Sophie Grosfield
New York City, New York
The 2024 NFL season began at the Pro Football hall of fame on August 1st. Now, the season has passed the halfway point. While many teams are thriving, others are not playing at as high of a level which shows which teams will probably be in the playoffs this year. So far, the main letdowns of the 2024-2025 season have been the New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys.
Because the Giants were able to make the playoffs in the 2023 season, the 2024 season looked promising for them. Unfortunately, their offense has been lacking; their quarterback is unable to improve, and their offensive tackle and running back positions alike are faltering. Specifically, their quarterback Daniel Jones has not been playing like a leader, making him unable to uplift the team to victory.
The Dallas Cowboys have also been one of the greatest upsets of the 2024 season so far. The team entered the season aiming to pursue the Super Bowl in 2024, but that goal is looking unlikely as of now. The Cowboys have played seven games so far and just recently had another loss to the 49ers. Through these seven games, the Dallas Cowboys are at a minus 48 point differential. It is likely that their poor playing this season stems from their inability to run the ball due to their weak offense. Additionally, the Cowboys defense is failing them making them the league's worst EPA per rush.
Finally, the Buffalo Bills have also had a weaker season than before. Before the season started, the Bills were considered one of the top super bowl contenders and it was expected that they would have a strong season. Despite this, as the season has progressed they have had a rocky start mainly because Josh Allen is having turnover issues and their defense playing below par. Because the season is already halfway over, the Bills future in this season is not looking promising.
Although there have been some letdowns this season, many teams have been thriving and playing even better than we expected. Some of the teams that have been playing exceptionally well have been the San Francisco 49ers, the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 49ers are currently 4-4-0 overall and third in the NFC West. What has really helped the team rise to an elite level of playing is their quarterback Brock Purdy and their unstoppable defense. Purdy has been able to execute Kyle Shanahan’s plays incredibly, which has been a major asset to the team. Additionally he has played incredibly well under pressure this year: when the 49ers needed an extra push he has almost always delivered.
Secondly, the Miami Dolphins have been playing extremely well. This year, Miami has put an extra emphasis on their offense, as coach Mike McDaniel states that he is trying to promote the idea that the Dolphins this year are “built differently” with an extra emphasis on offense. Some players that are playing exceptionally well on the Dolphins offense are Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Finally, The Kansas City Chiefs have also been playing exceptionally well. Similarly to other teams, their offense comes to their aid where it “thrives on being efficient” and it does that through “constantly jabbing defenses with 4- and 5- yard gains on the ground and through the air.” Additionally, their quarterback Patrick Mahomes has allowed the Chiefs to keep their high ranking in the NFL. He is able to implement precision and efficiency into all of his plays with his ability to follow plays outside of a typical structure.
Overall the NFL season has been off to a great start, and everything is subject to change. It will be interesting to see if the teams underperforming can rise up, and if the teams excelling will be able to maintain their success until the playoffs.
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