.png)
Was 2024 the best NFL season of all time? Certainly not, but it still had it's fair share of great moments. Records were broken, underdogs showed out in big ways, and some usual top teams crumbled in ways we haven't seen before.
Let's dive into what made this season so great, as well as some of my personal picks for the best moments of the season!
Photo: Seth Wenig/Associated Press
Yearly Awards
AFC Offensive MVP: Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens
AFC Defensive MVP: Pat Surtain II - Denver Broncos
AFC Special Teams MVP: Chris Boswell - Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC Trench Tyrant: Creed Humphrey - Kansas City Chiefs
AFC Relentless Rookie: Brock Bowers - Las Vegas Raiders
NFC Offensive MVP: Saquon Barkley - Philadelphia Eagles
NFC Defensive MVP: Zack Baun - Philadelphia Eagles
NFC Special Teams MVP: Brandon Aubrey - Dallas Cowboys
NFC Trench Tyrant: Jordan Mailata - Philadelphia Eagles
NFC Relentless Rookie: Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders
AFC Player to Note - Creed Humphrey
With Jason Kelce retired, Creed took up the mantle for the best center in the game. He was incredibly impressive, especially as a pass protector, allowing 0 sacks, 7 pressures, and a 1.06% pressure rate on over 700 pass block snaps. He was also responsible for setting up 55.49% of the Chiefs rush yards with his superb run blocking. This gave him an overall blocking grade of 92.8 on the season, making him one of the best linemen in the league.
NFC Player to Note - Zack Baun
In his first year ever playing off-ball linebacker full time, Zack was spectacular. He performed at an incredibly high level, ranking 7th in the entire NFL with a 90.1 overall defensive grade. In coverage, he trailed only Daiyan Henley with 6 INTs + PBUs, and he allowed a relatively low 76.40% completion rate for just 7.50 yards per reception. In the run game, he recorded 79 stops + TFLs, and recorded 141 total tackles, both of which led the NFL. Additionally, he forced 6 fumbles, tied for the league-lead with TJ Watt. Finally, he wasn't asked to pass rush much, but when he did, he recorded a 18.52% pressure rate, which included 3.5 sacks and 3 other QB hits. He was a menace all over the field, and was a critical factor in the Eagles' defensive success.
Repeat Weekly Award Winners
Derrick Henry - AFC OMVP - 6 times
Lamar Jackson - AFC OMVP - 2 times
Saquon Barkley - NFC OMVP - 3 times
Baker Mayfield - NFC OMVP - 3 times
Kyler Murray - NFC OMVP - 2 times
Nik Bonitto - AFC DMVP - 3 times
Myles Garrett - AFC DMVP - 2 times
TJ Watt - AFC DMVP - 2 times
Zack Baun - NFC DMVP - 2 times
Cooper DeJean - NFC DMVP & NFC RR
Chris Boswell - AFC STMVP - 2 times
Ka'imi Fairbairn - AFC STMVP - 2 times
Rigoberto Sanchez - AFC STMVP - 2 times
Tyler Bass - AFC STMVP - 2 times
Austin Seibert - NFC STMVP - 2 times
Brandon Aubrey - NFC STMVP - 2 times
Rashawn Slater - AFC TT - 2 times
Lane Johnson - NFC TT - 3 times
Chris Lindstrom - NFC TT - 2 times
Jake Matthews - NFC TT - 2 times
Landon Dickerson - NFC TT - 2 times
Zach Tom - NFC TT - 2 times
Brian Thomas Jr - AFC RR - 4 times
Jackson Powers-Johnson - AFC RR - 3 times
Brock Bowers - AFC RR - 2 times
T'Vondre Sweat - AFC RR - 2 times
Jared Verse - NFC RR - 4 times
Bucky Irving - NFC RR - 2 times
Malik Nabers - NFC RR - 2 times
Photo: Andrew Mather/Kansas City Chiefs
Top Games
#3 Week 5: Buccaneers vs Falcons
This game was a shootout. The NFC South rivals were fighting for an early first place spot in their division, and they played like it. The game had offensive fireworks all over, as they collectively racked up 41 points through the 1st half. Baker and Kirk were both on one, combining for 5 TDs. The second half was a different story, as the Falcons battled back and hit a field goal as time expired to tie the game.
With both offenses seemingly coming to a halt at 30-30, the Falcons executed a game winning drive with a 45 yard catch and run to KhaDarel Hodge. The unlikely hero found a soft spot underneath the linebackers, broke one tackle, and then out-sped five pursuing Buccaneers, leading the Falcons to a thrilling victory.
#2 AFC Divisional Round: Ravens vs Bills
The clash of the MVP candidates did not disappoint. Lamar and the Ravens used their explosiveness to their advantage, while Josh and the Bills chipped away at Baltimore's defense one yard at a time. Josh drove the ball in himself twice, while Lamar dissected a battered Bills defense through the air. The game came down to the wire, and on a crucial 2-point play to potentially send the game to OT, Mark Andrews dropped his second pass of the game, this one being the dagger. It was an insane game, and the best in the postseason.
