Ranking five worst NFL teams entering 2024 season: Panthers high on list, once-dominant AFC team sits at No. 1

We are now just three months away from the return of NFL football, and the 2024 season is full of intriguing stories. How far can Aaron Rodgers take the New York Jets? Will CJ Stroud really make the Houston Texans a Super Bowl contender? Will the Detroit Lions be able to overtake the San Francisco 49ers as the top team in the NFC?

Our attention naturally turns to the teams that could thrive next season, but what about those that could struggle? Below, we will try to predict the bottom five teams in the NFL in 2024.

Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Win Total Over/Under: 6.5

I hate that I have to put the Raiders on this list because I like Antonio Pierce and believe their defense has top-10 potential. But there are two reasons why Vegas could be a bottom-five team: offense and schedule.

The Raiders didn’t add a rookie quarterback in the draft to replace Aidan O’Connell, but they did add Pro Bowl alternate Gardner Minshew. Oddly enough, he and O’Connell had the exact same completion percentage (62%), TD-INT ratio (1.7), and sack percentage (6.5%) in 2023. I feel like working with Shane Steichen was a situation quite beneficial. I’m not sure we can say the same thing about Luke Getsy. The Raiders also lost one of their top offensive weapons in former NFL rushing champion Josh Jacobs. Yes, Davante Adams is a stud and Brock Bowers is promising, but can O’Connell or Minshew lead this offense to victories?

To make matters worse, the Raiders are tied for having the eighth-toughest schedule in 2024 based on their opponents’ combined winning percentage in 2023. According to the “Las Vegas Review-Journal“, the Raiders are favored in just two games on lines posted at Station Sports and Caesars. Vegas will need several upsets to surpass their preseason over/under win total.

Win Total Over/Under: 6.5

The Giants tied for the worst sack differential of ALL TIME last season (-51). They hope the additions of Jermaine Eluemunor, Jon Runyan and Brian Burns change that. The Giants’ hopes again appear to rest on quarterback Daniel Jones, who New York decided not to replace this offseason, instead using its top pick on star Malik Nabers. Will Jones be good enough to get the most out of Nabers? Perhaps the better question is: can he stay healthy? Jones suffered yet another neck injury in the Week 5 loss to the Miami Dolphins, missed three games, then returned to the team and promptly tore his ACL.

New York lost its best playmaker this offseason in Saquon Barkley, as well as A’Shawn Robinson and Xavier McKinney on defense. There are also some questions about former NFL Coach of the Year Brian Daboll. He had a disagreement with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and later blocked Mike Kafka from interviewing with the Seattle Seahawks. A total of seven assistant coaches were fired or left the organization by the end of March, by NJ.com. You could argue that’s not a good look for Daboll, but the turnover was expected after last year’s debacle. Now, can he change that?

Win Total Over/Under:6

The Russell Wilson era is over, and although the divorce was costly, it was the right decision. Sean Payton has his new quarterback in Bo Nix, which should inspire some optimism. But few saw the former Oregon Duck drafted 12th overall. If Payton could choose between JJ McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or Nix, which quarterback would he choose? How would he rate these three prospects? Either way, I expect Nix to start Week 1. He’s the most experienced quarterback in the college football story, which has to help in some way.

It was difficult to figure out what the Broncos were in 2023. They started 1-5, then won five in a row thanks to a defensive revolution and lost four of their final six games to fall out of playoff contention — including a Christmas Eve loss at home. for Bailey Zappe and the lowly New England Patriots.

The Broncos also lost some notable contributors this offseason, trading Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns and releasing All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, while center Lloyd Cushenberry and linebacker Josey Jewell entered free agency. Vance Joseph’s defense appears capable of carrying the load at times, but the Broncos’ offense can’t fight like it did last year — especially in the improving AFC West. Denver has recorded seven consecutive losing seasons. That’s the second-longest active streak behind the Jets’ eight.

Win Total Over/Under: 5.5

The Panthers were arguably the worst team in the NFL last year at 2-15, and they quickly parted ways with head coach Frank Reich. Enter Dave Canales, who has truly been a quarterback charmer in recent years. But how quickly can he turn Bryce Young into a legitimate starter?

The #1 overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft averaged 5.5 yards per attempt in 2023, fourth-fewest in NFL history. His 73.7 passer rating also ranked last in the league. Young’s disastrous campaign wasn’t entirely his fault. Their offensive line was terrible, their weapons weren’t garnering Pro Bowl votes, their offensive player changed several times and their first head coach was fired 11 games into the year. Carolina was the first team in NFL history to not lead in the fourth quarter for an entire season! That’s right, both victories came with time running out.

Carolina added some offensive guards and some wideouts in Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette. But, to be frank, the Panthers will have to prove they are finally on the right path. David Tepper isn’t the league’s most beloved owner, and Canales is set to become the Panthers’ seventh head coach in the last six seasons. No other team in NFL history has had seven head coaches over a six-season span.

1. New England Patriots

Win Total Over/Under: 4.5

The Patriots are, of course, entering a new era with a new coach, Jerod Mayo, and a new quarterback, Drake Maye. Truth be told, it’s impossible to predict what this team will be like, but the fact that they’re coming off the worst season of Bill Belichick’s head coaching career doesn’t exactly help.

It’s not certain Maye will start right away, but one has to imagine their No. 3 overall pick will win that job if he can do enough during training camp/preseason. I’m interested in the Patriots’ new wide receiver room. Who is the No. 1 pass catcher in this group? Kendrick Bourne is coming off an ACL injury, JuJu Smith-Schuster doesn’t look like the player he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we also have some young guys like Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

Caesars Sportsbook believes the Patriots will be the worst team in the NFL this season, and one thing that makes life much more difficult for them is the AFC East. Aaron Rodgers is back healthy for the Jets, who could be a playoff team, and then you have legitimate playoff teams like the Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. New England is playing last, but is also tied for having the eighth-toughest roster in 2024 based on opponents’ combined winning percentage in 2023.