2024 B/R NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Entering Week 1? (2024)

The time has finally come. The NFL offseason is over.

No more scouting combine. No more NFL draft. No more OTAs or minicamp or training camp or preseason games where the starters barely play. No more speculation about which team improved the most or which squad took the biggest hit from a personnel standpoint.

No more comparing teams on paper. Now, it's time to settle it on the field.

Week 1 is here.

Thursday's season opener features a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game when the Baltimore Ravens face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. The following evening, two NFC heavyweights will clash when the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers go at it in the first-ever NFL game in Brazil. By the time the New York Jets travel to battle the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers Monday night, all 32 NFL teams will have seen their first game action of 2024.

Those games will challenge what we think we know about the NFL this season. And it's entirely possible that come one week from now, these Power Rankings will look much different than this final preseason set.

It's the dawn of a new era in New England...sort of.

Sunday in Cincinnati, the Patriots will take the field for a regular-season game with a head coach not named Bill Belichick for the first time since 2000. The team will also have a new quarterback.

However, that quarterback will not be rookie third overall pick Drake Maye. Jerod Mayo named veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett the Week 1 starter. Mayo told reporters it was the right choice for the franchise.

"There are a lot of factors that led to this choice," Mayo said. "The hard part is thinking in the short term and the long term at the same time. As an organization, though, we feel like Jacoby gives us our best chance to win right now. As an organization, we are 100 percent behind Jacoby."

Knox is inclined to agree.

"As a fan," he said, "I really wish Jerod Mayo would have named Drake Maye as the Week 1 starter instead of Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots haven't really made for a fun watch since, maybe, Mac Jones' unexpected rookie campaign three years ago. The results might not be great, but it sure would be a joy to see Maye go out there, run around and do his thing."

"Mayo made the right decision, though, because New England still has arguably the worst offensive supporting cast in the NFL," he continued. "Maye might actually give the Patriots a better chance to win, but Brissett is an experienced pro who has served as a placeholder before. There's no reason to risk cracking the rookie's confidence with a brutal early schedule that includes games against the Bengals, Seahawks, Jets, 49ers, Dolphins and Texans. We may not see Maye start until late October. We won't see a playoff-relevant Patriots team until at least 2025."

It seems like a decade ago that the New York Giants were making a surprise playoff run that resulted in Coach of the Year honors for Brian Daboll and a fat contract extension for quarterback Daniel Jones.

That was followed by a dismal 2023 season in which Jones got hurt and the offense imploded. Now, with running back Saquon Barkley gone and rookie wideout Malik Nabers in the Big Apple as his new No. 1 receiver, Jones told reporters that he's confident the Giants offense will be considerably better in 2024.

"We're trying to score a lot of touchdowns," Jones said. "We're trying to throw them. We're trying to run them. We're trying to score a lot of points. (I'm) always trying to protect the ball and try to create explosive plays. That doesn't mean we're going to be cautious. We're going to take chances, but I've always placed a high importance on protecting the ball."

Moton isn't brimming with confidence that New York's offense will take the leap forward Jones is hoping for.

"The Giants come into the season with most people outside their fanbase expecting them to be among the league's worst because of their offense," he wrote. "Daniel Jones probably has one more year to prove he's Big Blue's franchise quarterback; he has to do it with three new starting offensive linemen and rookie wideout Malik Nabers, who's the team's most dynamic playmaker."

"As Jones attempts to jell with new teammates, the Giants could stumble right out of the gate," Moton went on. "In the NFC East, they will look up at the playoff-contending Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles while watching the Washington Commanders rise with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels."

The 2023 season was a disaster for the Carolina Panthers—a two-win debacle that saw head coach Frank Reich fired in-season. Now, however, after an offseason where the Panthers upgraded Bryce Young's passing-game weapons, there are expectations of marked improvement from the first overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Per Ryan Gaydos of Fox News, young said the only expectations he's worried about are those placed on the team by his teammates and coaches.

"The goals are always trying to work toward something and capture what's tangible and the goals we set within the building and the goals we have for ourselves are really what I base things on," Young said. "I listen to people in the building. I listen to my teammates and my coaches."

Davenport sees a Panthers team that should be better—but one that ways to go to become a factor in the NFC South.

"Carolina is bound to be better in 2024, if only because there's nowhere to go but up," he said. "The addition of veteran Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette were desperately needed upgrades at wide receiver, and once youngster Jonathon Brooks is healthy, he could provide an explosiveness that was sorely lacking from last year's 20th-ranked ground game."

"But," Davenport continued. "Brooks will miss at least the season's first few games as he recovers from an ACL tear. Despite spending big on the interior of the offensive line in the offseason, that unit remains a question mark. And there are potential issues at all three levels of the defense. The Panthers probably won't go 2-15 again, but six or seven wins is probably the best-case scenario."

It has been a while since the Arizona Cardinals have been a factor in the NFC West—largely because it has been a while since the team had quarterback Kyler Murray for an entire season. Murray tore his ACL in 2022 and lost a chunk of last season as well as he rehabbed the injury.

Now the 27-year-old is healthy again, and the Cardinals gave Murray a new No. 1 wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr., who was the first non-quarterback selected in this year's draft. ESPN's Dan Graziano believes we could see a vastly improved Arizona offense this year—in fact, he said the Redbirds could crack the top 10 offensively.

"I've heard nothing but positives about quarterback Kyler Murray, which is a far cry from what we were hearing out of Arizona a couple of years ago. The Cardinals were 10th in offensive EPA, 10th in yards per play (5.6) and second in rushing yards per game (152.8) last season after Murray returned from his 2022 season-ending injury in Week 10, and adding receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. this year should be a massive boost to the passing game. Murray has now had a fully healthy offseason in Drew Petzing's offense, and based on what it looked like with him at quarterback in the second half of last season, there's plenty of reason for optimism on that side of the ball. The defense might be a problem, but the offense in Arizona could be a lot of fun to watch."

