Five NFL teams that could make a breakthrough in the second half of the season

by Junna Base November 12, 2024

The NFL season has officially reached its halfway point. But will this week be a turning point for some teams?

Over the course of 17 games, each franchise may experience some fluctuations. Setting up the schedule can be a significant factor in encouraging any bumps in the road, as built-in advantages or disadvantages can quickly emerge. However, teams can hold on to the hope that their performance so far does not necessarily define the entire year, as it is not uncommon for some groups to rise in the table in the final months of each season.

Here are five teams that could rise sharply in the second half of this season, with a closer look at their remaining schedules and other elements that could contribute to their rise:

In 2023, the 49ers survived their Week 9 bye with six straight wins en route to the NFC’s No. 1 seed and another conference title. Could Kyle Shanahan’s crew be in for another such revival?

Even if San Francisco (4-4) can’t quite match that success, there are plenty of signs that a breakthrough is on the horizon. Main reason for optimism: Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey could make his season debut on Sunday after having to sit out the first half of the season due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis. His unique all-purpose skills are changing the face of an offense that, without him, went from fourth in yards after catch last season to 29th this year. The team’s red zone efficiency also dropped from first to near-worst (28th), and McCaffrey should be a force multiplier as someone who can open things up for a passing attack that has the speed of Brandon Aiyuk, who is out for the season, clearly missed a cruciate ligament tear.

The defensive outlook may not be as promising, with San Francisco stretched thin on defense due to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave’s torn triceps and strong safety Talanoa Hufanga’s schedule still unclear more than a month after he tore his wrist ligaments. However, linebacker Dre Greenlaw is “getting closer and closer” to returning from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the Super Bowl, general manager John Lynch said this week.

There are almost no easy outs on the schedule, especially games against the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills as well as a home game against the Detroit Lions. But luck is better in close games – San Francisco is 1-3 in matchups decided by six points or fewer, with the win over the Dallas Cowboys never seeming as close as the final score suggested – and in health The 49ers could be catapulted back to the top of the NFC West in a short amount of time.

Arizona, a trendy preseason favorite that emerged as the fall’s breakout team, didn’t quite live up to outsized early expectations, slumping to a 1-3 start. Looking back, it’s easy to see why this team stumbled, as all three losses came against teams that are currently leading their respective divisions. Still, Jonathan Gannon’s group showed surprising resilience by moving back to 5-4 and taking the lead in the highly competitive NFC West.

Now Arizona should have a much easier time navigating the remaining slate, which includes just one game against a team with a winning record (the Minnesota Vikings) and five against teams under .500 (the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks twice, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers). Arizona is also trying to piece together a pass rush after missing leading threats BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck this season, while Baron Browning, signed at the trade deadline, joins a defense that featured 16 players at the Victory over the Chicago Bears last week recorded a pressure. Bad luck in turnovers – Arizona is second with eight lost fumbles – has not derailed a tenacious rushing attack that ranks second in yards per carry (5.3), although offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is still improving Must find ways to feed Marvin Harrison Jr., the supremely talented rookie receiver who has failed to find consistency this season.

If the Cardinals can pick up wins before facing the Los Angeles Rams and 49ers in the final two weeks of the regular season, they should be within striking distance of their first division title since 2015.

Chuckle all you want. Even if Aaron Rodgers hasn’t yet returned to the idea that his team can “top the table,” there is a clear path to at least get to the playoffs.

When the Jets ended their five-game losing streak with a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans (3-6) last week, they showed several signs pointing to a breakthrough. Yes, Gang Green can’t afford to continue underperforming itself with glaring mistakes like when Malachi Corley gives the ball away at the goal line, nor can it rely on Garrett Wilson to save the team with catches that make the social Send the media into a frenzy. But Rodgers’ connection with Wilson and Davante Adams could provide a point of stability to the offense, even if the unit never reaches the heights many hoped for. Meanwhile, a defense that posted eight sacks and made CJ Stroud nervous could once again provide a significant margin for error.

If the Jets can use their mini-bye to beat the Cardinals, an extremely favorable remaining schedule – there are no matchups against teams with a winning record until a Week 17 date at the Buffalo Bills – could help spark a momentum in to trigger the second half. New York may have too much ground to make up to end its worst playoff drought in the league’s 13 years, but the situation suggests the team is more likely to end up at least on the fringes of the playoff picture rather than in the mix a top spot. five draft picks.

Since the Buccaneers (4-5) have lost their last three games and four of their last five, they seem like an odd choice for this list. And with wide receiver Mike Evans out Sunday against the 49ers with a hamstring injury – and fellow wideout Chris Godwin out for the year with a torn ACL – Tampa Bay’s skid could be extended even further.

After that, however, the Buccaneers will look forward to what is probably the easiest lineup in the league in the final stretch. Five of the final seven games come against teams that currently have two wins, with one of the remaining games coming against the reeling Cowboys. Although Baker Mayfield and Co. will have to overcome widespread defensive deficiencies – Tampa Bay ranks 27th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (5.8) – Baker Mayfield and Co. should have more than enough firepower to maintain their record to improve. Even though their three-year reign over the NFC South is likely coming to an end, the Buccaneers appear to have a good shot at a 10-win mark, which would undoubtedly move them past at least a few other teams currently ahead of them in the conference pecking order.

They haven’t entered the league’s elite class of contenders, and the long-standing pass rush problem – their nine sacks are the fewest of any team and their pressure rate of 16.7% ranks 30th – is still weighing on the Falcons . Still, Atlanta (6-3) is in a far better position than the other contenders on this list, as the team has appeared poised to run away with the NFC South for the top division title since its Super Bowl appearance in 2016.

But even though five of the Falcons’ six wins have come by margins of six points or less, there’s reason to believe it will be less close from here on out. Half of their remaining opponents have the league’s worst record at 2-7 (New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers), while their other potential playoff opponents are on the schedule (Denver Broncos, Los Angeles). . Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders) have records that seem inflated. As long as Atlanta doesn’t suffer the setback it suffered in its 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks three weeks ago, its first 12-win season since 2012 is within reach.

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