Sometimes chaotic, other times breathtakingly brilliant, the 2024 NFL action has produced plenty of headlines and highlight-reel moments. At the conclusion of Week 5, we take a breather to absorb what has happened during a hectic first month. After learning more about the season, follow the remaining games with Tonybet!
A chaotic and brilliant start to NFL 2024
The opening match of the 2024 NFL Season was between the Baltimore Ravens and reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a steady opening performance from the Chiefs, who comfortably held their opponent at arm’s length throughout the match to take an expected victory, their first step on the road to a title defence.
The New Orleans Saints were the first team to post 40+ points this season in a match as they hammered the Panthers 47-10 in Week 1, while the closest finish in the opening round of matches was between the Jaguars and Panthers, the latter holding on to win.
There has been a general lack of consistency by most teams in the league so far, with the odd exception. In the AFC, for example, the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs were the only two teams in the entire conference not to lose at least two matches across the opening five rounds.
Over in the NFC, the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions were the only teams to come through without losing more than one match. However, there were two stand-out teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings, with both of them going five for five.
What about those Vikings?
Adding to the chaos of the early rounds of action were the Minnesota Vikings. The pre-season 100/1 Super Bowl outsiders have been defying those odds so far in the campaign, led by their star player Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings have gone through a remarkable story this year. There was massive devastation at the franchise when rookie player Khyree Jackson died in a car crash. With the team already trying to come together in the face of adversity, having lost the 24-year-old, they had more to deal with.
Their rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy saw his season come to an end early with a knee injury, meaning that the Vikings had to fall back on QB Sam Darnold, who has now become an NFL starter for the first time in three years.
So, the fact that the Vikings have put together the start that they have is somewhat remarkable, and they have been gaining new fans along the way. It’s hard to ignore their journey and that they are putting together something potentially amazing.
Following the loss of Jackson, the Vikings are playing with an air of fun, yet they are taking nothing for granted under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Receiver Justin Jefferson is their reliable output, but as they showed in toughing out a win over the New York Jets in Week 5, their defence has been right on point, with the second-best average rushing yards conceded and number of turnovers produced this season.
Will the Vikings hit rough waters?
The early burst of form from the Vikings has not been enough to see them move to the head of the NFL Super Bowl winner market, though they have been slashed down to 12/1 for the title from their long pre-season quote.
There is still a long season ahead that will have ups and downs, and everyone will be waiting to see their response when they taste defeat for the first time. The Vikings are third favourites at 6/1 to win the NFC outright, behind the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions.
Chiefs still in charge – just about
Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs are still the team to beat in everyone’s eyes as they maintained their perfect record for the season with a Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs are seeking their third straight Super Bowl title, and with Mahomes in the driving seat, they should be well-equipped to go the distance.
However, there have been signs that this season is shaping up to be a tough one for Mahomes and the Chiefs. The superstar QB has thrown an unusually high number of interceptions already this season, but this is perhaps in part down to the one thing that has Chiefs fans worried: their injury list.
This season may not be a smooth journey for the champions, with injuries to wide receivers Rashee Rice and Mecole Hardman leaving them short in the position. Travis Kelce, Marquise Brown and Isaiah Pacheco have also been missing from the line-up.
However, the Chiefs have been showing adaptability. They have been finding ways to make things work, despite not being at their best. One big positive is that they have looked a different beast defensively against rushing yards this season, which has helped to keep them in games.
If the Chiefs can just stick in there, then they are only going to get stronger when their stars get out of the treatment room. In the Super Bowl outright winner market, the Chiefs are a clear 5/1 favourite, well ahead of the nearest-priced challengers the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.
The benching of Bryce Young
One of the biggest shocks of the season so far involved young quarterback Bryce Young, who was selected first overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Panthers paid a handsome price to move up in the draft to get their hands on him.
Young was therefore touted as the future of the franchise, and the next big NFL superstar quarterback. He completed his rookie season with 11 touchdowns in what was a poor season overall for the franchise. However, the Panthers were waiting for NFL 2024, which was supposed to be Young’s season to lead with experience under his belt.
However, after a heavy 10-47 loss against New Orleans and a 3-26 reverse against the Los Angeles Chargers in their first two matches, the Panthers benched Bryce in favour of veteran Andy Dalton. The effect was immediate, as the Panthers won away at the Las Vegas Raiders. However, they quickly slumped back to losing ways in their following two matches.