Saying the defense might be a problem is an understatement—the team was 25th in yards allowed in 2023, and only the Washington Commanders gave up more points. That's going to ramp up the pressure on that improved offense.

And we could be looking at a lot of shootouts in the desert this season.

The Denver Broncos have been searching for a franchise quarterback ever since Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset at the conclusion of Super Bowl 50. After two so-so seasons with Russell Wilson at the helm, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has handed the reins to the offense to rookie Bo Nix.

Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey told reporters that he has been impressed with how quickly Nix has assumed a leadership role in Denver.

"I don't know if it's a specific example, but the rapid improvement has been super impressive to me, from OTAs when he first got here in May to where he's at now," McGlinchey said. "He's a different football player, and it's a great sense of who he is as a pro, who he is as a competitor, to learn that fast and put himself in a position to lead our football team."

Moton thinks the Nix-led Broncos might just surprise some people this season.

"The Broncos may exceed any low expectations," he wrote. "Rookie first-round quarterback Bo Nix played against backups in the exhibition games. Still, he also looks ready for regular-season action under head coach and offensive play-caller Sean Payton. Every year as a head coach, Payton has won at least seven games in a season. In 2023, he helped a declining Russell Wilson post respectable passing numbers (26 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 66.4 percent completion rate). Let's hold off on comparing Nix to Drew Brees, but his collegiate experience should speed up the learning process in the pros and having Payton in his ear certainly helps him."

As is the case with most of the teams toward the bottom of these power rankings, the Tennessee Titans face a number of sizable questions in 2024. Will Levis is hardly a proven commodity under center. With Derrick Henry gone, a Titans run game that was the offense's backbone for years is a far less certain commodity.

The Titans ran the table in the preseason, but new head coach Brian Callahan made it clear to reporters that once the team takes the field in Chicago on Sunday, that won't matter much.

"Potential doesn't really mean much," Callahan said. "We've got to prove it, and we've got to prove it every week. I think we leave training camp in a good spot. We've got a lot to work on still. We've got a lot to work on in a lot of areas. But I think to cap training camp and the preseason in the way we did, it shows we've got a chance to be competitive."

Knox has his doubts about just how much better these Titans will be, though.

"I think the Titans will be a whole lot more fun to watch than they were a year ago," he said. I don't think they'll be particularly good. Tennessee added several notable players this offseason, but it felt a lot more like a grab-bag shopping spree than a targeted approach. I have major concerns about the offensive line—though, snagging Bill Callahan to coach it was a massive win—and questions about Brian Callahan's ability to initiate a quick turnaround."

"DeMeco Ryans quickly brought a culture shift to Houston last season, of course, but I think we're going to see more of a slow burn in Tennessee," Knox continued. "We should find out within the first few weeks whether the Titans have found a coach who can elevate Will Levis or whether Callahan's ascent was merely a product of coaching Joe Burrow. The Titans will open on the road against an improved Bears team before hosting the Jets and Packers."

It's time for Minshew Mania in Sin City.

The Las Vegas Raiders will open the 2024 season with veteran Gardner Minshew as the team's starting quarterback.

While speaking to the media, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said that Minshew has embraced a leadership role on offense—and it hasn't gone unnoticed in the Raiders locker room.

"Yeah, he's a football junkie," Pierce said. "We always talk about Maxx [Crosby] and Christian [Wilkins] about being the first guys in the building, but he's not too far behind. And he stays late, and he's done a lot of things without a lot of hype and things that we talk about throughout the building that's starting to show up a little bit. And I think our team is really taking notice of that."

What Moton took notice of was the fact that while Minshew won the starting job, he didn't do so with a flawless preseason.

"The Raiders have grit and swagger on defense, a plethora of playmaking pass-catchers and an offensive line that will return four familiar faces," he said. "But the Raiders' quarterback room will make you wince with concern. Gardner Minshew beat out Aidan O'Connell for the starting job, completing 48.5 percent of his passes against mostly backups in the preseason. Sure, Minshew didn't have key players in the huddle either, but he struggled with his accuracy and ball placement against reserves in mostly basic defensive schemes. Minshew will take the Raiders on a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but the coaching staff may want to get off this ride midway through the season."

If Minshew struggles out of the gate, it won't take until mid-season for fans to start clamoring for O'Connell.

The Minnesota Vikings are in an unenviable position entering the 2024 season—trying to talk themselves into believing that Sam Darnold can be a viable starting quarterback all year long.

It's not like they have much choice with rookie J.J. McCarthy out for the year with a torn meniscus—Darnold is "the guy" in the Twin Cities. Still, there are those like renowned quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer who believe Darnold could surprise his naysayers this year.

"I am really excited to see Sam Darnold, finally in a good situation," Palmer said on The Rich Eisen Show. "Stats are stats, numbers are numbers, but I think it's hard to argue, he's been in tough spot after tough spot after tough spot, impossible to succeed type spots. I think that context last year, now entering a new locker room, Kevin O'Connell, some great pieces obviously in that huddle with him and some coaches that have won. I am just excited to see him in that situation and expectations are really high."

Darnold does have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to throw to. And Minnesota's offensive line is ranked as a top-10 unit in some circles. But the Vikings have as many questions as answers on a defense that was terrible against the pass last year, and Sobleski just isn't buying that Darnold will turn things around.

"Kevin O'Connell is an excellent offensive mind. But no one is going into the 2024 season with the belief that Sam Darnold will resurrect his career, remind everyone why he was the the third overall pick in the '18 draft and lead the Vikings past the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and possibly even the Chicago Bears in the NFC North," he said. J.J. McCarthy's unfortunate, season-ending torn meniscus in his right knee placed a damper on the upcoming season. The Vikings may have a franchise quarterback on the roster, but fans won't get to see him until next year."

