NFL for beginners 2024: AFC Edition
The major storylines to know about for this upcoming year in the AFC
So this year, you’ve decided to expand your sporting knowledge to find out about a new sport. There could be a multitude of reasons for picking the NFL – you know me personally and are sick of me going on and on about it without you having a clue what I am talking about. You could be a Swiftie, eager to know everything about a certain team in red and especially a man wearing the number 87 or you watched the halftime show for Usher (did anyone??) and found yourself interested in one of the most tense endings in a Superbowl for quite some time. Whatever your reasons, the season is quickly approaching and I’m here to guide you from the UK into the sometimes intimidatingly impenetrable NFL. I say this because although there is a set number of teams, there are so many players and the continuous carousel of said players, coaches, and new players that sometimes it feels hard to follow, especially without the continuous coverage our stateside friends enjoy. I won’t mention basic rules, positions, or how the game works here, simply ways into this season that you may find interesting and that you might want to keep your eye on or look into further. The AFC features a lot of heavyweight teams looking to dethrone the kings, and the makeup of this conference is always hard to guess.
1. Chiefs Aim for History
Sometimes the easiest place to start is the most known – the winners. Yes, the Chiefs claimed their 2nd Super Bowl in a row after a nail-biter that was only the 2nd Super Bowl ever to go to overtime. They restructured the contract of star QB Patrick Mahomes that keeping him happy and secure at Arrowhead for a long time yet and coach Andy Reid squashed the rumours of retirement straight after the Superbowl by confirming he is back for this year. The defending champs had a bumpy ride on their way to the Superbowl with doubts around their consistency that led them to play their first conference championship away from home in the Patrick Mahomes era. They were heavy underdogs in that match, yet they still managed to win 17-10 on the Raven’s home turf. This year they’re aiming for the unprecedented – 3 Super Bowl wins in a row. The nature of the NFL means that continuous winning shouldn’t really happen but when you have one of the greats at QB in Mahomes, one of the best coaches in Reid, and the best receiving tight ends in history in Mr. Swift Travis Kelce you can never really count these boys out. Another thing to watch out for on this season’s edition of this team is the Wide Receiver room, in more ways than one. The one bright spark in this position last year was rookie Rashee Rice, but he seems set on receiving nothing but a suspension for at least the first few games after an arrest following a serious car accident. Hopes will be pinned on new recruit Xavier Worthy’s ability to catch the ball and will be hoping his progress will be as quick as he is. Keep an eye out on former professional rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit too – the Chiefs are hoping he will be a great special teams performer in this upcoming season as kickoffs become much closer to the rugby kickoff format.
2. Jets Enter Boom or Bust Year
The star-spangled night that turned into the nightmare scenario for Jets fans last year will be remembered for a long, long time to come and turned an entire season into one massive ‘What if?’ 4x Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers made his debut for the Jets Week 1 of the season with a wave of support and patriotism of the eve of the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 in New York, which ended 4 plays later when he ruptured his Achilles tendon, which ended his and essentially the Jets season. He will return to the field 3 months shy of his 41st birthday and the major question remains whether we will see his 2020 & 2021 form return or his lackluster 2nd half of 2022 emerge. Rodgers will come out with a point to prove that he can still be at his best, but his body and his offensive line will be the real benchmark of whether he can continue to perform at the highest level. It also feels like a boom or bust year for Adam Saleh, entering his 4th year as head coach, and while he has made the defensive side of the ball a formidable unit there continues to be questions over his team’s offensive ability. Big moves have been made to improve Rodger’s offensive line over the offseason, with veteran Tyron Smith joining and the 11th overall pick in the draft being used for offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Their division is no cakewalk with what looks like a slightly weakened Bills and a slightly improved Dolphins on paper, so decisive division games against them will spell out the tale of their season.
