The midway level of the 2024 NFL season is here. After 9 weeks, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are restful undefeated, rookie Jayden Daniels is making a severe proceed at MVP and there would possibly be no certain common within the NFC West. But plenty can happen over the next two months.

We asked 18 of our NFL analysts for his or her most titillating 2nd-half of prediction. Which teams will shockingly invent the playoffs? Who’s making a solid case for with out a doubt one of many league’s annual awards? What records would possibly the Lions ruin this season? And which team would possibly lose out the rest of the season to land the tip draft make a selection?

Let’s predict the 2nd half of of the season, starting with some playoff proceed calls.

Bounce to:
Playoff races | Award winners
Continuing trends | NFC West
File-breakers | NFL draft

How will the playoff races play out?

The Baltimore Ravens will invent the Large Bowl with improved pass defense

The Ravens’ defense is fifth worst within the league in opposition to the pass, and they’ve considered with out a doubt one of many absolute most realistic dropback charges accordingly. That isn’t very any longer a ultimate formula for running thru an AFC that’s riddled with vital particular person quarterbacks — nonetheless I don’t believe those numbers would possibly also help. Cornerback Nate Wiggins and linebacker Trenton Simpson are making improvements to every week. Nickel cornerback Arthur Maulet is abet from a knee ruin, and I have faith coordinator Zach Orr to search out novel subpackages that work. If their pass defense turns into even moderate, the 2024 Ravens can wobble all the style. — Ben Solak, NFL analyst

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs would possibly be the No. 1 seed in AFC

The Chiefs will pause with the NFL’s most titillating fable and get grasp of residence-discipline profit all the map in which thru the playoffs. They haven’t been as dominant as they had been within the past, nonetheless the alternate for DeAndre Hopkins to substitute injured Rashee Rice and a top-five scoring defense can with out concerns lead them to their ninth straight AFC West title. Kansas Metropolis is vying for Recent England’s fable of 11 straight division titles (2009-2019). — Jason Reid, senior Andscape author

The Miami Dolphins will bid an AFC wild-card space

The Dolphins’ roster has ample abilities to get grasp of up from a 2-6 slumber. The offense is averaging 27.0 ingredients since Tua Tagovailoa returned in Week 8. On defense, the pass-speed accidents anxiety, nonetheless safety Jevon Holland and defensive cease Zach Sieler must be abet soon. The schedule is also manageable as two of Miami’s final 9 games feature opponents with .500 records or worse. The Dolphins potentially would possibly no longer bag the Bills within the AFC East, nonetheless the seventh seed is gettable. — Jeremy Fowler, nationwide NFL reporter

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will get grasp of an NFC wild-card space

Despite the accidents to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, the Bucs can jump abet from a 4-6 originate. Evans must return in Week 12 from his hamstring ruin, and their final seven games are exceedingly easy. They’ve two matchups with the Panthers, plus contests in opposition to the Raiders, Cowboys, Giants and Saints. The Buccaneers’ toughest opponent would possibly be the Chargers in Week 15. So going 10-7 is extremely realistic. — Aaron Schatz, NFL analyst

The Pittsburgh Steelers will beat out the Cincinnati Bengals for an AFC wild-card space

With a solid defense that supreme introduced abet Alex Highsmith and is led by Defensive Participant of the twelve months entrance-runner T.J. Watt (-135, per ESPN BET), Pittsburgh’s pass speed will proceed to fluster opposing passers. Within the period in-between, the offense has stumbled on its legs with Russell Wilson below middle, and including Mike Williams to the open air handiest bolsters the receiving corps. I look the Steelers splitting the series with Baltimore to lose the AFC North, nonetheless they’re going to fend off Cincinnati for a playoff berth. — Liz Loza, delusion analyst

---

Who will bag the awards?

Lamar Jackson will bag his third (2nd straight) MVP

As of now, Jackson’s completion share (68.2%) would possibly be a occupation excessive thru a full season. The Ravens’ quarterback is also on tempo for a occupation excessive in touchdown passes (20 moral now), a occupation low in interceptions (two moral now) and a QBR (77.0) that would possibly be 2nd to his first MVP season of 2019. Jackson appears to be like devour a novel man on a mission, and that mission is to bag the Large Bowl. He’ll distance himself from the rest of the discipline if he stays healthy and invent the MVP replacement glaring. — Dan Graziano, nationwide NFL reporter

Jared Goff will bag his first MVP

Uncertainty clouded Goff’s future when he went 3-10-1 after being traded to the Lions in 2021. Four seasons later, Goff says he is taking half in his most titillating ball but, as Detroit’s 7-1 fable is the team’s most titillating since 1956. Over the final six games, the Goff-led Lions offense has scored 26 touchdowns. In that identical span, he has handiest 24 incompletions. Basically based on the Elias Sports Bureau, Detroit is the handiest NFL team since no longer no longer up to 1933 to appreciate more offensive TDs than incomplete passes over six games. — Lindsey Thiry, nationwide NFL reporter

Xavier McKinney will bag Defensive Participant of the twelve months

McKinney has been a difference-maker for Green Bay, the usage of his range and ball abilities to take grasp of six interceptions, which is tied with Detroit’s Kerby Joseph for essentially the most within the league. And in Jeff Hafley’s defensive draw, McKinney will appreciate more opportunities to invent sport-changing performs for a team that must invent the playoffs. The Packers hit a residence proceed when they signed McKinney this past offseason, upgrading their safety neighborhood. — Matt Bowen, NFL analyst