#1 Week 10 Bengals vs Ravens
This was easily the best game of the year. Joe Burrow had his 4-5 Bengals battling after starting 1-4. He came into Baltimore and chucked 2 TDs in tow with a Chase Brown TD, giving the Bengals a 21-7 lead a few minutes into the second half. The Ravens would not go down quietly, scoring 21 unanswered points to make it a 28-21 ballgame with just under 6 minutes left in the game. Burrow came back to the field with a vengeance, hitting a 70 yard strike to Ja'Marr Chase, their second connection of 60+ yards on the game. In a tie game, Lamar drove the field and hit Rashod Bateman for a 5 yard TD with just under 2 minutes to go. Burrow, who was incredibly sharp all game, missed his first three throws of the next drive to force 4th & 10.
With the game on the line, he ripped a dot over the middle to Andrei Iosivas for a close first down. After multiple Ravens penalties put them in striking distance, Burrow connected with Ja'Marr for the 3rd time, funneling the ball over two defenders right into Chase's hands in the back corner of the endzone. The Bengals had a wave of momentum dating all the way back to Week 6, and they wanted to capitalize on it. They opted to go for two, and the ball just sailed through Tanner Hudson's hands. There may have been some uncalled penalties against the Ravens on the final play, but regardless, they meant nothing after the Bengals failed to recover the onside kick. The Ravens knelt the ball and improved to 7-3 on the year.
Top Plays
#3 Josh Allen 4th Down TD Run vs Chiefs
This play inserted Josh Allen into the MVP conversation. The Chiefs had not lost a game in 15 straight games dating back to Week 17 in 2023. On 4th & 2 with a chance to close out the game, Josh Allen dropped back, pump-faked, and scrambled up into the pocket for a 27 yard TD - breaking 4 tackles in the process. The Bills took down the undefeated Chiefs and showed they were a legit contender.
#2 Saquon Barkley Reverse Hurdle vs Jaguars
This play was just nuts. While still early in the game on a big 3rd & 6, Barkley caught a swing pass out of the backfield. He made two defenders miss, before getting spun around and doing the unthinkable - he jumped over a defender while facing away from him...it was just as crazy watching it live as it was seeing it over 100 times since.
#1 Jayden Daniels Hail Mary vs Bears
This was the most impactful play on the 2024 season. The Bears and Commanders both sat nicely in the NFC standings, and it seemed like the Bears had all but clinched a 5-2 record in a defensive bout. Jayden and Co. had one chance to win the game on a Hail Mary, and they needed a miracle to do so. After scrambling for over 12 seconds, Daniels heaved a pass downfield, which got tipped up in the end zone and fell into the arms of Noah Brown to win the game. The rest is history, as the Commies coasted to a 12-5 record and an NFC Championship appearance, and the Bears skidded to a 1-10 finish.
Top Offseason Moves
#3 Panthers Hire Dave Canales
This may seem like a weird choice for number 3, but I'll be damned if I don't give Dave his flowers. The Panthers have been the laughing stock of the NFL for the better part of two offseasons, and he turned them into one of the most fun teams to watch in the second half of 2024. After benching Bryce and reinstating him as the starter a few weeks later, we saw the magic Canales can work on QBs. Young was slinging the rock at a high level, and was one of the most efficient passers from Week 8 onward. The Panthers took down some good teams and competed against some even better ones, which seemed like a fever dream even at the beginning of this season.
#2 Broncos Draft Bo Nix
This may be another weird pick, but this move was genius in hindsight. Bo Nix absolutely had concerns coming out of college, so the Broncos taking him at 12th was a bit of a surprise not in terms of fit, but in terms of how his ceiling could justify that high of a pick. Sean Payton proved most people, including myself, wrong, as Bo Nix went on to have a pretty great rookie season. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he showed out when he needed to, and took my 30th-ranked team in the preseason all the way to a playoff berth.
#1 Eagles Sign Saquon Barkley
It is understated how much of an impact this move had on Philly, and the ripple effect that will still affect the future of this league. With RBs devalued more than ever, Saquon, like Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs, proved that veteran ball carriers still have a ton of juice, and can dominate in the right system. Barkley came just 100 yards shy of the single-season rushing record, and became just the 9th RB to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season. He helped fuel the Eagles' Super Bowl run, and had the best postseason performance we've ever seen from a running back.
Â
Photo: Ric Tapia/GettyImages
Final Notes
That's a wrap on the 2024 NFL Season! Well...almost. We still have my Fantasy Football Recap dropping soon, and then we'll dive into draft season. I look forward to seeing you all again this offseason!