"Otherwise, Minnesota can be competitive when considering the other talent found on the roster (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Harrison Smith, etc.)," he went on. "Still, it may not be enough if the quarterback play isn't up to par."

A new day is dawning in the nation's capital in 2024. There's new ownership in Washington. A new head coach in Dan Quinn. And a new quarterback the team hopes will lead the Commanders for years to come in rookie Jayden Daniels.

Daniels told reporters he's anxious to take the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he's also aware that there are going to be bumps in the road as he acclimates to the NFL.

"I'll just go out there and just play ball," Daniels said. "To be able to have the opportunity to go out there and play my first professional football game in the regular season, it's going to mean a lot — not only for me for but my family. It's not going to be a finished product Week 1, but just try to get better and go out there and go through some growing pains. You know you're a rookie. You're not going to have everything perfect. You can strive for perfection, but it's not going to be perfect. It's going to be ups and downs."

There will undoubtedly be those ups and downs in 2024. But Sobleski believes the Commanders have the talent to surprise some folks this season.

"Of any squad lower on this list, the Commanders should be the most excited about the upcoming season," he said. "They have the most potential to be this year's version of the Houston Texans. The Commanders have a young, dynamic quarterback in Daniels. General manager Adam Peters upgraded the offensive line. The defense has legit talent at all three levels. Plus, new head coach Dan Quinn should be the perfect voice to stabilize the locker room."

"Furthermore," Sobleski continued, "the NFC East isn't exactly a powerhouse group this season, with the Dallas Cowboys still dealing with Dak Prescott's contract, the Philadelphia Eagles needing a turnaround after their late-season collapse and the New York Giants not having any identity whatsoever."

The New Orleans Saints were in the hunt in the NFC South right up until the end of the 2023 season. But thanks to the team's annually precarious position relative to the salary cap, the Saints team we see in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers will look a lot like the one that spent most of last year hovering around .500.

Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters he knows his team isn't without flaws. But at this point, teams are who they are—for better or worse.

"You're always looking for ways you can improve the roster," Allen said. "But the reality is that when you get to this point, there's not a lot of options that come available. There are a few moves to take place, but for the most part, this is who we're going to battle with."

Davenport sees a team that is stuck where no team really wants to be—mired in mediocrity.

"The Saints don't have the worst roster in the NFC South by any stretch. Whether it's wide receiver Chris Olave and running back Alvin Kamara on offense or underrated edge-rusher Carl Granderson and cornerback Marshon Lattimore on defense, the Saints have enough talent to compete in what may well be the league's weakest division."

But in many ways, veteran quarterback Derek Carr is the embodiment of the Saints. He might be good enough to get New Orleans to 8-9 wins, but he isn't leading this flawed team on a deep playoff run," he continued. "The Saints might actually be better off if they had one disastrous season that earned them a top-five pick. Once you're stuck in the Jeff Fisher Zone, it can be hard to stop the cycle of 'meh.'"

When Sunday's slate of games kicks off, one of the most closely watched will be in Chicago, where the Bears will host the Tennessee Titans.

There isn't a team in the league that underwent a bigger offensive transformation in the offseason than the Bears. Veteran wideout Keenan Allen. Rookie Rome Odunze. Running back D'Andre Swift. And of course, first overall pick Caleb Williams. Bears GM Ryan Poles told reporters the team added all that talent around Williams for one reason—to help him succeed.

"I want him to lean on the talent around him," Poles said. "Then when the time is right, and that's an instinctual thing, and that's when you do the special and balancing that. Sometimes it's going to get out of whack one way or the other but always come back to that, that neutral place is where he's at his best. I think he has that just from studying him and watching years of tape on him. I think that's the big thing is just lean on the guys around him, be instinctual, let those 'wow' plays happen at the right time, we saw it a bit in the preseason, it's going to be important."

However, Davenport questions how long the honeymoon will last if Williams and the Bears get off to a slow start.

"Williams' talent is undeniable, and the Bears have certainly surrounded him with a better supporting cast than Justin Fields ever had," he said. "But this is a franchise that has never had a 4,000-yard passer. Never. Not once. Williams' final season in college was a roller-coaster of jaw-dropping plays and terrible decisions. If he makes too many of the latter, the losses start piling up and Jayden Daniels starts hot in Washington, all the excitement could turn to consternation by Halloween."

You may have noticed a theme with the teams so far in these Power Rankings. Most have undergone fairly seismic changes, whether it's a new head coach, a new quarterback or both.

In Los Angeles, that change comes by way of the arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh. It's an arrival that college football analyst (and former Michigan legend) Charles Woodson said will pay massive dividends for the Bolts.

"Everywhere he's been, he's won," Woodson said. "So, he definitely knows how to win, knows how to put a team together. And the moves that he made in terms of bringing in two running backs, guys that are going to be able to help carry the load in terms of the offense, and Herbert not having to throw the ball a hundred times a game. You know what I mean, he's going to -- he's going to create that balance. The thing is, the biggest thing for this team is having that balance on the offense to where Herbert doesn't feel like he's always got to bail them out. At the end of the game and throwing the ball all over the field. So, I think he's going to bring that smash-mouth element to the game, but also allow Herbert to do his thing as well."

Moton expects Harbaugh to succeed in his second NFL stint—provided that the team's lack of skill-position talent doesn't come back to bite them.

"We'll find out what the Chargers are all about under head coach Jim Harbaugh, though we should already know based on his track record over the past 13 years with the San Francisco 49ers and at Michigan," he said. "Like his previous teams, Harbaugh's 2024 Chargers will be a physical squad that looks to dominate in the trenches. No one should be surprised that Los Angeles selected offensive tackle Joe Alt with the fifth pick in this year's draft and kept edge-rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa."

