Morgan Creighton
The 2024 NFL Regular Season is now more than halfway over. A handful of teams have emerged as contenders to win the Super Bowl, while some teams have already started thinking about next year’s draft. Some players have consistently performed top-notch, but others have been disappointing. Let’s look at some studs (great teams and players) and duds (disappointing teams and players) separated by conference.
AFC
Stud: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have jumped out to a 9-1 record for first place in the AFC. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the best players in the NFL right now. He has a completion percentage of 69.5% and is averaging 240.4 passing yards per game. Kansas City completed a midseason trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to give Mahomes more players he can target. The Chiefs have consistently found ways to win games. In Week 10 against the Denver Broncos, they blocked a 35-yard go-ahead field goal as time expired to win 16-14. The Kansas City Chiefs have a good chance to become the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls in a row.
Stud: Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has led his team to a 7-4 record. His combination of passing and rushing has made life difficult for defenses facing him. Jackson is averaging 261.5 passing yards per game and has 25 passing touchdowns this season. He is averaging 6.1 rushing yards per attempt, which is the highest among all players in the NFL. His 53.1 average rushing yards per game is the highest among quarterbacks. Jackson’s strong play has made him one of the leading candidates for MVP this season.
Dud: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars finished with a 9-8 record the previous two seasons, so many fans believed that quarterback Trevor Lawrence could lead the team to a playoff spot this season. However, the Jaguars have a 2-9 record, so making the playoffs this year is almost impossible. Lawrence has struggled with a completion percentage of 61.3%. Offensive weapons like Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, and Christian Kirk have yet to deliver a breakout performance this season. Defensively, Jacksonville has allowed an average of 28.7 points per game, which is third-worst in the NFL. A dishonorable mention for the AFC team dud goes to the Tennessee Titans. They fired one of the best coaches in the NFL Mike Vrabel after last season, and now they are 2-8.
Dud: Aaron Rodgers
The oldest active player in the NFL Aaron Rodgers has had a difficult season as the quarterback of the New York Jets. Rodgers had incredible success with the Green Bay Packers, but his talent failed to show up with the Jets. Rodgers’ difficulty finding receivers combined with several poor performances by the defense has the Jets sitting at 3-8. The disappointing record resulted in the Jets firing head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.
NFC
Stud: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are in first place in the NFC with a record of 9-1. The offense has been excellent averaging a league-high 33.6 points per game. Quarterback Jared Goff has 20 passing touchdowns and is averaging 9.2 yards per passing attempt. Running back David Montgomery has 10 rushing touchdowns and Jahmyr Gibbs has 8 rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has 685 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. Detroit has also been great defensively holding opponents to only 17.7 points per game on average. Safety Kerby Joseph leads the league with 7 interceptions. Despite suffering an injury in Week 6, Aidan Hutchinson still recorded 7.5 sacks. On special teams, kicker Jake Bates is a perfect 15 for 15 kicking field goals. The Lions are in a strong position to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Stud: Jayden Daniels
Even though it’s his first season in the NFL, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been fantastic. The rookie from LSU has helped the Commanders to a 7-4 record and second place in the NFC East. Jayden Daniels is averaging 212.5 passing yards per game. He is averaging 5.2 yards per rushing attempt for sixth among all NFL players. He has an average of 43.8 rushing yards per game, which is second among quarterbacks. Daniels has emerged not only as a contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year but also for MVP.
Dud: Dallas Cowboys
Many fans of the Dallas Cowboys believed they could compete for the Super Bowl this year with players like quarterback Dak Prescott and linebacker Micah Parsons. However, the team will likely miss the playoffs as they have a record of 3-7. Prescott had a quarterback rating of only 46.9 before being sidelined due to an injury. Running back Ezekiel Elliot has struggled with an average of 3.3 yards per rush. The defense is near the bottom of the league allowing an average of 151 rushing yards per game. Head coach Mike McCarthy may be in danger of losing his job if the losses keep piling up.
Dud: Daniel Jones
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has struggled this year. His quarterback rating is 46.8 which places him 29th in the league. Jones has a completion percentage of 63.3%. He has thrown 7 interceptions but only 8 passing touchdowns. Jones’s poor performances have led the Giants to bench him and start Tommy DeVito. As of November 22nd, the Giants are expected to grant Jones’ request to be released.
