Patrick Mahomes has done it winging the ball downfield, and he’s done it throwing short. He’s done it from the pocket, on scrambles and designed runs.
So there’s no reason to bet against Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl for the third straight year.
And if the Chiefs only look so-so midway through the year – they visit the 49ers in Week 7 – that doesn’t mean they won’t be playing their best football when it matters most.
Here’s a look at what to expect in the NFL this season:
Super Bowl winner
Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes has proven it doesn’t matter who plays running back or receiver as long as he’s running the offense, and Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo are the best game-planning as well as game-day coordinators in the game.
MVP
Jordan Love, Green Bay. The fourth-year quarterback grew in confidence and stature to a remarkable degree last season. He threw 23 touchdown passes with three interceptions in his last 10 games and is poised for another quantum leap in 2024.
San Francisco 49ers’ Javon Kinlaw (99) pressures Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) in the third quarter of an NFC Divisional playoff game, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Offensive player of the year
Derrick Henry, Baltimore. The league’s premier power runner joins the league’s top power running team. Health permitting, 100 yards per game (1,700 yards) and 15 touchdowns seems like a slam dunk for the former Tennessee Titan.
Defensive player of the year
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas. There may not be a more respected player in the NFL when it comes to production tied to maximum effort. The 26-year-old defensive end has 27 sacks and 45 tackles for loss in the last two years. Don’t be surprised if he averages a sack per game in 2024.
Offensive rookie of the year
Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona. Harrison, the No. 4 pick out of Ohio State, is a step-in-and-start wide receiver who ought to be good for 80-plus catches, 1,200-plus yards and double figure touchdowns in Year 1. If Caleb Williams of Chicago can be anywhere near as good as Harrison’s college teammate C.J. Stroud a year ago, the Bears’ new QB will challenge Harrison for ROY honors.
Defensive rookie of the year
Jared Verse, L.A. Rams. The Rams of late have been the NFL’s best at developing their own talent, even when going without a first-round draft pick. L.A. didn’t have to make much of a reach with Verse, an explosive edge player out of Florida State. He is the Rams’ first pick in the first round (No. 19) since Jared Goff in 2016.
Coach of the year
Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers. He’s corny and downright strange, but damned if Harbaugh doesn’t get teams to play for him. And play hard. Getting the Chargers in the playoffs will be Step 1 in his return to the NFL after nine seasons – and a national championship – at his alma mater Michigan.
New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, shown in a photo from last month, on Monday denied any knowledge of or wrongdoing by the University of Michigan football staff while he was the head coach there. Harbaugh, hired by the Chargers in January, was one of seven members of the Wolverines program accused of NCAA violations. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Fearless 49ers forecast
Hard to see the 49ers winning fewer than 11 games, even with the Chiefs on the schedule and road assignments in Buffalo and Green Bay. Of particular interest will be the challenge presented by the Rams within the NFC West. Expect Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay’s teams to be battling to the end.
First coach fired
Dennis Allen, New Orleans. The Saints overhauled their offensive system, which is seldom a good thing when Derek Carr is the quarterback. Once the Saints get to 10 losses, expect Allen to be out of work and looking over potential defensive coordinator jobs in 2025.
Game of the year
The 49ers host the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20 at Levi’s Stadium. The Chiefs beat the 49ers the last two times they played in the Super Bowl as well as a one-sided win in Santa Clara during the 2023 regular season. Expect the 49ers to be watching Mahomes closely.
Offseason moves that will mean the most in 2024
Atlanta’s decision to go all in on 35-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins (four years, $180 million) got even more interesting when they hedged their bets and took former University of Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Keenan Allen (L.A. Chargers to Chicago) gives Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams an instant reliable target.
Players under full-time injury watch
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 40, will be watched as closely for how his repaired Achilles responds as for his eccentric behavior pattern off the field. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, at age 27 and entering his fifth season, is already pondering his NFL mortality after ACL, calf and wrist injuries over the past few seasons.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) A.P. Photo
The Trevor Lawrence gamble
Trevor Lawrence’s production hasn’t come close to what Jacksonville hoped for when the Jaguars gave him a five-year extension worth a maximum of $275 million. The Jaguars are still rolling with him, and that deal will benefit the Packers’ Jordan Love and the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa and in another year, the 49ers’ Brock Purdy, when they begin negotiating for multi-year contract extensions.
Brady, Belichick in the booth
As successful as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were with the New England Patriots, they were a total bore when it came to interaction with the media. But fans will be surprised this year when both are very good at their new gigs – Brady as a Fox analyst and Belichick on the Manningcast as well as with Pat McAfee.
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How the NFL division and wild-card races shape up in 2024
By Jerry McDonald
NFC West
49ers. Still the most loaded roster in the NFL, in part because star QB Brock Purdy remains for now under his well-below-market original contract, freeing up salary to pay others. Purdy will get a significant bump before next season. He entered camp tied for 67th among NFL quarterbacks with a bargain base salary of $985,000.
NFC North
Detroit Lions. Their second-half collapse in the NFC championship game against the Niners should be motivation enough to keep Jared Goff and Co. striving for the top, but expect the going to be much tougher now that the Lions won’t sneak up on anybody.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons invested in a solid, no-frills leader at quarterback in Kirk Cousins and just as importantly, made a smart hire in Raheem Harris as head coach. They’ll run the ball well, and it ought to be enough for nine or 10 wins in the NFL’s weakest division.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles. The defending NFC champs backed down like a disgraced bully after the 49ers punched them in the nose on their home turf last December. Nick Siriani saved his job by dumping his coordinators, and the Eagles added Saquon Barkley in hopes he can be another Christian McCaffrey.
Wild cards
Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys. Matt LaFleur knows how to organize and motivate a winner, and the Packers have the right quarterback in Jordan Love. Expect the Rams to go down to the wire with the 49ers and split with them in the regular season. The Cowboys will surrender the division title to the Eagles, and it will cost Mike McCarthy his job after a quick playoff exit.
On the outside looking in
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs were far better than expected a year ago, and that includes Baker Mayfield following Tom Brady at quarterback. But with them ranked 23rd in the NFL in both offense and defense, the guess here was they overachieved and will find their level.
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AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs. They have won eight straight division titles, and there’s no reason to think they won’t get No. 9 this season. The roster actually looks upgraded from 2023.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens. Few teams are as good at identifying talent that fits into their vision on both sides of the ball and then coming up short when it matters. But the Ravens are as good as it gets in the regular season.
AFC South
Houston Texans. The Texans are a trendy Super Bowl pick because of quarterback C.J. Stroud, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and the leadership of DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio. Trendy picks are dangerous, but heck, the Lions were one last year and did just fine.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills. Detractors say the championship window for the Bills, similar to the 49ers, is closing. But they still have Josh Allen at quarterback and got rid of the Stefon Diggs headache when they traded the talented but disgruntled wide receiver to Houston.
Wild cards
Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a pretty crowded AFC field, but health permitting, it’s hard to go against Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers and Justin Herbert as playoff quarterbacks.
On the outside looking in
Las Vegas Raiders. Are you buying what Antonio Pierce is selling? When was the last time a coach came in and won on the force of his personality? His quarterbacks are Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell, and he’ll probably have to use both. No chance.