The demotion of Young sent shockwaves around the NFL, as many thought that the youngster was being harshly treated. His position at the franchise suddenly looks unstable under head coach Dave Canales, who didn’t even get him on the field late into the game in a blowout defeat at the Chicago Bears in Week 5.
Injuries that have rocked NFL 2024
Some of the sport’s biggest stars have had to sit things out this season through injury, including the aforementioned star receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, Rashee Rice. It was initially suggested that Rice had a torn ACL and is likely to be out for the season.
The Miami Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa, with the quarterback out indefinitely, potentially until the second half of the season. Tagovailoa received a concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills and is set to go for expert consultation as he had multiple concussions during the 2022 season.
The Philadelphia Eagles have missed the services of wide receiver A.J. Brown. He’s the glue that holds their offence together, as there is little depth in the squad behind him, especially with fellow WR DeVonta Smith also missing game time.
Quarterback Russell Wilson earned the starting role for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the pre-season following his move to the franchise. However, he then picked up a calf injury that didn’t go away, leaving another Pittsburgh QB newcomer, Justin Fields, with the starting duties.
There have been a lot of other notable and impactful injuries this season in the NFL, such as the Cleveland Browns’ offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, Rams wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, and the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback Jordan Love.
Which head coaches are feeling the heat?
As with any sport, the man at the top is always under heavy scrutiny, leaving many to ponder who will be the first head coach to get fired in the NFL 2024 season. Unlike European football, mid-season sackings of NFL head coaches are not all that common, even when things are going desperately wrong.
Three head coaches did get the boot mid-season during the NFL 2023 campaign: Josh McDaniels (Raiders), Brandon Staley (Chargers) and Frank Reich (Panthers). They all had one thing in common – none of them were going to the playoffs – so their respective franchises made changes with a look at rebuilding for the following season.
New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen is probably going to be under huge pressure this season, as the Saints have missed back-to-back playoffs, and their regular-season record against teams from their conference who did get to the playoffs in NFL 2023 was terrible. With question marks over the quality of their roster, Allen and the Saints may not be dance partners for much longer.
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is another who could be on the chopping block, especially after going all in on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who they were banking on to take them to the Super Bowl. The QB has had some tough appearances this season due to a lack of defensive coverage, and the Jets don’t look anywhere near where they want to be.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Doug Pederson is potentially treading on thin ice, as he’s stuck with the same coaching setup that has been doing nothing offensively for the franchise for years now. With Jacksonville’s offensive output looking miserable over their first five matches of the NFL 2024 season, Pederson could be heading for the door.
Others in the hot seat could be Antonio Pierce from the Las Vegas Raiders, Nick Sirianni from the Philadelphia Eagles and Zac Taylor from the Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL international
The NFL has already spread its wings for the 2024 season, as part of its International Games series. This year, there will be regular-season matches held in London, Munich and São Paulo as the NFL looks to capture a bigger market.
The first of the NFL international matches took place in early September, with the Green Bay Packers losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. Then on 6th October, it was the turn of London to showcase the NFL, in what turned out to be a great match between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets. The Vikings did just enough to maintain their perfect start to the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The same stadium will host the Chicago Bears against the Jacksonville Jaguars on 13th October. However, the action in London isn’t finished there, as Wembley Stadium will host the Jaguars against the New England Patriots on 20th October.
The final NFL match this season in Europe will be at the Allianz Arena in Munich, where the Carolina Panthers take on the New York Giants on 10th November.
How are our boys doing?
Dan Whelan, a punter for the Green Bay Packers, made an appearance in each of his team’s first five matches for a total of 18 punts, the longest of which was 74 yards. Whelan, who was born in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, is in his second NFL season, after reaching the playoffs in his debut campaign.
Placekicker Charlie Smyth, a native of Mayobridge, Newry, unfortunately didn’t make the final roster for the New Orleans Saints, where he cleared waivers and is currently with the practice squad, but he can be called up at any point of the season.
There is still plenty of action to come from the NFL 2024 season, and if you are looking for a place to bet, then Tonybet has you covered. We have pre-match and in-play markets for every match throughout the regular season, playoffs and, of course, the Super Bowl itself.
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