1 Aim NFL’s Worst Groups Should Accomplish in Remaining Weeks of 2024 Season

As Week 14 of the NFL season approaches, the highest half of the league is concentrated on chasing the Lombardi Trophy. The underside half…properly, they produce other priorities.

It is simple as followers to take a look at the groups who’re at present projected to select within the prime 10 of the draft and assume their No. 1 precedence is to tank. It is not that easy, although.

Coaches, front-office varieties and gamers are all preventing to retain their jobs or no less than safe one other contract someplace else.

The truth is that each group ought to be trying to show one thing as we head down the stretch. Whether or not it is discovering out whether or not a coordinator is value preserving round, how a lot progress a younger participant has made all through the season or making a choice on a looming contract extension, even the dangerous groups have some targets past enjoying for draft place.

Let’s check out what these objectives ought to be for every group within the league with three or fewer wins.

The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t alleged to be a juggernaut this season, however they had been no less than alleged to be respectable. Maintaining the Texans sincere within the race for the AFC South was an affordable expectation.

As an alternative, they’re in pole place to carry the No. 1 decide within the draft on the finish of the season.

There’s clearly so much that has gone flawed for the Jaguars and quite a lot of questions that must be answered. It could be stunning if head coach Doug Pederson is again subsequent season, and basic supervisor Trent Baalke may additionally be on the recent seat.

Regardless, one factor the group can spend the subsequent 4 video games determining is what Parker Washington would do with extra targets. The second-year participant has completed nothing largely this season, however he turned 12 targets into six catches for 103 yards and a landing in opposition to the Houston Texans final week.

The Jaguars ought to look to proceed feeding him targets. Trevor Lawrence is probably going out for the remainder of the season after heading to the injured reserve with a concussion, however the Jags can nonetheless discover out who their receivers ought to be subsequent yr.

Christian Kirk is a possible lower candidate. Jacksonville might save $13.7 million in opposition to the cap by slicing or buying and selling the veteran receiver within the offseason.

The 28-year-old suffered a season-ending harm for the second season in a row. If the Jags really feel Washington can change him in 2025, it might make sense for them to half methods.

Usually, groups do not give head coaches sufficient time to develop, and firing them after one season is a nasty concept. Nonetheless, Antonio Pierce is type of a particular case.

The 46-year-old was named Las Vegas head coach after a powerful 5-4 end to the season after taking up because the interim. Underneath him, the Raiders performed a lot better protection and rallied across the former participant.

There is not any denying Pierce had a lightweight resume for an NFL head coach, although. He spent 4 years with Arizona State together with one yr because the co-defensive coordinator and one other because the defensive coordinator, however he solely spent two seasons because the Raiders linebacker coach earlier than getting promoted to interim HC in his third yr in that position.

This yr, the Raiders are 2-10 and the protection is ranked twenty eighth in factors allowed per recreation. Pierce’s decide for offensive coordinator, Luke Getsy, was already fired.

Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated reported there’s “quite a lot of buzz that the Las Vegas Raiders might one-and-done Antonio Pierce come January” and famous that his “mismanaged conditions” in a loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs did not assist.

The Raiders are in prime place to draft one of many prime quarterback prospects in subsequent yr’s draft. The most important query they’ve to determine is that if Pierce is the pinnacle coach they need in place to develop that quarterback.

With the Buccaneers, Falcons, Jaguars, Saints and Chargers on faucet, the Raiders ought to be aggressive in no less than a couple of of these video games. Pierce has to indicate he can handle these video games.

The New York Giants offense is likely to be a misplaced trigger at this level of the season. The franchise has made it clear it is going to be getting in a brand new route at quarterback subsequent season, head coach Brian Daboll is on the recent seat, and the offensive line is among the many worst within the league.

They’ve misplaced seven consecutive video games and the offense has scored not more than 22 factors and was held to single digits in three of these contests.

The protection, nevertheless, has an actual shot at displaying progress. It is a group with two rookies in Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips who appear like long-term options. The Giants could have some choices to make at cornerback within the offseason. Deonte Banks has struggled this yr, Adoree’ Jackson is a pending free agent, and Cor’Dale Flott continues to be solely a borderline starter.

Shane Bowen is in his first yr as defensive coordinator with the group. So far, the outcomes have not been nice. The Giants are giving up the second-highest passer rating within the league and are final within the league in dashing protection.

The dashing protection is not more likely to be fastened. Dexter Lawrence is on injured reserve, and it is robust to repair that with no nostril sort out like him.

The secondary is the place Bowen and the Giants could make some headway. If the participant and the group can get on the identical web page with their scheme and present enchancment, it is going to set them as much as compete in 2025 and probably avoid wasting jobs.

The Patriots is likely to be annoyed by the truth that they’re simply 3-10 heading into their late bye week, however Drake Maye’s rookie season has been ok to offset a few of it.

The forst-year signal-caller is 14th in ESPN’s QBR metric. That is extremely spectacular contemplating the offensive line the rookie is enjoying behind. It is thirty second in pass block win rate and thirty first in run block win fee.

Offensive-line play is without doubt one of the hardest issues to repair throughout the season. There are not any nice alternate options on the free-agent market, and the Patriots have a transparent expertise difficulty on the place.