3. Houston Enter Win-now Mode
If you were to ask a Houston Texans fan 12 months ago how they thought their season was going to go it could almost be guaranteed that the reality was far better than expected. They became the surprise story of the year after going for broke in the draft, taking C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr at 2nd and 3rd overall, with the knowledge that if it backfired their franchise would be in serious trouble. Instead, they made it to the divisional round just a year after finishing 3 – 13 – 1, thanks in large to some wizardry from Stroud and the gritty coaching of rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans. They are now ahead of schedule in their franchise overhaul and have spent the offseason trying to recruit talent, the biggest piece being WR Stefon Diggs. Having him in the receiving room with last year's breakout stars Tank Dell and Nico Collins means the Texans have one of the best-receiving trios in the league for Stroud to target. Diggs had signed a contract extension in Buffalo, but upon arrival in Houston, the team took a risk in voiding the last three years of his contract. A risk for sure, but also an incentive for Diggs to play at his absolutely best to get a mega payday in a year. Elsewhere, the edge rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr and new addition Danielle Hunter makes the Texans a scary outfit to play against, and this season seems like the true test of how far up the pecking order they have risen in the AFC.
4. Who plays for Pittsburgh?
The Pittsburgh Steelers made 2 acquisitions at the Quarterback position this offseason. Russel Wilson was brought in for the equivalent of a Snickers and a ‘please take him off our hands’ card from the Denver Broncos, who are paying him $38 million to NOT play for him this season. Russ has been through the wringer a little bit in his two seasons since leaving Seattle and was probably looking forward to a little bit of stability joining Mike Tomlin in his 18th season as Steelers coach. This was flipped on its head by the arrival of Justin Fields from Chicago, who is essentially a younger, less refined Russel Wilson minus the insane arm talent that Wilson possesses with the moonball. This is maybe Tomlin’s most scrutinised era as Steelers boss as fans start to get restless about being around the middle of the pack – it’s clear the roster has some talent that lifts them to near that position, but the QB position has been an issue since Ben Roethlisberger retired. There is hope that one of these two is the answer – but which one? Most people’s interpretation of this scenario is that Wilson will start Week 1 and Fields will swoop in if Wilson has an off week but is that really the most beneficial way for the Steelers to do this? Wilson was injured at the start of training camp, which has led to the waters becoming murkier around who will be selected in Week 1. Does Tomlin play Wilson, the more ready QB to get the best out of the Steelers now to save his skin and make the playoffs? Or does he play Fields on the off chance that he can become the more complete version of himself than we saw in Chicago and become the franchise QB and ensure the organisations health for years to come? Whatever the outcome, this is a tasty one.
5. Herbert & Harbaugh take Hollywood
Jim Harbaugh has been brought into the Chargers to turn the ship around on a team that from the outside seems so frustratingly inconsistent. Harbaugh is known for being a bit of a QB whisperer utilising schemes to help raise guys like Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick at the 49ers and more recently J.J McCarthy at Michigan to title-contending or in McCarthy’s case national championship win. The elevation of talent isn’t really the case with Herbert though as everybody knows the talent and ability are there. Is it just the coaching that is letting him down? This is the year that really gets put to the test. Herbert has been paid, heavily, and the Chargers had to let go of a few key pieces this offseason as other extensions loomed. WR duo Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are gone, but instead of going for rookie Malik Nabers as the flashy pick at number 5 in the draft they went for tackle Joe Alt, subscribing to the idea that you can’t throw to anyone if your QB gets hit all the time. This pragmatic pick shows a team willing to be methodical in getting the guys that they want, showcased by their trade in the second round to select WR Ladd McConkey. With the Chargers, you always have to expect the unexpected.
That doesn’t really scratch the surface of things to keep an eye on this season as storylines and dramas will begin to kick in as the season progresses. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence have received massive contract extensions, how will they fare this year? How will Patriots rookie QB and Broncos QB Bo Nix adapt to the NFL? Will the Ravens push on with the addition of former Titans RB Derrick Henry? So many questions and more, but there comes a time when all we can do is watch and find out and it’s less than a month away.