The Chiefs rarely looked like their dominating selves last season until they pulled off a comeback to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. Heading into this season, the oddsmakers believe Kansas City will own the best record in the NFL this year. Vince Lombardi Trophy to come?
The Chiefs probably are an obvious pick as the NFL’s best team. After all, they’re gunning for a third straight Super Bowl title. But according to the odds on FanDuel, other teams have a chance to rise to the top by the end of the 2024 season and challenge the Chiefs.
Here are some candidates. First, there are the usuals, like the Ravens, 49ers, Lions and Bengals. And then there the surprises — hello, Falcons and Jets. And also consider that oddsmakers don’t like the Cowboys as a candidate for the NFL’s best record. Read on for more details.
Any team that still features Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce always will compete as one of the NFL’s best. But the Chiefs still needed to add to their offense, particularly at receiver. So expect Hollywood Brown and KC first-rounder Xavier Worthy to have an impact this season.
The Chiefs defense also is salty. Chris Jones is back to smash from the middle of the KC defense. He wasn’t bothered by a contract impasse this off season, so it was full-go football.
The Ravens nearly made it to the Super Bowl last season. But they lost to the Chiefs at home in Baltimore. This year’s focus will be whether they can take the next step in the post season.
Baltimore made one major move to help them be the best in the NFL. They signed running back Derrick Henry in free agency. Having such a power back at his side will only make Lamar Jackson‘s job that much easier as he searches for great pass action matchups.
The 49ers nearly laid claim to the Lombardi Trophy before losing to the Chiefs in overtime. But the good news for San Fran fans is basically everyone is returning from that team. They deserve to be in the conversation for the NFL’s best.
Brock Purdy still is around throwing to the likes of Georgie Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk (if contract talks work out) and Deebo Samuel. Plus, newlywed Christian McCaffrey is the reigning NFL offensive player of the year. What’s not to like? Oddsmakers still view the 49ers as the NFC’s best.
The Lions finished as runners up to the 49ers in the NFC last season. And on paper, Dan Campbell’s guys are as strong as last season.
Detroit paid out big contracts to quarterback Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St Brown. And they have a terrific tandem of running backs in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Each had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage and scored at least 10 touchdowns. They were the first set of NFL running backs to do so.
Joe Burrow‘s injuries tabled the Bengals plans to stay as a dominant team in the AFC. However, Burrow is healthy again after calf and wrist injuries. So put the Bengals as one of the NFL’s best teams.
Cincy will have Ja’Marr Chase catching passes from Burrow. But as of mid-July, Tee Higgins still is a holdout. The Bengals didn’t sign running back Joe Mixon, letting him go to the Texans. Zack Moss will be the Bengals main runner.
The Falcons are a shocker here. They canned head coach Arthur Smith after three 7-10 seasons. Raheem Morris now is in charge, but can the Falcons go from an also-ran to one of the league cool kids?
Oddsmakers probably are impressed with the signing of Kirk Cousins. And Cousins will have Bijan Robinson in the back field with him. He’ll throw to a speedy group of receivers including Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore. But will the Falcons be among the NFL’s best? We’ll give it a we’ll see.
No doubt, the Jets fortunes ride on the health of Aaron Rodgers’ surgically-repaired Achilles. And, the fate of the Jets also depends on whether the quirky quarterback keeps the off-field distractions to a minimum.
The Jets are set up with talent around Rodgers. They signed receiver Mike Williams and drafted Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley in the third round of April’s draft. And they can rely on Garrett Wilson. They also upgraded the offensive line with first rounder pick on Olu Fashanu, a tackle from Penn State. They also signed three free agent linemen, including former Dallas Cowboy Tyron Smith.
Ordinarily, the Bills would be in the conversation of best NFL teams. And technically, they still are, although not near the top of the AFC. So what gives?
Buffalo traded Stefon Diggs to the Texans. He was Josh Allen’s top receiver, but there seemed to be a disconnect between them. Khalil Shakir, a fifth-round pick in 2022, is the main guy back from last season. The Bills selected former Florida State star Keon Coleman in the second round. So Allen will have options. it remains to be seen if they can win big together.
The Eagles were two different personalities last season. They started out laying claim as the top team in the NFL. But they finished the season with a whimper, falling to the Bucs on the road during the wildcard round of the playoffs.
Jalen Hurts is back at quarterback. He’ll still be throwing to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. And the Eagles also brought in running back Saquon Barkley from the Giants. The offense could be formidable again.
Mike McDonald’s coaching staff had some massive turnover in the offseason. The head coach hired 11 new assistants, including a defensive coordinator. They needed a jump start to get them into the NFL best convo.
No doubt, the Dolphins had the most dynamic offense in the league last season. And those guys are back, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Plus, dazzling speedster De’Von Achane is healthy again and ready to run the ball for the Dolphins.
Green Bay Packers: +1700
Dallas Cowboys: +1800
Houston Texans : +1900
Chicago Bears: +2500
Los Angeles Chargers: +3000
Remember, odds in mid-July in regards to which team is best or the worst in the NFL are meaningless once the season starts. They’re a snapshot. And if you’d like to see more of said snapshot, check out FanDuel here. Plus, there are similar predictions for which team will have the worst record. You can read about how the Patriots are favored over the Panthers for fewest wins. (Ouch). And with training camps opening this month, you can catch up on all your NFL news from On3.com here.