"Alt will not only protect Justin Herbert, but he'll also open up running lanes for Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins," Moton went on. "The Chargers' biggest obstacle will be keeping their key players healthy. Herbert just returned to practice from a foot injury. Bosa recently underwent surgery on his broken hand. Edwards and Dobbins have missed a significant number of games over the last three years."

The Indianapolis Colts are a hard team to get a bead on. There's certainly talent on the roster, whether it's quarterback Anthony Richardson and wideout Michael Pittman Jr. on offense or edge-rusher Kwity Paye and linebacker Zaire Franklin on defense. Indy almost made the playoffs last year despite Richardson missing most of the season.

While speaking to an Indianapolis radio station recently, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky stated the obvious—keeping Richardson on the field has to be priority No. 1 in 2024.

"I think number one, he's a remarkable talent, both physically and football intelligence. So you take this unbelievably, uniquely talented person, and last year in the moments that he played, you saw those flashes in those first three or four games. Now the reality is, Anthony has got to play, he's got to get reps. He was obviously a young man that started a short period of time at Florida, and then gets hurt in his rookie season, so the worst-case scenario is that you fall into that Trey Lance-type of experience where, you are this really physically gifted player, but you don't play enough snaps in a pivotal time period which is kind of like your 18-25-year-old stretch as a quarterback because you develop so much in your understanding of the game, so Anthony has got to get playing consistently here."

Per Sobleski, staying healthy isn't the only pressure on Richardson this fall.

"Anthony Richardson, come on down! Don't worry, the Colts' season doesn't hinge on one player. Or does it? Obviously, Indianapolis has a lot invested in last year's fourth overall draft pick," he said. "Richardson's upside is limitless. But growing pains should be expected. As much of a weapon as the Colts quarterback can be, he's going to make mistakes because he's only played in 16 games over the past two seasons. He needs time, patience and development. Despite the setup, flashes (and wins) are still expected, especially with a supporting cast that includes running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., a host of big, athletic tight ends and a good offensive line."

It has been a long time since the Seattle Seahawks opened a season with a head coach not named Pete Carroll prowling the sideline. But when the Seahawks play host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, it will be with Mike Macdonald leading the franchise.

The coaching change came despite the Seahawks winning nine games and narrowly missing the playoffs. But while Macdonald should earn some slack in his first season with the team, quarterback Geno Smith is on a much shorter leash. Smith was Comeback Player of the Year in 2022, but he regressed significantly last year after getting a lucrative extension.

Macdonald told reporters that despite those struggles last year, he has every confidence Smith can get Seattle back in the playoffs.

"A tremendous amount of faith," Macdonald said. "I mean, the whole thing revolves around the QB, and, he's our quarterback. And we're excited that he is. Quarterback, obviously, is the most important position, but just like anybody that's going to go out there, I don't see how you could put someone out there that you don't have 100 percent faith in. And, they've earned this opportunity, but Geno (Smith), most importantly, he's right there, leading the charge."

Knox sees a team with problems and potential in equal measure.

"Seattle is a hard team to forecast, because it's hard to know how Mike Macdonald will fare in his first go as a head coach," he said. "I do think he'll bring some improvement to a defense that ranked 30th overall last season. That alone might be enough to put the Seahawks back in the playoff conversation."

"It's easy to forget that Seattle won nine games last season despite having a bad defense and one of the worst interior offensive lines in the league," Knox wrote. "I have the Seahawks just outside of the playoff picture entering Week 1, mostly due to the coaching unknowns—offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is getting his first NFL opportunity. However, Seattle faces the league's seventh-easiest schedule (tied), and I won't be shocked if it is a significant factor in the NFC West this season."

The Jacksonville Jaguars head into 2024 with one overriding goal—erase the stink of a late-season collapse that saw the team go from 8-3 and vying for the AFC's top seed to 9-8 and out of the postseason altogether.

Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor told reporters that quarterback Trevor Lawrence appears to have taken that goal to heart this year.

"Trevor just continues to grow every single year within the offense, just within playing quarterback, leading this team, being the face of the franchise," Taylor said. "Just to see him grow and step into what I think he would feel is naturally ahead for him has been really cool to see. I think he's just going to continue to get better every single day."

Davenport sees the Jags as a team that could surprise some folks in 2024.

"In theory, most of the pieces are in place for the Jags," he said. "Lawrence might never be a top-five quarterback, but he's an above-average NFL starter. He has at least a decent array of weapons at his disposal. Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen (someone got tired of being confused with a certain quarterback) have the potential to be one of the best edge-rushers in the NFL. Foyesade Oluokun is one of the best linebackers in the league no one talks about."

"If the offensive line holds up," Davenport continued, "the Jaguars are a good enough team to make things interesting in the AFC South. It wasn't that long ago they were viewed as the runaway favorites in the division."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quietly won the NFC South in three straight seasons. Last year in the Wild Card Round, the Bucs flattened the Philadelphia Eagles. But Tampa gets very little mention as a contender in the NFC.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield played a big part in last year's success, turning a career season into a three-year, $115 million extension. But while Mayfield's bank account may look better now, he told reporters he's well aware it also comes with increased expectations.

"Honestly, winning is the most important thing for a quarterback," he said. "It doesn't matter how you get it done. It doesn't matter what it looks like. However, you get that done, however you get that turned around from where we were at is the most important part."

The Buccaneers have quite a bit going for them. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are one of the best veteran wideout duos in the game. When linebacker Lavonte David does decide to call it a career, it will start the timer on his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. established himself as one of the NFL's best at his position last year.

But no team in the NFL was worse running the ball in 2023 than the Buccaneers. With the departure of Shaquil Barrett, the edge-rushers in Tampa are unproven youngsters. The offensive line is average, although young additions inside could bolster that unit.

The Buccaneers could absolutely win a fourth straight division title. But even in an NFC South that isn't exactly loaded, there isn't much margin for error.

