ExtremeRavens Posted September 5 Posted September 5 The NFL season is back, so let’s have a little fun. From a surprise Super Bowl winner to a historic MVP season to a few statistical records, here are 10 bold predictions for the 2024 campaign: 1. The Giants finish with the league’s worst record Let’s start off with a mild take. The Giants have the third-worst odds of winning the Super Bowl and a projected over/under of 6.5 wins, according to Vegas Insider, so there is not much public confidence in a successful season. But New York went 6-11 last year with a combined 11 starts from veteran Tyrod Taylor and undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito at quarterback. How much worse could it be? Here’s your reminder that Daniel Jones is back. After declining to select a quarterback in April’s draft, the Giants are sticking with the 2019 first-round pick and his $47.9 million cap hit. In five seasons as the starter, the last of which was limited to six games because of a torn ACL, Jones has a 22-36-1 record and one playoff win. While he showed flashes as a rookie and in Year 1 with coach Brian Daboll, there’s scant evidence that he can become an above-average starter — despite being paid like one. For all the flashy names on this roster, including rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and newly acquired pass rusher Brian Burns, there are just as many holes. Star running back Saquon Barkley is gone, the offensive line is ranked 29th by Pro Football Focus and the secondary was in such dire need of help that veteran Adoree’ Jackson was signed a week before the season opener. If Jones gets hurt again, it’s Drew Lock and DeVito behind him. The Giants have a chance to exceed expectations if Jones improves, Nabers is a star and their young players take a step forward, but this roster looks more like a contender to receive the first overall draft pick than post a winning record. 2. The Chargers win a playoff game in Jim Harbaugh’s first season Whether it’s the University of San Diego, Stanford, the San Francisco 49ers or Michigan, Harbaugh has built a winner wherever he goes — and it usually happens quickly. While the Chargers’ roster was in rough shape after the firing of coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco, Harbaugh brought in some familiar veterans and a promising draft class led by Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt. Word has already spread about how he’s changed the culture of a consistently mediocre franchise with his “enthusiasm unknown to mankind.” Of course, there are plenty of reasons why Los Angeles might struggle. Star quarterback Justin Herbert has been dealing with a foot injury and hasn’t had a full offseason to learn offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s system. Joshua Palmer is the leader of an underwhelming group of wide receivers. Pass rusher Joey Bosa has played 14 games in two years. Who knows how long former Ravens running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will stay healthy. But we’re choosing to believe in the mystique of Harbaugh. Last year, the Chargers went 3-8 in games decided by seven or fewer points. Based on their point differential, they were closer to a seven-win team than 5-12. According to ESPN, Harbaugh went 17-7 in games decided by seven or fewer points during his time with the 49ers, and he’s coming off a College Football Playoff national championship. The coaching upgrade alone should put this team in the playoffs with a serious chance to pull off an upset. 3. Lamar Jackson wins a second straight MVP Award This might not sound bold, but consider the historical precedent. Jim Brown, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers are the only players to win back-to-back NFL Most Valuable Player Awards, and only six players have ever won it three or more times. A third trophy would put Jackson in the same company as Rodgers, Favre, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Johnny Unitas. The betting odds reflect Jackson’s uphill climb to repeat. He’s listed as the seventh favorite at 16-to-1, according to Vegas Insider, well behind Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. But when we consider that recent MVP voting patterns have largely honored the best player on the best team, Jackson should always be in contention. He’s 58-19 as a starter in the regular season, and the Ravens had the best record and the best point differential in the league last year. With Derrick Henry now in the backfield and an exciting group of pass catchers around him, not to mention a very talented defense, what’s stopping a slimmer, faster and more confident Jackson and the Ravens from dominating again? Bold prediction: Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) 4. Kyle Hamilton is named Defensive Player of the Year The last safety to win this award was Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu in 2010. Since then, New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (2019) is the only defensive back to do it. Sacks have become the sexy stat for voters, with defensive linemen winning four straight DPOY Awards and nine of the past 10 overall. So why should Hamilton get