2 weeks Ago By Brad Gagnon
Each Friday throughout the 2024 NFL season, we're performing a leaguewide check-in with quick-hit takes for all 32 squads based on news, fodder, trends and results. With the trade deadline now passed, there's a lot going on. Let's jump into what's dominating the national football conversation this week.
Buffalo Bills: Would've liked to see them do something substantial to help the defense at the deadline, but the path could still be fairly clear if they can beat the Chiefs at home next week. Miami Dolphins: Two tight losses have practically ended their season. Does it make sense to keep Tua Tagovailoa on the field when you're out of contention? If the goal is a Super Bowl and that's not realistic, maybe you have to consider letting him rest and pursue more treatment to prevent potential future injuries.
New England Patriots: Let Drake Maye make these mistakes now. As long as he's not in complete peril on every snap, it's part of the process. A lost season can be a luxury in a case like this.
New York Jets: That might have been a season- and career-saving moment against Houston last week. Now, the Jets have a chance to make a run against a fairly soft schedule. Was that Week 9 comeback a fluke or is there something there? We'll get an idea Sunday in Arizona.
Baltimore Ravens: For much of the John Harbaugh era, the Ravens have mixed occasional aberrational stumbles with fairly consistent blowouts. This feels no different. The question is whether they can avoid a stumble in January or February.
Cincinnati Bengals: They're still very much alive, but a crossroads has arrived for 2024. They need a road win against the Chargers next week. Cleveland Browns: The win over Baltimore was a mirage and trading away Amari Cooper and Za'Darius Smith seems to indicate they understand that.
The question now is how and when they'll replace Deshaun Watson. Pittsburgh Steelers: Clearly, they think they can make a run in a season that lacks a powerhouse despite Kansas City's record. I don't know if Mike Williams and Preston Smith get them there, but it's not out of the question with the right timing and the potential rejuvenation of Russell Wilson.
The problem is the second-half schedule is still a mountain, starting with Washington on the road Sunday afternoon. Houston Texans: Is the offensive line going to be a problem? They didn't address it ahead of the deadline, and the right defense could blow up their season as a result. C.
J. Stroud simply needs more support in upcoming prime-time matchups with Detroit and Dallas. Indianapolis Colts: I don't see much point in rolling with Joe Flacco right now.
Better to find out sooner than later if Anthony Richardson does or doesn't have it. His abysmal play has put the Colts in a brutal spot. Jacksonville Jaguars: They continue to collapse when it matters most, which is why they've lost 12 of their last 15 games.
Already time to focus on 2025, which should be viewed as a make-or-break season for Trevor Lawrence. Will it even include Doug Pederson? Tennessee Titans: Congrats on beating the Patriots in overtime at home. Likely the Titans' last win until they host the Jags on December 8, at least.
Denver Broncos: Well, that was a strong reminder that this isn't a real 2024 contender. Maybe necessary. That said, I do think a sneaky-good and well-coached team will put up a fight in Kansas City on Sunday.
Kansas City Chiefs: It's still hard to believe they're unbeaten because they do seem so beatable. I still can't stop looking at Chiefs at Bills Nov. 17.
Eventually, I might have to conclude Kansas City simply has the formula to become the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat champion. Las Vegas Raiders: It's not even as though they're losing nailbiters every week. They're not particularly competitive, which is why so many changes are underway.
I get the sense Antonio Pierce will need some late-2023-like wins to save his job. Los Angeles Chargers: I'm not sure they'll remain the league's No. 1 scoring defense beyond an upcoming stretch featuring the Bengals, Ravens, Falcons and Chiefs, but that unit has made serious progress and Justin Herbert looks strong.
The ingredients are there. Dallas Cowboys: I'm not going to kill them for the Jonathan Mingo trade. A fourth-round pick won't make or break their future, and it's always possible he flourishes in a new setting.
That said, it's still a bit of an odd deal that doesn't indicate much about anything other than the idea someone in Dallas is infatuated by a specific young player. New York Giants: The path seems so obvious now. Autopilot with a lame-duck quarterback for two more months and then the rebuild begins.
..again.
Philadelphia Eagles: Strange performance against the Jags, but a win is a win. How they fare against Dallas and Washington over the course of five days will likely determine their fate this season. Washington Commanders: Commanders-Steelers is an interesting matchup between quasi-contenders that weren't viewed that way entering the season and were buyers at the deadline.
The winner has to be taken extremely seriously. Chicago Bears: They're officially non-contenders. Their wins have come against the Titans, Rams, Panthers and Jaguars.
Their next one might come against the Patriots. A late-November stretch against Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit will unofficially end their season. Detroit Lions: If in three months we're looking back at this team's first-ever championship season, the trade for Za'Darius Smith will be seen as a catalyst.
Kudos on the boldness. Green Bay Packers: This team doesn't need huge changes or anything, but it does continue to scream to the football world that it's at least a year away from truly contending. I'm expecting more of those reminders when they have to go on the road against each division rival in the second half of the season.
Minnesota Vikings: They have to keep capitalizing on this soft spot in the schedule, but a wild-card berth feels inevitable considering the strength of the Lions and the lack of a strong middle class in the NFC. Atlanta Falcons: That so-far awful pass rush won't improve via outside help now, so it's going to fall on the current guys. That means Matt Judon in particular, but it's also possible they have something brewing with third-year second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie.
We'll see. Carolina Panthers: Winning isn't really their friend right now, so ideally they don't make it two in a row against the Giants. Regardless, Bryce Young has to be starting since he's still on the roster.
New Orleans Saints: Now with the Chris Olave injury, I'm wondering if they could legit go from 2-0 to 2-15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They're clearly a tier or two below teams like Atlanta, Baltimore and Kansas City, and the recent results indicate exactly that. They are who we thought they were.
Likely to finish with eight or nine wins for the third year in a row. Arizona Cardinals: Can they at least make that Week 18 home matchup with San Francisco one for the division title? It'll be hard considering the talent delta between the two teams, but it looks as though this team has the recipe to contend long-term. Los Angeles Rams: They're again recovering from a slow start just enough to contend for the playoffs, but the ceiling is pretty obvious barring some magic from Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.
Feels like purgatory when you've recently won a Super Bowl, I'd imagine. San Francisco 49ers: How effective will Christian McCaffrey be out of the gate? And keep in mind he wasn't the only key guy this team was missing. The path is still there, but the schedule is tougher than that of an Arizona team that has less to lose.
Seattle Seahawks: They're still just a game out of first place and anything can happen in this division, but it also feels like there's a limit to what they can do with Geno Smith and a vulnerable defense. They've now lost five of six, and their season will likely go one of two ways in post-bye meetings with San Francisco and Arizona..
