The first half of the NFL’s 2024 regular season was full of interesting storylines, compelling games and noteworthy individual performances. That will only continue during what should be a highly entertaining second half of the regular season.
There are a host of things to keep an eye on during the season’s second half. The Steelers, for example, will try to capitalize on their fast start. Conversely, the Bengals will continue to try to claw their way back following a 1-4 start and a tough loss on Thursday night to the Ravens. The Big Apple’s two teams, the Jets and Giants, will continue to try to navigate what have been disappointing seasons so far.
As interesting as those storylines are, there are five that specifically have our attention. Here’s a look at the five things you can expect during the second half of the 2024 regular season.
Chiefs continues pursuit of perfection/history
It’s crazy that there hasn’t been more attention surrounding the Chiefs’ pursuit of history. Not only is Kansas City vying to become the first three-peat winner in the Super Bowl era, Andy Reid’s team is also now in pursuit of becoming the first perfect team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
While the Chiefs’ three-peat chase is still months away from reaching a possible conclusion, they are nine games away from joining the Dolphins and 2007 Patriots as the only teams to go through a regular season with an unblemished record. Rest assured that this will start to garner more attention in the coming weeks if the Chiefs continue to win. Kansas City hosts 5-4 Denver this weekend before facing their longtime rival — the Bills — in Buffalo in Week 11.
Like Kansas City, Derrick Henry is enjoying a historic season. During the season’s first half, Henry eclipsed 100 total touchdowns, 100 career rushing touchdowns, and 10,000 career rushing yards. This is all happening in a year where Henry is once again leading the NFL in rushing.
Henry is also making a run at 2,000 yards; he’s currently on pace to rush for 1,904 yards if he plays in all 17 games. Currently at 1,120 yards for the season, Henry will have to average 125.7 yards per game to hit the 2,000-yard mark. If he does, Henry will be the first player to do so multiple times (he ran for 2,027 yards in 2020) and the first to do so after turning 30.
If he doesn’t get to 2,000, Henry is still the front-runner to win his third career rushing title, an amazing feat for a player who this season has cemented his future place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
MVP race: Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson
Henry is part of what will continue to be a compelling MVP race. Also currently included in that race is Henry’s teammate, quarterback Lamar Jackson, Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
A running back hasn’t won MVP in 12 years, so it’s clear that Henry has his work cut out for him. Voters may choose not to give Daniels the award as there is also a prestigious award for rookies. Cincinnati’s record will probably leave Burrow out of the conversation despite his prolific numbers.
That leaves Allen and Jackson as the front-runners. Both quarterbacks are enjoying monster starts to their seasons. Allen has thrown 17 touchdowns against just two picks and has led Buffalo to a 7-2 start. Jackson threw four touchdowns in Thursday night’s 35-34 win over the Bengals. The two-time and reigning league MVP now has 24 touchdowns against just two picks this season.
Jackson’s performance Thursday night gave him the current edge over Allen. But this is a tight race that will probably go back and forth throughout the season’s second half.
Belichick rumors heat up
Despite his budding media empire, Bill Belichick appears to be determined to get back on a sideline in 2025. That will undoubtedly lead to growing reports and rumors during the second half of the season about which team will eventually employ him.
Making this story even juicier is the fact that the Cowboys are a possible destination for Belichick. The Cowboys are stumbling through a highly disappointing season. Their coach, Mike McCarthy, is under the final year of his contract. McCarthy will likely not get an extension if the Cowboys don’t get things turned around, and that fact will undoubtedly lead to more speculation about Belichick possibly coming to Dallas.
Another team to keep an eye on is the Raiders, who are also mired in a forgettable season. Belichick’s former quarterback, Tom Brady, recently became a Raiders minority owner. Belichick also has a deep understanding of NFL history, which may compel him to go to Las Vegas in an effort to lead the Raiders back to their glory years of the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Tightly contested battle for NFC supremacy
While they face competition, the Chiefs are still king of the hill, especially in the AFC. But which team will emerge from the NFC as the top threat to Kansas City’s crown? That will be determined over the season’s final nine weeks.
Currently, the Lions are the clear front-runner to emerge as the NFC’s top team. Dan Campbell’s squad is 7-1 and made a splash by acquiring former Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith before the trade deadline. The Commanders (who also made a deadline splash by trading for defensive back Marshon Lattimore) and Vikings are right behind them, followed by the Packers, Eagles and Falcons.
Those five teams appear to be built for the long haul, and it’ll be interesting to see who joins them in the postseason from the wide-open NFC West division. The Cardinals are soaring after having won three straight games after a 2-4 start. The Rams have fought to a 4-4 record despite a mountain of injuries. The 49res are also 4-4 despite an equally damming list of injuries. Seattle, after a strong start, has faded as of late and is now looking up at the rest of the division in the standings.
As mentioned above, the Lions appear to be the favorite to claim the NFC’s No. 1 seed. But unlike the top-heavy AFC, the NFC is truly wide open, and that should lead to some compelling games and some surprising outcomes during the season’s second half.