any love? Because there might not be a better all-around defender in the league. In his breakout All-Pro season, the Ravens’ 2022 first-round pick recorded 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions, three sacks and 13 passes defended as one of the key cogs in a defense that led the league in sacks, takeaways and fewest points allowed per game. Those aren’t gaudy numbers by any means, but it’s hard to find a player who can rush the passer, cover receivers and make big hits all over the field the way Hamilton can. According to Pro Football Focus, Hamilton was the only safety to earn pass-rush and coverage grades over 90 in 2023. He’ll have to be even more impressive to win this award in 2024, and that starts with splash plays. The former Notre Dame star’s tipped pass to himself for an easy pick-six against the Cleveland Browns will forever live on Hamilton’s highlight tape, but he’ll need more of those plays week after week — and particularly in high-profile, prime-time games — to get the voters’ attention. He certainly has the talent to do it. 5. CeeDee Lamb is the first player to eclipse 2,000 receiving yards Here are the other receivers on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster: Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Ryan Flournoy and Jalen Brooks. The Cowboys have Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson, but who do you think Dak Prescott is throwing the ball to? Ezekiel Elliott? Last season, Lamb comfortably led the league with 135 catches — 16 more than Miami’s Tyreek Hill and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown. He finished just 50 yards behind Hill for the receiving yards crown with 1,749, which alone ranks ninth in NFL history. This offseason, he was rewarded with a four-year, $136 million deal. Calvin Johnson has come the closest to reaching 2K, finishing with 1,964 yards with Matthew Stafford and the Lions in 2012. Thanks to the addition of a 17th regular-season game and Dallas’ desire to air it out — Prescott finished fourth in the league with 590 pass attempts last year — there’s a good chance we see history this year. Bold prediction: Is it so crazy to think that Jets running back Breece Hall can’t eclipse 2,000 yards from scrimmage and perhaps take a run at Chris Johnson’s NFL record of 2,509? (Adam Hunger/AP) 6. Breece Hall sets the single-season yards from scrimmage record Playing behind a terrible offensive line and catching passes from Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle, Hall ranked fourth in the league with 1,585 yards from scrimmage (994 rushing, 591 receiving). And that was just a year removed from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his rookie season. This year, he’ll have a healthy (for now) Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and a revamped offensive line that brought in Tyron Smith, John Simpson, Morgan Moses and 11th overall draft pick Olu Fashanu. Is it so crazy to think that Hall can’t eclipse 2,000 yards from scrimmage and perhaps take a run at Chris Johnson’s NFL record of 2,509? To do it, he’ll need a much higher volume of rushing yards. Johnson ran for 2,006 yards that 2009 season, making him at the time just the seventh player in league history to eclipse the 2K mark. In 2019, Christian McCaffrey joined Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk as the only players to record at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Last year, Hall only had one game in which he eclipsed both 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards — a Week 16 win over the Washington Commanders in which he had 20 carries for 95 yards and 12 catches for 96 yards. He’ll need more of those performances to have a chance at setting the record. 7. The 49ers fail to win a playoff game San Francisco has reached at least the conference championship game in four of the past five seasons, including two trips to the Super Bowl. Why would that change all of a sudden? For starters, the NFC West should be much better this season. The last-place Arizona Cardinals have a healthy Kyler Murray and standout rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The Seattle Seahawks have a talented offense and a defensive mastermind in new coach Mike Macdonald. The Los Angeles Rams lost superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald but brought back the nucleus of one of the league’s best offenses. The 49ers ended up bringing back stars Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams after a puzzling offseason of contract negotiations and have the league’s best play-caller in coach Kyle Shanahan, but the hangover for the Super Bowl loser has historically been too much to overcome. Questions about the offensive line and running back Christian McCaffrey’s calf injury could hurt what has been one of the league’s most efficient offenses in the Shanahan era. New defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen is a first-time play-caller, and the defensive line is not as fearsome as it used to be. And are we totally sure Brock Purdy is as good as last year’s numbers suggest? He came in at No. 12 in Mike Sando’s annual quarterback tiers list, a notable jump from