The start of the 2024-25 NFL season brings many possibilities, some of which excite fans every week and others that cause people to question why they even watch football. Unfortunately, fans do not know which emotion they will be experiencing—overjoyed or devastated—until a few weeks into the season. Some teams stay consistent and perform well, while others disappoint their fan bases within the first few weeks.
After the first five weeks, the New York Jets have made considerable changes in response to their mediocre 2-3 start. On Oct. 8, Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was fired, and Jeff Ulbrich became the interim head coach. Surprisingly, Saleh was not even allowed to say goodbye to the team. In week six, the Jets faced the Buffalo Bills in a close Monday night football matchup, but they came up short. One day after the tough loss, they acquired their new star wide receiver, Davante Adams. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Adams have a tight relationship and good chemistry, having played together on the Green Bay Packers. The team’s acquisition of Adams made it stunningly clear that Rodgers has way more say in the Jets management decisions than he should, as the team continues to put his needs before anyone else’s.
Once again, the New York Giants struggle to excite their fans in the first weeks. Coming out of the 2022 season and making it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, many fans still trust head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones has had up-and-down moments to start the season, but he still hasn’t proven he is the elite player the Giants wanted him to be. In week one, Daniel Jones played his first game since he tore his ACL last November, but he came out playing horribly. In the next four weeks, he redeemed himself, especially in their challenging victory over the Seattle Seahawks. However, in a prime-time matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jones looked awful once again. With this loss, Jones has a record of 1-14 in prime-time games, the worst among all NFL players. As the Daniel Jones rollercoaster continues, many fans realize he is holding the team back from being a serious threat. The Giants’ defense leads the NFL in sacks with 26, and the entire rookie class has proven themselves and solidified their spots on the team. Specifically, Malik Nabers, wide receiver and sixth overall pick, had the second-most receiving yards in the entire league in week four. Cornerback Dru Phillips has also made crucial plays, keeping teams out of the endzone and forcing one fumble. New York’s record is still a toss-up, considering their challenging schedule.
The Chicago Bears made a massive trade in 2023 with the Carolina Panthers, in which the Bears got the first overall pick in this year’s draft, through which they acquired quarterback Caleb Williams from the University of Southern California. With the second pick, the Washington Commanders selected quarterback Jayden Daniels from Louisiana State University. As the weeks go on, Daniels has significantly proved himself to be the best quarterback from this draft. Daniels has put the Commanders in a great position to be a threat in the playoffs as they lead the NFC East with four wins. Williams, who was expected to come into the league as the best rookie quarterback, has proven fans’ expectations of him to be incorrect. While he has gotten more comfortable in the league as the weeks have passed, leading his team to three straight wins, fans are still uncertain about his abilities. These quarterbacks are exciting to watch as they continue to get better.
Contrary to these rookies, some quarterbacks have already been benched, including Bryce Young for the Carolina Panthers and Justin Fields for the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Panthers, veteran Andy Dalton has taken the QB1 spot over their 2023 first overall draft pick Young, another inadequate player. For the Steelers, experienced QB Russell Wilson has taken the starting position.
This unfortunate start is only the case for some teams. The Minnesota Vikings and back-to-back Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, have started the season undefeated and are on pace for a successful year. Veteran Sam Darnold got the starting job for the Vikings and has led the team to big victories. Mirroring the success of the Vikings, the Chiefs remain a powerhouse team, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, many sports fans argue that the referees rig some calls to hand the Chiefs the win in their games.
A huge factor in making or breaking teams’ success is how healthy their roster is. Star players from various teams, including Micah Parsons, Aiden Hutchinson, Rashee Rice, Christian McCaffrey, Jermaine Johnson and Jaelen Phillips, have all undergone significant injuries in the first weeks. Players will heal and lineups will change, ensuring this football season remains interesting. As the year goes on, fans will have no choice but to keep their eyes glued to the television every Sunday to continue rooting for their teams.
Photo credit: “Robert Saleh” by All-Pro Reels is licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0).