It seems odd to call an 11-win season a "failure," especially when you consider that it's the most regular-season wins the Browns have amassed since re-entering the NFL in 1999. But the Browns were waxed by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round, and two years in the Deshaun Watson trade and contract looks like arguably the biggest boondoggle in NFL history.

As Yahoo's Frank Schwab wrote, there isn't a player in the league with more pressure on them to succeed in 2024.

"Here are the stakes: Either Watson plays well this season, or we can start talking about the Browns' trade for him being the worst in NFL history. And his contract, which was reportedly restructured this week, being one of the worst in NFL history. Watson hasn't come close to living up to what Cleveland gave up for him in a trade or his $230 million fully guaranteed contract. He has had legitimate excuses, but those are going to wear very thin in Year 3 if he plays poorly again. He's coming off shoulder surgery and that could affect him, but the Browns can't wait forever to see a return on their investment. If Watson struggles again, the Browns are going to have to figure out what to do with him and his ridiculous contract that now has them looking at a $72.9 million cap hit for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The Browns have the type of roster that can win a Super Bowl. They need their quarterback to be at that level too."

Maybe it's because he's a lifelong Browns fan, but Davenport isn't optimistic.

"There's a reason that Jameis Winston was brought to Cleveland," he said. "The Browns will never admit it, but at this point even they realize that the Watson deal is a disaster. This is absolutely a playoff-caliber roster, even with Winston at quarterback and running back Nick Chubb still sidelined. Cleveland's defense and offensive lines are as good as any in the NFL. But their status as a Super Bowl contender hinges on Watson turning back the clock to 2020—and we have seen absolutely nothing to indicate that will happen. Winston will more likely than not be starting by midseason, and at some point, Cleveland will have to blow the team up because of Watson's abomination of a contract."

Well, you can't say the Atlanta Falcons didn't attack the quarterback position this offseason.

In addition to handing Kirk Cousins $45 million a season over four years to become Atlanta's starter, the Falcons stunned fans and pundits alike when they also used a top-10 draft pick on Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.

Cousins, whose 2023 season was cut short by an Achilles tear, told reporters that he believes the Falcons have a chance to make some real noise this season.

"I look around here in training camp, and I think we have a chance is basically the language I would use," Cousins said. "We have a chance, we have the pieces that give us a chance to do something, and now we gotta go see if we can do it."

Sobleski is inclined to agree with him.

"On paper, the Falcons have everything they need to be a division winner and postseason contender," he said. "Whether everything comes together has yet to be seen. Quarterback is hopefully settled after making a massive free-agent investment in Cousins, then doubling down (rightly or wrongly) by selecting Penix with this year's eighth overall draft pick. Competent quarterback play should allow tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson to reach their full potential. General manager Terry Fontenot added wide receiver Darnell Mooney as well. The amount of talent found on Atlanta's offense alone should make the Falcons extremely dangerous this fall."

If the additions of veterans Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons make a similar impact at edge-rusher and safety, then this Falcons team could be Atlanta's best in some time.

But we also can't pretend there aren't a lot of "ifs" involved with this squad.

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't had a losing season since 2003. But they also haven't won a playoff game since 2016—and that's not going to cut it in the Steel City.

The dominant storyline in Pittsburgh this summer was the quarterback battle between newcomers Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. It kept sportswriters and radio hosts alike busy with speculation and pontifications, but in the end, it essentially turned out as expected—Wilson will start the season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

For Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Wilson's resume and experience was one of the deciding factors.

"Russ' resume is a unique one in terms of length and success," Tomlin told reporters. "That tends to play a factor in the decision-making, not from a decision-making perspective, that's just the fruit of his labor. He's seen a lot and done a lot, and I think it was reflected in the way he played and conducted himself."

Wilson's stats last year in Denver were solid. The 35-year-old completed over 66 percent of his passes with 26 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions. But in the Mile High City at least, those stats didn't equate to wins—just 11 in his 30 starts for the Broncos.

There are question marks in Pittsburgh, too. The wide receivers behind George Pickens aren't especially imposing, and the offensive line has been an issue for years. But with solid quarterback play, the Steelers could be right back in the thick of the AFC North race.

If they don't get it from Wilson in short order, it won't take long for fans to start blowing up call-in lines to ask when Fields will get his shot.

There isn't a team in the NFL more eager to hit the reset button than the New York Jets. Last summer's hype and hope lasted all of one series before quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles. Just like that, the sad sack Jets were back.

Now Rodgers is a 40-year-old quarterback attempting a return from a major injury. While his legacy may be secure, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports wrote that doesn't mean Rodgers doesn't have a lot to prove in 2024.

"Rodgers has little to prove from a career perspective; he's already a safe bet for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the game's most accomplished precision passers. In terms of late-stage legacy, however, it all boils down to whether he can live up to the Super Bowl aspirations that instantly flooded into New Jersey upon his trade from the Green Bay Packers in 2023. Going on 41, coming off an Achilles tear that robbed him of all but four snaps in his Gang Green debut, Rodgers is looking to show the world once and for all that he's still got gas in the tank as the headlining leader of a playoff-caliber lineup."

In Moton's opinion, Rodgers isn't the only person in New York with something on the line this year.

"The Jets' current regime will be under pressure from the opening week of the season," he said. Gang Green will travel to face the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. The Jets have seven standalone games (six prime-time matchups) before their Week 12 bye."

"With or without Haason Reddick, who's holding out for a new contract," he went on, "the Jets enter a win-or-get-fired campaign. If they miss the playoffs, the coaching staff, general manager Joe Douglas and even Aaron Rodgers would face an uncertain future. With its collective roster talent, Gang Green should make the playoffs with at least 10 wins, but if not, say goodbye to its current administration."

Luckily, nothing ever goes wrong for the Jets. So everything should be fine.

