There are always teams in the NFL that have a chance to go from the worst team of the previous year to the best team of the following year. Let’s power rank these teams for 2024.
It would be nice to see several teams move from worst to first in 2024, but that might be asking too much. In any case, there are obviously eight teams that finished last in their divisions in 2023. Do any of them have a chance to move up to the top?
Let’s rank all eight teams that finished last in 2023, in order from least to most likely to drop from worst to first in the 2024 NFL season.
Lol.
I mean, I guess it’s possible? Drake Maye could play like Justin Herbert as a rookie and help the Patriots have a surprising season, but the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets all have a chance to win the AFC East, and the Patriots not only have a rookie head coach and QB, but also a terrible roster, so I wouldn’t even consider the possibility of them winning the AFC East in 2024.
The AFC South is full of young quarterback talent, so I don’t see a chance for the Titans to win the division. Second-year quarterback Will Levis will have to play like an MVP candidate for this team to win the division, and since the AFC South has CJ Stroud and Trevor Lawrence, the Titans as a whole just aren’t a serious contender for the division.
The Carolina Panthers could benefit from their new head coach Dave Canales being able to help both Geno Smith in 2022 and Baker Mayfield in 2023 play the best football of their careers. If he can do the same with Bryce Young in 2024, the Panthers could finish with a win and really only need nine wins to capture the NFC South.
But the offense was a complete mess in 2023, so Canales still has a lot of work to do.
I’m not a huge fan of what the Washington Commanders have done this offseason, nor do I see much of a chance for them to win the NFC East. But considering how dysfunctional the Cowboys have been this offseason and how inconsistent the Eagles have been in 2023, there might be a small opportunity for Washington and rookie QB Jayden Daniels to make a splash.
This team could become a problem in 2025 if Daniels shows promise as a rookie.
The Chicago Bears defense has been outstanding to conclude the 2023 NFL season, holding their opponents to less than 20 points per game. If the defense can maintain that level and rookie QB Caleb Williams is good, the Bears can compete for the NFC North crown, but the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers might just be too good for the Bears to make any progress right now.
The Arizona Cardinals are a fun team that I think can double their winning record starting in 2023. While it will be a few years before they become true division contenders, they can make life difficult for the 49ers and Rams in 2024. Kyler Murray is an excellent quarterback and it’s clear their coaching staff has the right people for the job.
While it would be a big step, the Cardinals at least have a small way to go to win the 2024 NFC West title.
The LA Chargers have an uphill battle to win in 2024, but with Jim Harbaugh having success in every head coaching gig of his career, the Chargers are unlikely to be much different. Justin Herbert is a good QB, and their roster could hardly be good enough to make life difficult for the Chiefs in 2024.
It’s pretty clear that the Cincinnati Bengals have the best chance of going from worst to best in the 2024 NFL season. They finished 9-8 last year and Joe Burrow should be healthy again after his season-ending wrist injury. The Bengals are also the only team that can beat the KC Chiefs in the playoffs. At least, the only team until proven otherwise.
I would expect Cincy to reclaim the division in 2024 if Burrow can stay on the field.