last year, but there are still questions about whether he’s just a product of Shanahan and a strong supporting cast. San Francisco nearly lost in the divisional round last season before rallying to beat the Packers in the final minutes, then had to overcome a 24-7 deficit against the Detroit Lions in the NFC title game. They won’t be so lucky this year. Bold prediction: Jalen Hurts and the Eagles miss the playoffs in 2024. (Chris O’Meara/AP) 8. The Dolphins and Eagles miss the playoffs This prediction is not an indictment of quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, but rather their supporting casts. While the Eagles have one of the league’s most talented rosters, reported dysfunction between Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni last season sent Philadelphia spiraling from 10-1 to an embarrassing wild-card-round exit. Jason Kelce, a future Hall of Fame center, retired. Vic Fangio is the team’s third defensive coordinator in three seasons. There are major question marks at linebacker and in the secondary. On paper, Miami seems destined for a great season. Tagovailoa has another year with coach Mike McDaniel and receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Speedy running back De’Von Achane is healthy. Anthony Weaver brings his Ravens influence as defensive coordinator. So why does it feel like the whole operation is so fragile? For one thing, the offensive line remains a concern, especially along the interior. Bradley Chubb is still recovering from a torn ACL, Jalen Ramsey is dealing with a hamstring injury and defensive end Jaelan Phillips is on a snap count after returning from a torn Achilles tendon. Since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, roughly six teams that made the playoffs fail to return the following year. Count the Dolphins and Eagles among that group. 9. Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels lead their teams to the playoffs Could this year have shades of 2012? That season, rookie quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson all led their respective teams to the playoffs, while Ryan Tannehill’s Dolphins finished second in the AFC East at 7-9. Like Luck and Griffin, Williams and Daniels went 1-2 in the draft and have plenty of promise. Williams entered perhaps the best situation for a No. 1 overall pick in history with a Bears team that inherited its pick from the Carolina Panthers and vastly improved its roster this offseason. Daniels, who followed Williams as the Heisman Trophy winner, takes over for a franchise that finally has some hope after an ownership change, the introduction of a new coaching staff and an influx of steady veterans. Williams plays in the same division as two of the NFC’s top favorites in the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, but his playmaking ability combined with an exciting group of pass catchers that includes DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze gives Chicago a chance to compete. The Bears’ defense, led by pass rusher Montez Sweat and cornerback Jaylon Johnson, could also be among the league’s top 10. In Washington, there are more question marks. Daniels has a true No. 1 receiver in Terry McLaurin and a reliable pass-catching running back in Austin Ekeler, but little depth behind them. Tight end Ben Sinnott and receiver Luke McCaffrey are promising but unlikely to become impact players as rookies. The offensive line has been overhauled, but there are no potential blue-chip players beyond right guard Sam Cosmi. That said, Daniels could be an immediate game-changer thanks to his rushing ability and touch on deep throws, propelling coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense to new heights. It’s a longshot, but in a quarterback-driven league, a pair of budding stars could surprise. 10. The Seahawks win the Super Bowl Yes, the Seahawks. Here’s why. 1. Macdonald transforms the defense from one of the league’s worst to one of its best, thanks in large part to a breakout season from defensive back Devon Witherspoon, a bounce-back year for cornerback Tariq Woolen and a monster rookie debut from first-round pick Byron Murphy II. 2. Geno Smith plays like a top-10 quarterback. The 33-year-old veteran continues his late-career renaissance by throwing for 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns to a standout group of pass catchers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba becomes one of the league’s premier young receivers to complement DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. 3. Kenneth Walker III stays healthy and becomes one of the NFL’s most explosive running backs, averaging more than 5.5 yards per carry while making a push to win the league’s Offensive Player of the Year Award. 4. Third-year outside linebacker Boye Mafe has a career season, recording 15 sacks as the leader of a pass rush that ranks near the top of the league in pressure rate thanks to Macdonald’s scheme. Remember, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy combined for 18 1/2 sacks last season in Baltimore. There you have it. Now let’s get to kickoff. View the full article Quote
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