Nothing is ever boring in Dallas, and the 2024 offseason was no exception.

It's not that there were massive personnel changes in Big D. Quite the opposite—with little cap space and three massive extensions staring them in the face, the Cowboys essentially did nothing.

But those extensions kept things hopping in Dallas. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb spent most of the summer away from the team before only just recently inking a four-year, $136 million pact. Quarterback Dak Prescott and edge-rusher Micah Parsons are with the team, but they don't have their mega-deals...yet.

While talking to the Associated Press (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk), Prescott sounded like a player who may be playing out the string in Dallas before moving on in 2025.

"I'm blessed to play this game," said Prescott, who counts $55 million against the team's cap this season. "I'm getting paid a lot of money to do it. I've already got paid. To get paid again, that's just part of it. I'm due up for that whether it's signing here or whether it's somewhere else that I don't care to think about at this moment. It's all part of it. For me, it's like I said, it's about controlling what I can and being the best version of myself, best leader and make sure all these guys in here understand that we're on a mission. It's not about next year right now. It's not about my contract. It's not about anything but getting ready for Game 1 against the Browns. Simple as that."

For Knox, the Super Bowl window in Dallas may well already be closed.

"The Cowboys probably have enough talent to get back to the playoffs in 2024," he said, "but after watching them mishandle pretty much every aspect of the offseason, I have serious doubts about them being a legitimate threat."

"Getting Lamb to finally show up was a smart, albeit late, decision," Knox continued. "I don't think adding Dalvin Cook to the practice squad will do much for what might be the most underwhelming backfield in the NFL, however. The defense should still be above average, but with DaRon Bland set to miss significant time (foot), it could have some early struggles. The offense is likely to be very one-dimensional, and so, it's going to take a career year from Dak Prescott to get this team where it wants to be. My guess is that Dallas is looking at a very different team in 2025."

It seems a bit odd to call a team that won the Super Bowl not that long ago a "surprise" playoff team in 2023. But that's what the Los Angeles Rams were. Now the team has to try to figure out how to improve on last year's 10 wins without arguably the greatest defensive tackle of all time.

For Sobleski, that's the $64,000 question for the Rams in 2024—how to replace the great Aaron Donald.

"The most interesting aspect of the Rams' season is what life will be like without Donald," he said. "To be fair, the organization wisely reinvested in its defensive front by selecting edge-defender Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske in this year's first and second rounds, respectively, to go along with last year's standout rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young."

"Despite all of that talent," he continued, "the Rams can't replace the greatest defender of his generation, if not of all time. Opponents will do a lot differently. Sean McVay is brilliant offensively. But how L.A. transitions in the defensive trenches could be the biggest difference whether this squad returns to the postseason."

Trading the team's leading tackler from a year ago (linebacker Ernest Jones IV) probably won't help matters.

The attrition on defense ramps up the pressure on the Rams offense, but it's a unit that isn't short on talent. Running back Kyren Williams and wide receiver Puka Nacua were both surprise stars in 2023, with the latter breaking a 60-year-old record for receiving yards by a rookie. Matthew Stafford is arguably the most underrated quarterback of his generation.

For the Rams to challenge the 49ers for supremacy in the NFC West, a lot of players on both sides of the ball are going to have to step up.

On one hand, the Miami Dolphins appear to have all the talent necessary to not only make the playoffs but also do damage in them. The team's skill-position players are fast, faster and ridiculously fast. The defense has talent at all three levels, whether it's Jaelan Phillips on the edge, the newly acquired Jordyn Brooks at linebacker or Jalen Ramsey in the secondary.

But while the Dolphins have made the postseason each of the past two seasons, the team hasn't won a playoff game since 2000—the longest active drought without a postseason victory in the NFL.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel wasn't shy about reminding both players and coaches about the drought this offseason.

"You get what you emphasize," McDaniel told reporters. "Well, why not find ways to emphasize finishing in everything you do? Obsess about it. Why not have for half the offseason, you're trying to have staff meetings at different times during the day. I had every staff meeting I put at like 7:24 or 3:24 or 5:24—the number 24. To you guys, it means nothing. That's how many years it's been since the organization has won a playoff game. We are going to hear about that come playoff time. You think? So, to me, you do that to empower guys to know what's coming. To understand it, to not run from it. Because if you're going to achieve success where people are predicting failure, you're going to have to go above and beyond."

Davenport has his doubts about how far these Dolphins will go in 2024.

"Could their long streak without a playoff win end? Yes," he said. "Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should certainly be motivated to put his best foot forward after getting $53 million and change a year from Miami. And when he plays well, the Dolphins offense can be terrifying. But Miami's top two edge-rushers are both coming off major injuries, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is gone and there are questions on the back end. The AFC is a meat-grinder filled with high-end quarterbacks, and I don't think the Dolphins defense can hold up against the conference's best."

The Buffalo Bills have owned the AFC East in recent years with four straight division titles. But the team has made just one AFC title game over that span, and three of those postseason runs have been ended by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now the team is coming off an offseason that was...let's go with bumpy. Buffalo's top two receivers from last year (Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs) are gone, replaced by the likes of veteran Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman. After years holding down the back of the Buffalo defense, veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are also elsewhere. Linebacker Matt Milano is potentially out for the season after tearing his biceps.

While speaking to reporters, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that while those personnel losses sting, the team feels it has players on the roster willing to step up and fill the void.

"You never replace people like [Diggs], players like that. No two players or people are the same," McDermott said. "It's an opportunity for people to take on new roles, to stretch themselves a little bit. To hold people accountable for somebody else. I think a big piece of this is, you don't just hire leaders or bring in leaders. You're developing leaders the whole time."

Any team led by Josh Allen is going to be a tough out. But in a loaded AFC, Davenport wonders if the Bills lost one player too many this offseason.

