyebrow-raising to say the least. All eyes are towards January football. 

 

Prediction: 12-5 2nd in AFC North

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Baltimore Ravens: 6-3

Lamar Jackson is putting together another back to back MVP season in an even more impressive fashion. Derrick Henry is taking care of the ground game and could be 2000 yds, 20+, OPOY. The air raid is online, the wheels are flying, and the Ravens look like the team to beat. The dysfunction and injuries on the defensive side are cause for concern down the line, but for now the offense should be able to bully lesser teams to wins.

 

Prediction: 13-4 1st in AFC North

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Cincinnati Bengals: 4-5

Predicted in the offseason to contend for the title. Lol. Lmao even. (The Super Bowl Appearance 3 years ago is doing a lot of heavy lifting for the perception of the contemporary Bengals defense.) Starting the campaign 0-3 forces the Bengals to start doing some early season math. Clawing back to 4-5 at the midway point might look okay until you take a closer look. The wins have been against Carolina, The New York Giants, Cleveland, and Las Vegas. Losing to Batlimore and Philadelphia between. Joe Burrow is great, the defense is porous and can not be relied upon against the upper echelon of the league.

 

Prediction: 9-8 3rd in AFC North

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Cleveland Browns: 2-7

Cleveland had shown very little competency on offense throughout the beginning portion of the year. Losing the starting quarterback and forcing the change to Jameis Winston has been a blessing in disguise for many. It remains to be seen if it is a blessing on the field as this new look Cleveland has some tricks and some traps up their sleeve.

 

Prediction: 4-13 4th in AFC North

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Houston Texans: 6-3

The offensive line is a merry-go-round for the opposing defense, and Stroud is getting hammered. Joe Mixon is putting in a lot of work and the Texans are playing winning football. There are doubts on if this method of winning is sustainable throughout the remaining half of the season. Injuries are piling up on the offense while the defense is a fairly stout unit. I wonder where I have seen this before…

 

Prediction: 11-6 1st in AFC South

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Indianapolis Colts: 4-5

Everything is okay in Indianapolis. The sophomore QB Anthony Richardson has been benched after a poor start to the season. Throws are all over the place and turnovers have been a problem. Indianapolis made the switch to Flacco and are treading water, for now. Sitting second in the AFC South, Indianapolis has a chance to play meaningful football in January. Can the Elite Dragon show off again?

 

Prediction: 7-10 2nd in AFC South

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Tennessee Titans: 2-6

The Will Levis experiment is over, let the reign of Rudolf begin. It begins with a whimper. The offense isn’t great, the defense is the better half, and the team is likely facing a high draft pick. Defense and the run will win them a few games, and special teams will cost them more.  

 

Prediction: 4-12 4th in AFC South

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Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-7

Jacksonville is in freefall with lots of plans and ambitions going wrong. Brian Thomas Jr. and Tank Bigsby have been bright spots on the fairly bad offense. Special teams sucks. The defense is putrid. Just another one of those Jaguars years, I guess. Get some help for Lawrence with the draft, we all beg you.

 

Prediction: 5-13 3rd in AFC South

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Kansas City Chiefs: 8-0

How? I don’t know, don’t ask me. Every week Mahomes and company set forth to play a game of football. Every week Mahomes and company wins a game of football. Wins run through the offense, defense, special teams, even the referees help out. The Chiefs seem to find new and interesting ways to win with a rotating cast of offensive players. Defense is one of the best units in the league. See you in January.

 

Prediction: 14-3 1st in AFC West

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Los Angeles Chargers: 5-3

I was wrong about the Chargers earlier in the year. I thought they were dead in the water, but with a few more weeks to make adjustments, the Chargers are humming along. Beating teams with a lockdown defense and a power ground game makes for good regular season wins, but I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Justin Herbert is a fantastic QB, no doubt, but how good is he if it hasn’t translated to meaningful success? One playoff appearance and a swift exit in the wildcard. Prove me wrong.

 

Prediction: 11-6 2nd in AFC West

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Denver Broncos: 5-4

I am a Bo-liever in the talent under center for the Denver Broncos. It looked dour the first few weeks, but Nix has come into his own and is making plays. The defense is formidable and relieves some pressure off the offense. I wonder how this team looks without $53,000,000.00 in dead cap hanging over them. 

 

Prediction: 7-10 3rd in AFC West

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Las Vegas Raiders: 2-7

I like Brock Bowers. I don't want to write about the Raiders though. Brock Bowers is legit. I don’t want to watch the Raiders play. Brock Bowers is a freak. And Raiders relinquished the season when the QB room was Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell. Sold off Adams to the Jets, and I’m frankly surprised it wasn’t a full fire sale. Is Shedeur going to Vegas?

 

Prediction: 4-13 4th in AFC West

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Washington Commanders: 7-2

Praise be to Jaysus and his Hail Mary. The Commanders have undergone a complete 180° shift since last season and are leading their Division and pushing for the number one playoff seed. This team won four games last year. The team shed its old culture and appears to be revitalized, with some addition by subtraction. Just keep Jayden Daniels safe and the NFC is available for the taking.

 

Prediction: 12-5 1st in NFC East

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Philadelphia Eagles: 6-2

Saquon is the MAN. The amount of effort that Saquon Barkley demands of the opposing defense, is too damn high. However, I think this is a very similar Eagles team from last year, they seem rough around the edges. Without the dominance that Saquon provides, this team doesn’t match with the best in the league. Talent everywhere but this team feels like it is constantly underperforming.

 

Prediction: 11-6 2nd in NFC East

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Dallas Cowboys: 3-5

The Dallas Cowboys are not a serious football team in 2024. The coaching is lackluster and the front office has continued to make strange trades and acquisitions. Where there's smoke there is fire, but at this point we are only looking at fire. Dak is likely out for the year, huge paydays are coming up on offense and defense, and the Cowboys are trading a 4th round 2025 draft pick for, checks notes, Jonathan Mingo. Wide Receiver from Mississippi who has 12 receptions for a total of 121 yards and zero touchdowns on his sophomore campaign. 

 

Prediction: 6-11 3rd in NFC East

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New York Giants: 2-7

The Giants are in a weird place where they committed to the wrong guy after one good year. Daniel Jones is far from the problem with the Giants, but he isn’t giving much help either. Defense looks strong with Sexy Dexy, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. On the hunt for their franchise QB like many teams, there is a young core of offensive players such as Tyrone Tracy and Malik Nabers that show promise 

 

Prediction: 5-12 4th in NFC East

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Detroit Lions: 7-1

Who could have predicted this monumental change of the Detroit Lions five years ago. Coach Dan Campbell brings the grit and the culture. The players are bought in and they execute. Jared Goff is continuing to quiet his haters, rattling off fantastic performances, including a perfect QB game. The defense hunts the field for turnovers, and makes big plays. The question is not, “can they make it,” the question is, “will they win it all?”

 

Prediction: 13-4 1st in NFC North

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Minnesota Vikings: 6-2

A nightmarish start to the season has become much more bearable for the Minnesota Vikings. The offense is moving like clockwork and Sam Darnold is putting the Vikings in positions to win. The defense is a turnover machine and is a blast to watch. There is a doubt in the back of my mind that this team is all smoke and mirrors. Let the GEQBUS reign supreme.

 

Prediction: 10-7 3rd in NFC North

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Green Bay Packers: 6-3

If you can't tell, there is a theme with the NFC North this year with hard nose, disruptive defenses, and Green Bay is no different. Green Bay leads the league with takeaways and has two ‘pick sixes’ on the year. Losing Jordan Love to injury earlier in the year might have been disastrous, but the running game came to the rescue from the efforts of Josh Jacobs and Malik Willis. Who owns the north?

 

Prediction: 11-6 2nd in NFC North

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Chicago Bears: 4-4

Taking the Chicago Bears to go to the playoffs and make noise was a fool’s thought. Caleb Williams is learning the offense and has been generally getting better each week. Coaching clearly is rotting this team from within. So much talent but the captain of the ship is looking weak. Hopefully the Bears are able to recognize and diagnose the issues and help Caleb Williams unlock his potential.

 

Prediction: 6-11 4th in NFC North

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Atlanta Falcons: 6-3

The Atlanta Falcons are showing the league that this Kirk Cousins gamble was worth it. Winning games when it matters and looking like they might go 6-0 in the division, the Falcons are doing everything right. Keep in mind there is the eighth pick in the 2024 draft sitting in the wings. Hopefully this team can make some noise in January.

 

Prediction: 11-6 1st in NFC South

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-4

The Buccaneers were looking like a fierce contender in the NFC with Baker Mayfield wheeling and dealing to his cast of offensive weapons. Unfortunately Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are hurt. The offense has not been the same since, all while injuries are piling up on the defense. The idea is this team can put it together towards the back half of the season but the competition is too great.

 

Prediction: 9-8 2nd in NFC South

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Carolina Panthers: 2-7

Safe to say the Bryce Young journey is over. Carolina has their first round draft pick back and are likely shopping for a new QB. The new generation of the Panther offense in Chubba Hubbard and Xavier Legette are exciting to watch. With a new defensive unit the Panthers are looking towards the future. Good luck.

 

Prediction: 4-13, 3rd Place in NFC South

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New Orleans Saints: 2-7

Just rip the bandaid off. Too much money invested in the past leaves the Saints roster barren this season. Carr was never the answer and after the 2-0 start the Saints have not managed to overcome a single opponent. The present looks bleak and past players jab at the current state of the team. The future looks bleak too.  

 

Prediction: 3-14 4th Place in NFC South

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Arizona Cardinals: 5-4

The Cardinals have gutted the management and brought an entirely new coaching and management staff. Cardinals are humming along quietly leading the division. The offense led by Kyler Murray and James Conner is a tough unit, backed up by a young defense that is around the middle of the pack statistically. As the year progresses the offensive will need to continue to adapt, as the rest of the division is closer than they appear.

 

Prediction: 10-7 1st in NFC West

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Los Angeles Rams: 4-4

The Rams offense was anemic when Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were out with injury. Since they have come back, the offense makes plays and scores touchdowns thrown by Matthew Stafford. The young defense has also been performing better as of late, even with the absence of Aaron Donald.

 

Prediction: 8-9 3rd in NFC West

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San Francisco 49ers: 4-4

The San Francisco 49ers have made it. Starting the season off without Christian McCaffery has been rough, but .500 is nothing to complain about considering the circumstances. Their rookie WR Ricky Pearsal was shot in the chest before the season and is coming back to play already. Brandon Aiyuk is out for the year. They’ve lost some key players on defense already. Can they hold the ship together long enough for another shot at a superbowl?

 

Prediction: 9-8 2nd in NFC West

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Seattle Seahawks: 4-5

The Seattle Seahawks started off the year strong with a tight defense and a big play offense. The wheels have started to come off. The Seahawks are throwing too much because they are struggling to run the ball, even though Kenneth Walker III is a monster. The offensive line is having issues with the pass rush and I struggle to see where the Seahawks can put it all together before the math to the post season comes into play.

 

Prediction: 7-10 4th in NFC West

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