The perfect factor they might do over the ultimate stretch of the season is to discover a technique to get their younger pass-catchers extra concerned within the offense.

The Pats might nonetheless use a No. 1 receiver this offseason, however the different roles are theoretically up for grabs. Between Kashon Boutte, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and DeMario Douglas, they’ve 4 receivers on the lively roster who’re 23 or youthful.

Final week, Boutte led that group with six targets, Douglas noticed 4 and Polk solely obtained one. That is pretty near their respective season averages. Boutte (5.38 targets per recreation) and Douglas (4) are seeing a good quantity of appears to be like, however Polk (2.58) ought to be getting extra appears to be like because the season involves an in depth.

Getting extra out of Polk and even seeing an look from Baker could be an excellent improvement to shut out the yr.

When the Carolina Panthers made the choice to bench Bryce Younger in September, it seemed just like the 2023 No. 1 decide is likely to be completed with the franchise simply over a yr into his run.

That hypothesis may need been a bit untimely.

The 23-year-old has made a dramatic turnaround since taking again over because the starter in Week 8. A minimum of, it is beginning to look that manner.

Younger put up two of his finest stat strains within the final two weeks. His 263 yards in a 30-27 loss to the Chiefs and 298 yards in a 26-23 loss to the Buccaneers had been the second and third-highest outputs of his profession.

It is not simply the stats, although. He is reportedly been more vocal and in control of the offense since coming back from his benching.

All of it sounds good and it might be an excellent story to see the Alabama product overcome early struggles in his profession to reside as much as his promise as a prime decide. Nonetheless, consistency is essential for a quarterback and he’s going to wish greater than two good video games in dropping efforts to show he is a franchise quarterback.

If Younger can proceed his stretch of robust play over the ultimate weeks of the season, it might permit the Panthers to stay with him at quarterback. That will be good from a team-building perspective as they might focus utilizing their assets on constructing the roster round him fairly than beginning over at quarterback.

In some methods, D.J. Reed goes to be a harbinger for the way the Jets plan on approaching the offseason. His contract voids on the finish of the season, and New York should decide about whether or not it brings him again.

At 28 years outdated, he’s proper on the level the place his age might begin getting the most effective of him. His play has slipped a little bit because the season has worn on.

During the last three video games, he has allowed 11 receptions on 16 targets for 128 yards and a landing. These aren’t horrible numbers, however in addition they do not examine to his three-game stretch in Weeks 3-5 when he allowed simply three receptions on 15 targets for 2 yards.

Dominant stretches come and go for cornerbacks so Reed’s decline over the season might simply be a blip within the radar.

Nonetheless, the Jets might want to tread fastidiously. If they’re once more pushing their chips to the center of the desk and anticipating to compete, then re-signing the veteran is a no brainer. But when they understand they’re in rebuild mode, then it is likely to be a place the place they permit Reed to hit free company and change him with a draft decide.

A few of that would depend upon how properly Reed and the remainder of the protection play the remainder of the way in which. If they’ll end the season robust, it would inform the Jets’ decision-making.

Will Levis is a major instance of how laborious it may be to know when it is time to transfer on from a younger quarterback.

His first two seasons haven’t been fairly. The 25-year-old owns a 5-13 document as starter, he is ranked thirty first in ESPN’s total QBR and has 12 turnovers in 9 video games this season.

Then once more, he nonetheless has some ridiculously good plays on movie. It is clear he has the arm energy, athleticism and bodily instruments to make it within the league. There are legitimate factors on each aspect of the Titans’ quarterback argument.

Currently, Levis has been placing forth a stronger case to get one other yr. Since getting back from harm in Week 10, he has seven touchdowns to 2 interceptions and Tennessee has earned a highway win over the Texans.

That alone won’t be sufficient to maintain the Titans from exploring QB choices within the draft. Head coach Brian Callahan wasn’t round after they picked Levis, and it is potential he could desire a new quarterback.

If Levis is ready to proceed his latest stage of play to shut out the season, then the choice turns into a lot simpler. He has a possibility to drive the Titans to provide him one other season, however issues might go the opposite route if he goes again to turning the ball over a number of occasions a recreation.

The Cleveland Browns haven’t got a ton of huge choices to make when it comes to pending free brokers, however Elijah Moore is an exception.

The 24-year-old receiver got here to Cleveland through commerce after two years with the Jets. Most of his time with the Browns, he was unable to interrupt via. He both did not see many targets or wasn’t capable of get free on these he did get.

Since Deshaun Watson has been out of the lineup, that has modified. With Jameis Winston at quarterback, Moore has averaged 9.6 targets per recreation for five.6 catches and 62.2 yards. It is the type of manufacturing you’d count on from a No. 2 receiver.

It is not assured to be sufficient for the Browns to re-sign him at this level, although. Jerry Jeudy can also be having fun with some breakout performances, and Cedric Tillman had quite a lot of success earlier than lacking time with a concussion.

The Browns nonetheless get Tillman for 2 extra seasons on a rookie contract, and Jeudy is on a team-friendly deal via the 2027 season.

Cleveland has an rising receiver room, and Moore may very well be the ultimate piece to solidify the group for the subsequent few seasons. Nonetheless, the Browns must see extra of his latest kind earlier than it is sensible to provide him a brand new contract.