7 NFL scorching takes on Steelers, Colts, Panthers, Vikings earlier than 2024 season begins

The NFL season is rapidly coming across the nook. Per week from right this moment, the primary NFL groups will report back to coaching camp because the prelude to a 2024 with quite a lot of intrigue. From the rise of recent stars like CJ Stroud and Jordan Like to the Atlanta Falcons lastly being critical about soccer, there’s so many issues to get enthusiastic about this season.

Scorching take season can also be in full impact, and whereas these aren’t knock your socks off spicy, they’re absolutely all going to come back true and reveal us to be appropriate about all the things. These takes vary from the QB competitors within the Metal Metropolis to the potential finest offense within the NFL, actually one thing for everybody.

Listed below are seven scorching takes for the 2024 NFL season simply earlier than coaching camp begins. Verify again in six or seven months and tell us how we did.

Justin Fields wins the beginning job in Pittsburgh

When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson — aided largely by an enormous contract offset the veteran quarterback had with the Denver Broncos — the intention was to have Wilson because the beginning quarterback this season. Even after the Steelers traded for Justin Fields, head coach Mike Tomlin referred to Wilson as the beginning, indicating that the veteran was in “pole place” to maintain the job.

However to maintain the analogy going, it isn’t as if Wilson is Max Verstappen at this level in his profession.

The veteran might enter coaching camp because the starter, however Fields offers the offense extra huge play functionality with what he can do with each his arm and his legs. So whereas Wilson is likely to be on pole place, Fields goes to guide the primary lap of this race.

Photograph by Michael Hickey/Getty Photos

The Indianapolis Colts make the playoffs

There’s quite a lot of buzz concerning the AFC South this season, beginning with the Houston Texans. Thanks largely to an incredible rookie marketing campaign from C.J. Stroud the Texans received the division a season in the past, and received a Wild Card recreation in opposition to the visiting — and favored — Cleveland Browns. Whereas Houston’s stunning run to the playoffs ended the next week, with the group satisfied that Stroud is the franchise quarterback they hoped they had been drafting, they loaded up round him this offseason.

Then there are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who simply handed Trevor Lawrence an enormous contract and are only one season away from a division title and stunning Wild Card weekend win of their very own.

However don’t sleep on the Indianapolis Colts. They made a stunning postseason push of their very own final season, and whereas that effort fell quick, now they’re getting Anthony Richardson again. A full season of Richardson in Shane Steichen’s offense goes to place the Colts within the playoffs.

The Carolina Panthers will win the NFC South

Hear me out. There’s nothing that may lead you to imagine the NFL-worst Panthers may bounce again to win their division, however for those who scratch the floor there’s one thing compelling brewing in Charlotte.

The Panthers have had an incredible offseason that addressed their largest deficiencies on the offensive line from a yr in the past, whereas including much-needed separation to their receiving corps in Diontae Johnson. The offense was so putrid a yr in the past that there’s miles of enchancment, and new coach Dave Canales, architect of Bake Mayfield’s success in 2023 is poised to do the identical factor for the Panthers.

Final yr all indicators pointed to the Bucs being the worst crew within the South, and so they received. That may be the Panthers in 2024, no matter what Atlanta has in retailer.

Sam Darnold goes to create a QB controversy in Minnesota

All indicators level to the Vikings selecting to attend, and never push J.J. McCarthy right into a beginning job earlier than he’s prepared — which is totally the proper transfer. The factor is: Sam Darnold is sweet sufficient to make lots of people have second ideas, and I feel he’s going to do exactly that.

At 27-years-old there’s loads of tread left on the tires right here, and the Kevin O’Connell offense will masks quite a lot of Darnold’s deficiencies. Pair that with Justin Jefferson, who’s at all times an element, and there’s a particular state of affairs right here the place Darnold surprises folks, leads the Vikings again to the playoffs, and creates concern over whether or not or not McCarthy ought to take the job.

The Inexperienced Bay Packers end with one of the best offense within the NFL

The Packers completed final season in a flourish, throttling Dallas on the highway within the playoffs and taking the San Francisco 49ers to the restrict within the Bay space. This was largely on the backs of progress out of their younger QB Jordan Love and the emergence of a receiver group that’s extra committee than with one star. Add in head coach Matt LaFleur designing an unbelievable offense and you’ve got the right combination for a crew that’s able to tear up the league in 2024.

With Love’s progress persevering with in addition to the maturation of the younger talent place group, the Packers could be one of the best offense within the NFL in 2024.

3 AFC South groups make the playoffs

It feels just like the AFC South is able to step into the limelight this yr. With the QB expertise within the division at its’ highest and groups just like the Texans and Titans placing collectively star-studded teams of surrounding expertise, the division is really an arms race. As different divisions within the AFC stay in flux, the AFC South can get three groups into the playoffs just like the AFC North did final yr. The Texans are the favorites to win the division, now boasting a protection complementary sufficient to help an offense led by QB CJ Stroud. The Jaguars have Trevor Lawrence primed for an enormous yr, and a protection now coached by Ryan Nielsen ought to give Jacksonville the increase it wanted final yr. Indianapolis will hopefully get a full season of Anthony Richardson and Tennessee has the expertise to push arduous for a playoff spot. The AFC South is able to get out of the doldrums and into the NFL highlight.

Maxx Crosby wins Defensive Participant of the Yr

It seems like Maxx Crosby has constantly been one of many 5 finest EDGE defenders in the complete league for some time now, regardless of enjoying for a crew within the midst of an id change. Crosby performs virtually each snap of each recreation, and stays extremely productive. His strain fee stays excessive and he turns these pressures into sacks. Whereas the Raiders may not have one of the best outlook for 2024, including Christian Wilkins to the defensive entrance frees up extra one-on-one alternatives for Crosby, who can have the identical soar as Myles Garrett did in 2023 en path to his first DPOY win.