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The NFL weird and wonderful season is nearing the stretch flee with several teams in effect to receive a playoff flee as a lower seed. While it is exhausting to emerge from the bottom of the bracket, the contenders play a designate of ball that lets them explain the elites in a single-elimination match that exposes each crew’s superb flaws. Moreover, the dusky horses in the playoff discipline maintain a pair of blue-chip avid gamers who can flip the game with an infinite play that tilts the game of their crew’s path.
Given some time to spy the aptitude playoff discipline, let’s style out which darkhorse teams maintain the aptitude to quit awhile in the postseason tourney. Listed below are my 2024 contenders and pretenders:
Atlanta Falcons Adding Kirk Cousins used to be anticipated to take the Falcons’ offense to the following level. Even if the outdated college gunslinger has stabilized the superb effect on the discipline for the Soiled Birds, the Falcons dwell a maddeningly inconsistent squad that can not string collectively wins against the league’s heavyweights. If the offense can not save up 30-plus strategies, the protection lacks the disruptive doable to flip the game with a sport-changing turnover or splash play. Until the protection transforms down the stretch, the Falcons search for cherish a “one-and-accomplished” playoff participant.
Verdict: Pretenders
Arizona Cardinals Credit Jonathan Gannon for whipping the Cardinals valid into a playoff contender in his second season on the job. The racy culture builder has built the “Chicken Gang” into an emerging contender by embracing a complementary soccer strategy that mixes Kyler Murray’s spectacular playmaking abilities with a exhausting-hitting rushing assault and a blue-collar protection. While the Cardinals’ light-college sport plans lack pizzazz, the crew retains piling up wins in a competitive division. With the crew built to play in the playoffs because of their three-d strategy, the Cardinals will be a tough out in a single-elimination match.
Verdict: Contenders
Baltimore Ravens The Ravens are no doubt a title contender with a spectacular offense spearheaded by a two-time league MVP and two-time NFL rushing champion. Even if few defenses are able to slowing down the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry freight put collectively, the Ravens’ self-inflicted mistakes could maybe well derail the put collectively sooner than it rumbles down the playoff tracks. The combo of penalties, turnovers and big performs allowed on blown assignments could maybe well care for the Ravens from realizing their championship doable. Pondering how most playoff games are selected miscues and mistakes, the Ravens must care for away from beating themselves sooner than focusing on knocking out their opponents.
Verdict: Contenders
Denver Broncos Bo Nix’s emergence as an Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner has coincided with the crew’s ascension into playoff competition. The first-year quarterback has realized his rhythm within Sean Payton’s offense, posting spectacular numbers as a sport supervisor/playmaker in a ball-care for an eye on offense. With Nix leading all rookies in offensive touchdowns (19), whereas posting an spectacular 14:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio since Week 4, the Broncos’ offense completely complements a top-5 protection with suffocating doable. If the rookie quarterback continues to diagram the offense effectively with minimal mistakes and turnovers, the Broncos could maybe well receive life dejected for opponents as an underdog with key substances (running sport, protection, playmaking quarterback) to a championship puzzle.
Verdict: Contenders
Green Bay Packers The Packers own the skill and big-play doable to knock off a heavyweight in a “web-or-walk-dwelling” contest. A gritty running sport and a glitzy aerial assault could maybe well care for defensive coordinators up at night. As effectively as, the Packers maintain a playmaking quarterback (Jordan Love) with the aptitude to dazzle internal and outside of doors of the pocket. With a protection focusing on taking the ball away with Xavier McKinney leading the strategy, the Packers can position their offense up with instant fields and top scoring alternatives in a truly mighty moments. In a excessive-stress playoff ambiance the effect games are mechanically determined by one rating or much less, the Packers’ huge name energy could maybe well tilt the game of their desire.
Verdict: Contenders
Houston Texans No topic the hype surrounding the Texans for the reason that off-season, the Texans were pretty of an enigma this season. As C.J. Stroud works thru his sophomore ride, the Texans’ offense has change into a “grind-it-out” squad with Joe Mixon leading the price. Even if the H-metropolis running sport has produced some wins, the Texans will not receive a deep postseason flee without their QB1 taking half in at an elite level. In all chance the return of Nico Collins can issue out the superb in Stroud, but till the second-year pro regains his Pro Bowl effect, the Texans search for cherish a “one-and-accomplished” candidate in the match.
Verdict: Pretenders
Los Angeles Chargers Jim Harbaugh continues to adhere to an light-college recipe that has helped him web at each level. The Chargers’ mixture of flee-sport excellence, efficient quarterback play and defensive dominance maintain catapulted the crew into title competition, with few opponents able to going thru a 60-minute fight with the emerging bully. Even if the crew’s skill fails to rival the superstar levels of one of the most league’s heavyweights, the Chargers’ gritty mentality and unwavering self belief receive them a nightmare to face in the match. With a superstar quarterback in the bullpen to bail them out in any concern, the Chargers could maybe well surprisingly web it all as a wild-card crew.
Verdict: Contenders
Los Angeles Rams An elite head coach and quarterback are always a threat to receive a flee, however the Rams’ Sean McVay-Matthew Stafford mixture will fight to elevate a crew corpulent of younger other folks into the playoffs’ final rounds. Certain, the offense can care for an eye on the game with Stafford tossing darts to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua or pounding Kyren Williams and Blake Corum between the tackles on alternative energy runs, however the total formative years and inexperience of the squad could maybe well finish the Rams from ending the mission. While it is exhausting to brush off the affect of the Rams’ remarkable crew leaders, the NFC playoff discipline will require extra than Los Angeles can muster this season.
Verdict: Pretenders
San Francisco 49ers The Sizable Bowl hangover has left the 49ers dazed and puzzled for a bunch of the season. The perennial heavyweights search for nothing cherish the crew that mechanically pummels opponents with a bruising running sport and stifling protection. Injuries, inconsistent execution and waning enthusiasm finish the 49ers from imposing their will on opponents despite their superior skill. In all chance Kyle Shanahan can get a option to flip the swap down the stretch, however the 2024 model of the 49ers search for cherish a washed-up fighter maintaining on for pricey life in the championship rounds.
Verdict: Pretenders
Washington Commanders After pleasing the soccer world with an spectacular launch in the befriend of a red-hot rookie quarterback, the Commanders maintain returned to Earth as opponents study alternative ways to care for up Jayden Daniels below wraps. The Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate is in a position to single-handedly leading the Commanders to wins, but he will want his supporting solid to positioned on their Cinderella slippers for Washington to illuminate the scoreboard against elite opponents. If the offense can not gain its excessive-powered doable, the Commanders’ protection must step up with extra turnovers and timely stops for the crew to web without participating in a shootout.
Verdict: Pretenders
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Community and as a cohost of the “Engrossing the Sticks” podcast. Observe him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks .
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