"Don't get me wrong," he said. "The Bills are still obviously a playoff contender and may well still be the class of the AFC East. But the Chiefs added wide receiver talent in the offseason. The Baltimore Ravens added a potential nightmare for opposing defenses in running back Derrick Henry. And the Bills added—not a lot."

"Frankly, losing the likes of Poyer and Milano on defense could be even bigger hits," Davenport continued. "Both are longtime leaders on that side of the ball—guys who made sure people are where they are supposed to be and rally the troops when things aren't going ideally. The gap between the Chiefs and Bills looks to have widened. The gap between the Bills, Dolphins and Jets has narrowed. Neither is good news in Western New York."

The Pack is back, baby!

Did they ever really go anywhere?

From all indications, Green Bay's amazing run of quarterback play is going to continue for a good long while. First it was Brett Favre. Then Aaron Rodgers. Now Jordan Love is on the cusp of ascending into superstardom. The Packers saw enough from Love to extend him this offseason, and wide receiver Romeo Doubs told reporters that Love isn't just wealthier as he enters his second season as starter.

He's dialed in.

"The mindset is different. I mean, he just comes in every day, and he works," Doubs said. "I can't really specify what he does different, other than his experience growing as a player and as a person. I'm just glad I get to be a part of that."

The Detroit Lions are the favorites in the NFC North (never won't be weird writing that), but Moton believes anyone counting the Packers out does so at their own peril.

"Love will be in the MVP race this year," Moton said. "He has a proven head coach in Matt LaFleur, a pass-catching group that can feature any one of four immensely talented young wide receivers and an offensive line that can continue its collective growth with four returning starters. The Packers added 2022 rushing champion Josh Jacobs and hired former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley to replace coordinator Joe Barry, who led an underachieving defense. Green Bay is built to challenge the Lions in the NFC North."

Man has a point.

So long as he wears a hat, no one will notice.

After 11 games last season, the Philadelphia Eagles had one loss. The Eagles didn't just look like the best team in the NFC East. Or the best team in the NFC. Philly appeared to be the best team in the NFL, and it wasn't close.

From there? The wheels fell completely off—the Eagles won one more game, Dallas surged past them and claimed the division and Philadelphia was embarrassed on the road in the Wild Card Round. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hasn't forgotten that collapse, but per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports the 26-year-old said he learned from the debacle.

"I'm in a better place, yeah," Hurts said. "I think I'm in a better place physically. I obviously had some nicks there throughout the year, but you deal with those things. And all of those things have made me better. They've made me reevaluate some things, and they've allowed me to reassess, and I've been able to saturate myself in the right things."

The Eagles are loaded—Saquon Barkley joined a skill-position group replete with talent, Philly's offensive line is as good as any in the game and Devin White should provide a badly-needed boost at linebacker. But after how 2023 ended, Knox has his doubts this team can make it all the way to New Orleans and Super Bowl LIX.

"Games aren't won on paper, and the Eagles' 2023 collapse certainly left a lasting impression," he wrote. "However, Philadelphia made the bold decision to shake things up this offseason, hiring new offensive and defensive coordinators and taking an aggressive approach to reloading the roster."

"My big concern with Philly," Knox continued, "is that Jalen Hurts simply couldn't find a way to beat the blitz late last season, and every opposing defensive coordinator knew it. If new OC Kellen Moore, RB Saquon Barkley and new WR3 Jahan Dotson don't help remedy the situation, the Eagles could be in trouble. I still think they're the team to beat in the NFC East, though, and a home playoff game is a good way to start a postseason run."

The 2023 season is one the Cincinnati Bengals would as soon forget. Quarterback Joe Burrow entered the season banged up, left it 10 games in with a wrist injury and Cincinnati missed the playoffs altogether.

"I had a lot of time coming back to think about checks against certain defenses that I like," Burrow said. "That's been a big emphasis for me over the last month and a half. I'm seeing things really well right now. The throwing part is getting better and better, each day the more reps that I get. My arm is really strong down the field right now, which I'm really happy with. That was the one thing I was worried about with this injury. I would say it's as strong as it's been in that department."

With a healthy Burrow, many have the Bengals listed as potential Super Bowl contenders. You can count Knox among them, even if he has some reservations about the team.

"I'm probably lower on Cincinnati than most," he said, "and that stems from ongoing questions about the offensive line, the ability of Joe Burrow to stay healthy and a defense that ranked 31st overall last season."

"With that said," he continued, "I still think the Bengals are one of the most dangerous teams in football. Burrow certainly looked healthy in limited preseason action, and that means a lot. Though they won nine games last season, the Bengals will also benefit from a last-place schedule. So, while the Browns, Ravens and Steelers face the three toughest schedules based on 2023 win percentage, Cincinnati's schedule is tied for the 16th-toughest. I'm putting Baltimore just a bit above Cincinnati to begin the year, but I think there's a very real chance we see the Bengals go from worst to first in the AFC North."

The Baltimore Ravens accomplished a lot in 2023. The team won 13 games and claimed the AFC's No. 1 seed. Quarterback Lamar Jackson won his second MVP award. The Ravens made it to the AFC Championship Game.

But Baltimore lost that AFC title tilt to the Kansas City Chiefs, so the Ravens enter the 2024 campaign with one overriding goal—make it to New Orleans and Super Bowl LIX. And after adding running back Derrick Henry to an already dangerous offense, Cris Collinsworth of NBC Sports expects the Ravens to be tough to stop.

"Somebody has to tackle 250 pounds of Derrick Henry, so forget about the scheme of going out there and, okay, let's add two safeties to play linebacker so that we have the speed on the field to stop Lamar Jackson," Collinsworth said. "These 220-pound safeties have to go try and tackle Derrick Henry, and he gets the ball time after time, so you take them off the field. Then there goes Zay Flowers and [Isaiah] Likely and Lamar running the ball. There's a lot to stop on this offense."