Trey Hendrickson will bag Defensive Participant of the twelve months

The Bengals are 4-5, nonetheless Joe Burrow is taking half in essentially the most titillating ball of his occupation with the league’s 2nd-most titillating QBR (76.3). The defense has been their important teach. But Hendrickson can even be a fundamental section of that turnaround. He leads within the NFL in sacks (11) and is 2nd in pass speed bag price (29.9%) to Aidan Hutchinson. If Hendrickson continues to effect together a solid season, the Bengals can sneak into the playoffs. — Seth Walder, analytics author

Derrick Henry will bag Offensive Participant of the twelve months

Henry earned this honor in 2020 when he posted 2,027 dashing yards and 17 touchdowns. His blistering tempo within the important half of of 2024 has him already with 11 dashing touchdowns and 1,052 yards. He also has two receiving touchdowns; he had zero when he final obtained the award. His feats are even more spectacular pondering he’s 30. It be supreme to be the King. — Stephania Bell, delusion author/ruin specialist

Jim Harbaugh will bag his 2nd Coach of the twelve months honor

The award customarily goes to a coach who exceeds preseason expectations or turns a team around. Four of the past seven winners had been in their first year with a novel team and didn’t appreciate the league’s most titillating fable. Harbaugh exams all of those bins, as he has ushered in an technology of grit and toughness for the Chargers. Los Angeles has already matched its five-bag total from final season and is a severe playoff contender within the AFC. It also has with out a doubt one of essentially the most titillating final schedules. — Eric Moody, delusion/making a bet analyst

The Washington Commanders will sweep awards of MVP, Coach of the twelve months and Executive of the twelve months

The Commanders are amid with out a doubt one of essentially the most unparalleled turnarounds by any NFL franchise. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is third in QBR (76.0), and their dashing assault produces the third-most dashing yards per sport (163.9). They started shaky on defense, nonetheless novel coach Dan Quinn has engineered them to the 11th-most titillating scoring defense so some distance. Overall supervisor Adam Peters slowly constructed this roster into a contender over the offseason, and his alternate for Marshon Lattimore would possibly straight away improve their secondary.

I seek info from Washington to bag the NFC East and invent it to the NFC Championship Game, including plenty of particular person hardware along the style. — Mike Tannenbaum, NFL analyst

---

What season pattern would possibly proceed down the stretch?

The Detroit Lions will cease the season with but any other proceed of opponents shedding their following sport

Right here’s a fun one. On Sunday, the Titans grew to turn into the important Lions opponent this season to bag their following sport, breaking a proceed of six straight opponents who misplaced their next sport after going thru Detroit. The Lions’ opponents weren’t supreme shedding — they had been shedding colossal. There would possibly be one thing to be acknowledged about Detroit’s physical style and play-motion-heavy offense that creates residual fatigue for opposing defenses. — Kalyn Kahler, nationwide NFL reporter

---

What would possibly happen within the NFC West?

The Arizona Cardinals will bag the division

No division is tighter moral now, as the Cardinals stand half of a sport up on the plenty of three teams at 5-4. Arizona has effect together a ambitious offensive identity on the floor (149.7 dashing yards per sport), and this would possibly be very disciplined (fewest moderate penalties per sport). Plus, it is coming along on defense. With division wins over Los Angeles and San Francisco below their belt already, the Cardinals are in supreme shape to invent a proceed to the playoffs. — Field Yates, NFL analyst

The Los Angeles Rams will bag the division

Los Angeles has rallied abet from a tough 1-4 originate; it is on a 3-sport winning proceed and sits 2nd within the NFC West. Sean McVay is transferring Matthew Stafford out within the perimeter more than ever, designing bootlegs for the 36-year-aged quarterback to search out receivers in order. Kyren Williams has been the heartbeat of the offense, and Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are abet from ruin. Alongside with a young line of defense led by Braden Fiske and Jared Verse, the Rams can bag the division within the occasion that they cease healthy. — Dan Orlovsky, NFL analyst

The San Francisco 49ers will wobble away out the playoffs

A season decimated by accidents will cease with the reigning NFC champions lacking the postseason and retaining the Large Bowl hangover pattern alive for the shedding team. Sitting at 4-4 after a bye week, the 49ers are with out Brandon Aiyuk for the season and restful appreciate Christian McCaffrey on the sideline (although he would possibly return this week). Their defense can’t invent key stops, either. This appears to be like devour a misplaced year within the Bay. — Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst

---

What records will be broken this season?

Jared Goff will ruin Drew Brees’ single-season fable for completion share

Over the important five games, Goff’s 83% competition share modified into once an NFL fable, per ESPN Study (minimal 50 attempts). He leads the NFL with a 74.9% completion share, placing him on tempo to eclipse Brees’ 74.4% single-season tag field in 2018. And Goff isn’t very any longer showing any signs of slowing down. He has done 30 straight passes to his top goal, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and would possibly enhance his numbers in opposition to the Colts and Jaguars (two struggling pass defenses) over the next three weeks. — Seth Wickersham, NFL author

---

Which team will appreciate the No. 1 make a selection?

The Las Vegas Raiders will lose out and appreciate the tip make a selection within the 2025 NFL draft

After firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, a solid argument will be made they are already the worst team within the NFL. There are 9 teams with two or fewer wins, which is tied for essentially the most teams thru Week 9 for the reason that 1970 merger, per ESPN Study (9 teams in 2006). The Raiders appreciate misplaced their past five games, and I seek info from that proceed to climb to 13 by season’s cease. They can appreciate the No. 1 overall make a selection for the important time since 2007, when they chosen JaMarcus Russell with the franchise’s handiest top replacement. — Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst