We’re through five weeks (and one Thursday Night Football game) of the 2024 NFL season. Here’s each team’s campaign graded from A+ to F so far.
We’re through five weeks (and one Thursday Night Football game) of the 2024 NFL season, and we’ve seen enough football to form quality opinions on all of the teams.
This slideshow will give each team a grade from A+ to F based on how this season has gone. It’s important to note that not every team is being graded on the same scale. For instance, the objectives and expectations for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Commanders this season are much different. And, if teams have had key players get injured so far this year, injuries that will impact their entire season, that will hurt their grade as well. It’s not just about the team’s win-loss record!
Arizona Cardinals: B+
The Arizona Cardinals sit at 2-3, which isn’t even above .500. But, so far, the season has to be considered a success. The most important things for their rebuild this year was finding out whether Kyler Murray was still their franchise quarterback and how young top ten picks in 2024 first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr. and 2023 first-rounder Paris Johnson Jr. would progress. The verdict is positive on all three so far, and they look like a team that is some defensive upgrades away from being a playoff team next year.
Atlanta Falcons: B
This season was always going to be about what the Falcons looked like in November and December as Kirk Cousins got accustomed to his new teammates and playing on his surgically repaired Achilles. There’s still some rust, though a 509-yard performance in a comeback win over the Bucs in Week 5 got them to 3-2. Kyle Pitts needs to get going on a more consistent basis, and the defense must improve. But, given a pretty rugged schedule to start the season, it’s been a solid start.
Baltimore Ravens: B
If this grade was just for the Ravens’ offense, it would be at least an A-. Lamar Jackson is throwing the ball better than ever, Derrick Henry looks rejuvenated, and a talented group of pass-catchers are making plays. But, the Ravens defense has been lackluster at times, especially through the air. They’ve recovered from an 0-2 start to 3-2, but improvements need to be made if they want to be a top-flight Super Bowl contender.
Buffalo BIlls: C+
Through three weeks, this grade would’ve been an A, due to a lights-out 3-0 start. But, the last two weeks have been a disaster on multiple fronts. Head Coach Sean McDermott continues to falter in game management situations, Josh Allen is getting hit more than he should, and the lack of explosive pass catchers is an issue on offense. Defensively, they were embarrassed on the ground by the Ravens in Week 4, though the group has been mostly positive. This grade is about Sean McDermott, more than anything.
Carolina Panthers: D
This Panthers season was supposed to be about Bryce Young progressing in his second season, with first-year head coach Dave Canales leading that effort. But, Young last just two games before getting benched, and it’s clear that the franchise must start over from scratch. At 1-4, they’re headed for a high draft pick to do just that.
Chicago Bears: B
The Bears sit at 3-2, surviving a bad stretch on offense to start the year to keep their playoff hopes on track. Much of that rough start on offense was due to some really poor game plans by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, but Caleb Williams was struggling as well. The first-overall pick wasn’t being helped by poor offensive line play, either. But, those issues have resolved during their two-game win streak in Week 4 and Week 5, with Waldron really imrpoving his game plans. Still, this should be one of the most explosive offenses in the league, and it’s not quite that yet.
Defensively, they’ve been as advertised, and it’s one of the best units in the league. Expect the grade for the Bears to be higher than this after the next five weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals: D-
When you have real Super Bowl hopes and you start 1-4, you deserve a low grade. Despite MVP-caliber play from Joe Burrow, that’s the situation that the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in after five weeks. And, it’s due to a defense that has been abysmal, especially in high-pressure spots. The good news is that they’re talented enough to make the playoffs despite the start. The bad news is that just 15 of 253 teams who started 1-4 have made the playoffs since 1970.
Cleveland Browns: F
Like the Bengals, this is a team that had high hopes, only to start 1-4. Unlike the Bengals, they’re the laughingstock of the league thanks to the embarrassing play of Deshaun Watson and the even more embarrassing resistance by the organization to keep him as the starter. Cleveland fans deserve better than this, that’s for sure.
Until they move on from Deshaun Watson and stop applying a sunk cost fallacy to the situation, things will be bleak in Cleveland.
Dallas Cowboys: C+
Rallying from a 1-2 start to 3-2, capped off by a fantastic come-from-behind win in Pittsburgh in Week 5, has the Cowboys very much in the thick of things. But, the flaws on this roster, namely a porous run defense and poor team depth, have been exposed. Couple in the fact that the team lost its top four edge-rushers to injury already, and it has not been the best start to the season, that’s for sure. The good news is some of those players will return sooner rather than later, but overall it’s been just a so-so start for a team that’s won 12 regular season games three years in a row.
Denver Broncos: B+
Many, including this writer, thought that the Broncos would be in contention for the number-one overall pick in next April’s draft. But, they’ve rebounded from an 0-2 start to 3-2, and it’s easy to see high-priced head coach Sean Peyton’s vision coming together more and more each week. Bo Nix has been more of a liability than an asset, but his play is improving each week alongside the rest of the offense. And, a defense that gave up 70 points in game last year is the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense using DVOA so far this year. The future is bright in Denver.
Detroit Lions: B+
The Lions have already had their Bye Week, and sit at 3-1 after five weeks. Even the loss was a game they dominated, only to be inefficient in the red zone in a Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations, a goal you can’t accomplish in the first five weeks, though you can certainly damage that pursuit like the Bengals have. They’re right on track, and both of their 2022 first-round picks in Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson have taken huge leaps. In fact, Hutchinson has an argument for being the NFL Defensive Player of the Year so far this year.
Green Bay Packers: A-
Why such a high grade for the Green Bay Packers? When Jordan Love went down with a lower leg injury at the end of their Week 1 loss to the Eagles in Brazil, there was a real possibility that Love’s season was over. Instead, they won the two games in which they had to start Malik Willis, and kept their season afloat to be 3-2 through five weeks. Now, one of the youngest teams in the league is set up to keep improving all year long and being the darkhorse Super Bowl contender that they should be. Head Coach Matt Lafleur has done a sensational job.
Houston Texans: B
4-1 is a great place to be. CJ Stroud has picked up right where he left off, a young defense led by Will Anderson continues to improve, and they are heavy favorites in the AFC South.
Why only a B? Nico Collins was playing like the best wide receiver in the NFL before a Week 5 injury to his hamstring against the Buffalo Bills landed him on IR. That’s a big loss, as he’s their threat to hurt defenses down the field. And, it’s the kind of injury that could linger far past his IR stint.
Indianapolis Colts: C
The hope was that Anthony Richardson would stay healthy and progress under Shane Steichen. Instead, he’s continued to be injury prone, and at this point, it’s looking more likely than not that he will never live up to being the 4th-overall pick. Frankly, when you take a quarterback that high, the next few seasons are about his development, first and foremost. That’s not going well, hence a mediocre grade.
The good news is that Joe Flacco is playing well in his stead, and at 2-3 they still have a lot to play for.
Jacksonville Jaguars: F
At this time last year, the Jaguars were a trendy Super Bowl pick after winning a playoff game in 2022 and a solid start last season. Since, they’ve been terrible. An 0-4 start to the season preceded a win over the Colts in Week 5. But, after paying Trevor Lawrence big money in the offseason, he hasn’t been great, the defense has been the worst in football by DVOA, and Doug Pedersen is surely getting fired. It seems to be a lost year in Jacksonville, a franchise that has far too many of them.
Kansas City Chiefs: B+
Only a B+ for a 5-0 team that has won eleven straight games dating back to last year? Consider that Patrick Mahomes has as many touchdowns as interceptions so far, Travis Kelce got off to a slow start, and they’ve already lost Rashee Rice for an undetermined amount of time to an IR stint with a knee injury. Thankfully, the defense has not missed a beat after trading away L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason.
The scary thing for the league’s 31 other teams is that there is plenty of room for improvement in Kansas City.
Las Vegas Raiders: C-
Some may think this grade is too harsh, considering they’re probably right where expectations thought they’d be at this point at 2-3. But, the big demerit is that Antonio Pierce has frequently looked incompetent as a head coach. It seems as though hiring the interim because the players liked him and played a little harder for him than Josh McDaniels may have been a bad choice. Plus, Davante Adams has demanded a trade, and the vibes are pretty bad.
Los Angeles Chargers: B
After a 2-0 start, the Chargers dropped their next two games as injuries piled up to go into their Week 5 bye at 2-2. Already, star players like Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, Rashawn Slater, and rookie star Joe Alt have been dinged up. It’s never good to have that many injuries to key players so early.
But, the team seems to be responding to first-year head coach Jim Harbaaugh really well, and has already bought in to the physical style of football he wants to play. Things are looking up for the Chargers.
Los Angeles Rams: D-
The Rams are 1-4, Cooper Kupp and Puca Nakua’s injuries likely doomed their season, and Matthew Stafford is going to be a year older next season. While Kupp and Nacua will return soon, it’s probaly too little, too late, and it’s a lost year for the Rams.
Miami Dolphins: F
This grade was set in stone pretty much the second that Tua Tagovailoa went down with yet another scary concussion in Week 2’s blowout loss to the Bills. At 2-3, their season still has hope. And, Tua seems to want to return to play. But, after another scary situation, nobody wants to actually see him do that, and it seems like there’s no way the franchise can rely on him long-term.
More concerning is the regression from head coach Mike McDaniel this year. Even when Tagovailoa was healthy, the offense looked clunky. And, a guy that was considered an offensive wunderkind should be more successful scheming things up for the various quarterbacks they’ve played since Tua got hurt. At this point, the Dolphins are. directionless franchise.
Minnesota Vikings: A+
Not in their wildest dreams did a realistic Vikings fan think this time would start 5-0. Not only are they 5-0, but it’s a deserved record, with quality wins against teams like the 49ers, Packers, Jets, and a thrashing of the Texans. Sam Darnold has been a revelation, playing some of the best football of any quarterback in the league under the guidance of Kevin O’Connell. But, the real star has been Brian Flores’ defense, the top-ranked defense in the league by DVOA. They’ve been relentless getting after the quarterback and have been solid on the back-end as well. Sometimes, a team unexpectedly gets out to a 4-0 or 5-0 start and we all know it’s not built to last. I don’t think that applies to these Minnesota Vikings.
New England Patriots: D
When the Patriots upset the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, it looked like I, like others, may have underestimated them. But, they’ve been terrible since, and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo has not done a good job. Plus, injuries have decimated the defense, the offensive line has been terriblem, and Jacoby Brissett was so bad that they have to turn to Drake Maye faster than they want to. The grade isn’t lower only because everyone expected them to be bad.
New Orleans Saints: C-
The Saints may have been the best team in the NFL the first two weeks of the season, blowing out the Saints and Cowboys. Since, they’ve lost 3 in a row, Derek Carr has suffered an injury, and that early hot start was shown to clearly be a fluke. New Orleans, it’s time to rebuild.
New York Giants: B
Yes, the Giants are only 2-3. But, they weren’t expected to be very good anyways, and there have been a ton of bright spots. While they’re likely to move on from him anyways, Daniel Jones has been much-improved from his disastrous, injury-shortened, 2023 season. That should give fans faith that Daboll can properly develop the next guy they bring in to be the franchise quarterback. That unknown player will have Malik Nabers to throw to, and the rookie has already established himself as one of the league’s best receivers.
Defensively, a front that the team has invested a ton of resources in has been absolutely menacing. Offseason acquisition Brian Burns has looked solid across from Kayvon Thibodeaux. But, the real start is Dexter Lawrence. He already has six sacks to go along with his usual stellar run defense. He’s one of the best players in the NFL at any position. All in all, some positive signs for the Giants.
New York Jets: D
If a team has already fired their coach after five weeks, a grade of D is about as good as you can get. The good news is that Aaron Rodgers is not completely washed after the torn Achilles suffered last year, and the defense is still solid. The bad news is pretty much everything else. The Jets are remarkably dysfunctional, Rodgers is not the quarterback he used to be, Nathaniel Hackett is a terrible offensive coordinator, and key defensive acquistion Haason Reddick hasn’t played a single snap due to a holdout. They can turn things around at 2-3, but at this point, it’s the same old Jets.
Philadelphia Eagles: C-
Eagles fans hoped that replacing both coordinators after last season’s late collapse would help get head coach Nick Sirianni on the right track. While they’re 2-2, significant problems are present on both sides. The passing attack, admittedly hampered by injuries to both AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, has not been sharp. They’ve been able to run the ball well, and Saquon Barkley has been fantastic, but they simply haven’t ran it enough. That was a problem last year, too.
Meanwhile, Vic Fangio’s defense has been unable to get any pressure on the quarterback, and the linebacker play has been abysmal. The back-end has improved, but it’s still not a very good unit.
The Eagles seem to be teetering on the brink of dysfunction.
Pittsburgh Steelers: B-
Another team that came back to earth after a hot start, the Steelers find themselves 3-2 after winning their first three games. In those wins, and even in their Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Justin Fields showed signs that he could be a long-term answer in Pittsburgh. But, on the whole, he’s simply not that kind of quarterback, and Arthur Smith’s offense has been predictably mediocre. George Pickens is already in the Mike Tomlin doghouse, and he’s the only explosive weapon on that side of the ball.
Defensively, it’s been mostly good. But, after being lights-out the first three weeks, they’ve regressed to the defense of 2023 that saw the Steelers give up a bunch of yards while depending on big plays. Is that sustainable long term? Probably not.
That being said, 3-2 is probably fine given their talent level.
San Francisco 49ers: C-
A Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks got them to 3-3, but it’s been far from smooth sailing for the preseason NFC favorites. The biggest issue is Christian McCaffrey’s bilateral Achilles tendonitis. When your star running back is going to Germany during the early part of the season for medical opinions, it’s never good. Brock Purdy has been fine, but has struggled in crunch time.
The whole team has struggled in crunch time, in fact. The defense has not gotten stops when it’s needed to, and is very gettable in the back 7. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa have been their usual terrific selves, but the rest of the defense has been very pedestrian.
All that being said, Kyle Shanahan teams have started slow before and come on strong. I have no doubt that’s what will happen here.
Seattle Seahawks: C
Even after their first loss, a Week 4 close loss to the Lions, I felt great about the start of the season for Seattle. But, a terrible loss at home to the Giants coupled with a Thursday night loss to a beat-up 49ers team means the team has lost all momentum. Geno Smith has cooled down considerably, the rushing attack has been inconsistent, and first-year head coach Mike MacDonald’s defense has been up-and-down as well.
The good news is that left tackle Charles Cross has developed into a superstar, edge Boye Mafe continues to improve, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as a top target. Overall, a mixed bag in Seattle.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B+
At 3-2, some may think that a B+ is a little too good of a grade. But, I’m loving what I’ve seen out of the Buccaneers. Outside of a strange Week 3 performance against the Broncos, they’ve played well every week, even in Week 5’s loss to the Falcons. Most importantly, Baker Mayfield is playing MVP-caliber football, and a young defense is making strides, as well. There’s every reason to believe the Buccaneers can win their fifth-straight NFC East title.
Tennessee Titans: D-
Will Levis is not an NFL quarterback, it’s as simple as that. No player has made more backbreaking mistakes than he has, and it’s no surprise that their only win in their 1-3 start was when he left the game with an injury and was relieved by Mason Rudolph. Frankly, it’s a team devoid of talent that was hoping Will Levis would take a step forward under first-year head coach Brian Callahan. He hasn’t, and so far, it’s been a failure of a season. Things could change for the better after a Week 5 Bye, but I doubt it.
Washington Commanders: A+
When you draft a quarterback second-overall like the Washington Commanders did with Jayden Daniels, and that player becomes one of the league’s biggest superstars by the time the calendar turns to October of his rookie year, you’re going to get a high grade. But, not only is Daniels good, the Commanders may just be a good football team! At 4-1, they’re going to be in the playoff hunt all year long. Even the defense, which was awful the first few weeks, has shown a b it of improvement during the four-game win streak. But, let’s face it, this season was about the development of Jayden Daniels, and that’s gone as well as it could so far.