And so, the NFL has reached the halfway point of the 2024 season.
To date, hierarchical arrangements between the two conferences have been largely established. You have elites like the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC and the Detroit Lions in the NFL, and a host of other notable contenders (for now) like the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks. And Washington Commanders.
There are a bunch of projected playoff teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and Atlanta Falcons, who still have some things to work out. There are teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are fighting to overcome injuries while hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive. Then there’s everyone else: a group of teams hovering around .500 and praying for improved fortunes, or basement dwellers who can already start making plans to overhaul the roster.
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The action began Thursday in Los Angeles, where the Vikings lost 30-20 to the Los Angeles Rams, who regained wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua from injuries and four touchdowns from Matthew Stafford.
Sunday’s slate includes eight early games, five late afternoon contests, and then a Sunday night showdown between the despondent Cowboys and the host 49ers. Monday night’s Giants-Steelers game (who thought New York deserved a prime-time spot?) wraps it all up.
Here are five of the league’s most interesting storylines heading into Week 8. (Find the full schedule here.)
1. Eagles and Bengals momentum shifts
After a slow and troubling start to the season, the Eagles and Bengals appear to be finally heading in the right direction. Philadelphia has overcome early injuries, and the revamped offensive and defensive units appear to be finding their identity. The Eagles improved to 4-2 and on Sunday seek their first winning streak of at least three games since 2023, when they won five straight from Weeks 7 through 12. The Bengals improved to 3-4 after a 1-4 injury. – A faltering and disjointed start to the season. Is it a coincidence that both teams’ two-game winning streak came against the Browns and the Giants?
The Bengals and Eagles are about to find out whether the uptick in offensive firepower and improved resistance on defense stems from consistency and execution, or whether the problems that plagued them through the first month of the season still persist. A win for Philadelphia would help push Nick Sirianni’s team to the top of the NFC East standings, where they trail Washington (5-2). Cincinnati hopes to climb above the .500 mark before a Week 10 rematch at Baltimore. (Eagles at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Tua Tagovailoa has not played since suffering a concussion in Week 2. (Sam Navarro / Image Images)
Six weeks after suffering the third known concussion of his NFL career, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns to action Sunday at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The Dolphins have missed their franchise quarterback in the worst way, losing three of their last four games, or four of five if you count the first half of Week 2 in which Tagovailoa was injured. Their offense, so potent in Mike McDaniel’s first two seasons as coach, averaged just 10 points a game without Tagovailoa. Tyreek Hill is one of the most dangerous weapons in football, with just one touchdown catch and 294 receiving yards in six games.
Tagovailoa dismissed outside concerns about exposing himself to another concussion and how such an injury would affect him. He professed his lifelong love for the game and his commitment to his teammates. If the Dolphins can keep Tagovailoa on the field, their contending hopes will likely return. Despite going 2-4, they are second in the AFC East behind 5-2 Buffalo, and 10th in a conference that currently has only seven teams with winning records.
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“We’re back, baby!” Hill told reporters earlier this week. Hit the f-ing band! But is it realistic to expect Tagovailoa to immediately ignite his team against the 3-4 Cardinals, or will he have some rust to shake off? Hill is questionable for Sunday with a foot injury. And again, the No. 1 question is whether Tagovailoa can stay on the field. (Cardinals at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young returns to the starting lineup Sunday against the host Denver Broncos, six weeks after coach Dave Canales benched him in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. Dalton suffers a sprained thumb after a car accident, but even so, it makes sense to give the Panthers another chance at an MVP pick in 2023. Canales initially hoped Young would learn from watching a veteran direct the offense as he increased Dalton and Carolina’s chances of competing. But the Panthers have lost four in a row behind Dalton, and at 1-6, devoid of talent at several key positions and among the NFL’s worst teams in several statistical categories, the rookie coach can give up any hope of a dramatic turnaround.
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The two games weren’t enough for Young to truly settle into a new offense after seeing rare preseason action. Canales says Young has “been an absolute stud” in practice since coming off the bench. So, the Panthers need to give him some action now to see if he has the potential to lead the franchise’s turnaround like they thought when they drafted him over CJ Stroud last season.
At best, Young, who has thrown three interceptions, no touchdowns and completed just 56.9 percent of his passes for 299 yards in two games, comes in and displays a better feel for the game and allays concerns that Carolina made a mistake in drafting him. However, if the team’s decision-makers have already decided they made a mistake with Young, they might as well play him now if he shows enough promise to prompt a trade offer for him before the Nov. 5 deadline. (Panthers at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Caleb Williams returns to his home district of D.C. to face the Leaders. (Kirby Lee/Imagine Images)
God willing, the top two picks in this year’s draft will meet for the first time. Caleb Williams leads the Chicago Bears into Washington, where they’ll put their three-game winning streak back against the 5-2 leaders and (maybe) quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Daniels, the No. 2 pick, suffered a rib injury early in last week’s win over Carolina and watched the bulk of the game from the sideline. He is listed as questionable and while he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, Friday was a limited participant. He set the tone for the Leaders, who are tied with the Ravens for first in the league in scoring (31.1 points per game). Daniels leads the NFL with a completion percentage of 75.6 and has thrown six touchdowns and just two interceptions while rushing for four more.
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Meanwhile, Williams is starting to look like the star the Bears thought they were getting when they selected him first overall. He has completed 74.1 percent of his passes with seven touchdown passes and just one interception in a three-game winning streak, and the Bears’ one-time offense has outscored opponents by an average of 17 points per game.
The Bears are 4-2 in a heated NFC North that includes Detroit (5-1), Minnesota (5-2) and Green Bay (5-2). Meanwhile, Washington hopes to maintain its edge in the NFC East at the expense of a surging Philadelphia. (Bears in leaders, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Few teams have faced as much injury-related hardship as the Chiefs, who this week placed a third wide receiver on injured reserve, with a fourth also out. However, the defending Super Bowl champions remain the last undefeated team in the NFL at 6-0. Kansas City always has a chance with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and with its defense ranked among the best in the NFL. However, the Chiefs desperately need reinforcements on offense and may have found their guy in DeAndre Hopkins.
On Wednesday, they acquired the five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro selection from the Tennessee Titans with hopes he can team up with Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy to help bring back improved big-play ability and consistency in their offense. After posting his seventh career 1,000-yard season in 2023, Hopkins has endured a rough start to the 2024 campaign. Paired with Tennessee quarterback Will Levis, who has passed for just 699 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, Hopkins has 15 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. At 32 years old, Hopkins lacks the explosiveness he boasted during his prime, but he remains an effective runner and can still win 50-50 balls like he always did.
Hopkins’ knowledge of the Chiefs’ offense will be limited on Sunday when the Chiefs visit the hapless Raiders, but if anyone can position a player quickly for success, it’s Andy Reid. (Chiefs at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
(Top photo by Bryce Young: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