The Ravens aren't without potential issues. There are three new starters on the offensive line in 2024. The pass rush could be a question mark after the departure of Jadeveon Clowney. And for all their success over the last six years, they haven't been able to get over the postseason hump, including being eliminated three times at home.

But make no mistake, this is a team capable of a deep playoff run. And the last time the Super Bowl was in the Superdome, the Ravens emerged as champions of the NFL.

All aboard the Houston Texans hype train!

After their surprise run to the postseason last year and their blowout victory over the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card Round, there isn't a more hyped team in 2024 than the Houston Texans. Partly, that's due to an aggressive offseason that included adding proven veterans on both sides of the ball in running back Joe Mixon, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and edge-rusher Danielle Hunter.

It's also partly due to the Texans having both the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year in C.J. Stroud and Defensive Rookie of the Year in Will Anderson. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik told reporters that heading into his second season, Stroud has already become the leader of Houston's offense.

"He has no fear in asking the room a question, making a point to the room on specific plays or maybe having a message for practice," Slowik said. "He's been a lot more vocal in meetings, which is great. That's what you want your quarterback to be. He's not afraid to talk this year. I'd say he's not afraid to make sure that everyone's doing their job -- including himself, including me, including his teammates. He's definitely gonna make sure that everyone is putting in the work and doing what they need to do for us to be able to go out and execute."

"There's no denying that the Texans have talent to burn on both sides of the ball," Davenport said. "And if everything comes together in the right way, Houston appears to have all it takes to make a deep postseason run and potentially even challenge the Chiefs in the AFC. But there are a lot of new pieces in Houston as well, and those pieces will have to mesh in the right way if Houston is going to hang with the AFC's heavyweights."

For the second time in five years, the San Francisco 49ers made it all the way to the Super Bowl last year. And for the second time in five years, the Niners came up short against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

That the 49ers are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball is hardly a secret. Running back Christian McCaffrey. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Left Tackle Trent Williams. Edge-rusher Nick Bosa. Linebacker Fred Warner. That San Francisco found a Super Bowl quarterback in Brock Purdy with the last pick in the NFL draft is just...ridiculous.

But big-time stars command big-time salaries. The team just recently came to agreement with Aiyuk after a long impasse. Williams is still looking for a contract extension and likely will miss Week 1. Never mind that Purdy will be eligible for an extension in 2025.

It's going to take a lot of financial machinations to keep the band together, but general manager John Lynch told reporters he remains confident San Francisco can pull it off.

"We've got a lot of really good players, and we've rewarded a lot of good players, and that makes things tougher," Lynch said. "But I remain optimistic."

From 1 to 53, the 49ers may well be the most talented and balanced roster in the entire NFL. There aren't any glaring weaknesses. But teams like the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles aren't far behind, and San Francisco's last championship came when Bill Clinton was president.

The 49ers may be the favorites in the eyes of some in the NFC. But they aren't overwhelming favorites—or the highest-ranked NFC team here.

Eventually, the bill always comes due.

The Detroit Lions are tomato cans no more.

The Lions enter the season in a position the franchise arguably hasn't inhabited in 50 years or more. The Lions aren't merely expected to compete or win the NFC North. They are expected to win the NFC altogether. Win the Super Bowl.

Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes deserve a ton of credit for assembling a talented roster on both sides of the ball. Holmes told reporters it's because they had a shared vision for the franchise and never wavered from it.

"Just going back to Day 1, that we never wavered in our process in terms of roster building," Holmes said. "Dan and myself, we never changed our path or made a pivot in terms of each year. In terms of, 'Well, we won these games, oh so we're in this window.' We've been saying this from Day 1, we want to get better every single year. We've done that. And we plan to continue to do that."

Detroit's offense is stacked with talent. But for Sobleski, what could put the Lions over the top and into the team's first-ever Super Bowl are the improvements the team has made defensively.

"The Lions are no longer a good story," he said. "They've built expectations. Dan Campbell's squad reached the point where it's a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Aside from the Lions being one half away from making their first Super Bowl appearance last season, the current roster has a chance to be even better. The reworked secondary with Carlton Davis III, as well as top draft picks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. should drastically improve upon last year's bottom-six pass defense. Plus, a healthy DJ Reader can be a difference-maker along the defensive interior."

What? Like it was going to be anyone else.

The NFL is never short on hyperbole. But it's no stretch to call the Kansas City Chiefs a dynasty. Over the past six years, the team has played in six AFC Championships and four Super Bowls, winning three. The last time a team besides Kansas City won the AFC West, fans rode to games on horses.

OK, so maybe it hasn't been that long. But it has been a while.

In 2024, the Chiefs are attempting to make history by becoming the first time in the history of the NFL to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Tom Brady, who knows a thing or two about winning Super Bowls, told Yahoo Sports (via Paulina Dedaj of Fox News) that while he isn't about to count the Chiefs out, a three-peat is a tall ask.

"An NFL season is a marathon, and to have so many things go right over the course of a long season in terms of injuries, balls bouncing the right way, hitting teams at the right time, getting the right playoff positioning," the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said. And then you make it to the playoffs, then you gotta have the same thing happen. You gotta get the right breaks. You gotta hit the team at the right time. It's hard enough to hit one Super Bowl. It's really hard to win two. To win three in a row, I mean there's a reason why no one's ever done it. And I'm not saying it can't be done. It certainly can be done. The Chiefs have a great opportunity to do it, and I would say I would never bet against the Chiefs with their organization structured the way it is. They've got a lot of great pieces in place."

Frankly, the odds are against Kansas City pulling it off, as loaded with talent as they are. As Brady said, there's a reason no team has won three Super Bowls in a row with 58 in the books.

But until someone knocks them from the mountaintop, we can't rank any other team No. 1.