Admin September 5, 2024
Drew Bledsoe breaks down the AFC East and who he likes to come out on top
Mackenzie Salmon spoke with NFL great Drew Bledsoe about the stacked AFC East and what makes each team unique.
Sports Seriously
The 2024 NFL season is here. Tonight, the Baltimore Ravens and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs face off in a rematch of the 2024 AFC Championship game to start the regular season.
That game features the two top quarterbacks in the league in defending MVP Lamar Jackson and defending Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. They’re at the top of a loaded conference at the position with many of the best quarterbacks in the league set to fight for AFC supremacy in 2024.
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Here’s how all 32 starters across the league rank entering Week 1.
NFL QB Rankings: Week 1
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Mahomes enters the year with new talent at wide receiver but faces a tough defense in Baltimore in the season opener.
Jackson faces a talented defense in Kansas City’s unit but will have tight end Mark Andrews back to start year two under coordinator Todd Monken.
Allen has a new-look wide receiver room this year as well but faces a porous defense from last season in Arizona to start the season.
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4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
6. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Herbert is on his third offensive coordinator in the last three years with Greg Roman, who oversaw Jackson’s first MVP award in 2019. He has the talent but his receiving corps is unproven entering Week 1.
Burrow is back and healthy behind an upgraded offensive line. He opens the year against New England but may be without star wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
Los Angeles upgraded the interior offensive line and Stafford has a solid receiving corps with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. They’ll test the Detroit secondary featuring multiple new starters.
7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
8. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
CeeDee Lamb is in Dallas long-term which is great for Prescott. Beyond that, this may be the weakest skill position group he’s had in his Cowboys tenure.
Stroud has the best wide receiver group in the league and faces an Indianapolis defense with some question marks in the secondary.
Love ended 2023 on a high and now he’ll look to continue that after getting a big contract. He starts 2024 against a Philadelphia defense beginning year one under Vic Fangio.
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10. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
11. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
12. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Rodgers is healthy with a strong supporting cast around him entering year 20. His first significant time comes on the road against San Francisco under a new defensive coordinator.
With Brandon Aiyuk signed long-term and Trent Williams ready to go, Purdy’s supporting cast is set. Unfortunately he starts the defense against a tough Jets defense.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. should make life much better for Murray, starting Week 1 against a Buffalo defense without linebacker Matt Milano and questions in the secondary.
13. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
14. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
15. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Goff starts the season at home against a Los Angeles Rams team who lost a first-ballot Hall of Fame player and the coordinator on defense. Crucially, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson stayed on for at least another year with the Lions.
Hurts has a new coordinator in Kellen Moore and one of the best collections of talent on offense. Green Bay’s defense may take time to gel under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, giving him opportunity in Week 1.
Lawrence enters year three under Doug Pedersen and offensive coordinator Press Taylor. Christian Kirk is healthy and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. should be a boost to the passing game as well.
16. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
17. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
18. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Smith sees a new coordinator this season in Ryan Grubb, who coordinated one of the top offenses in college football in 2023 at Washington. Smith should benefit from year two out of 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Tagovailoa signed an extension this offseason and starts the year with the fastest wide receiver tandem in the league facing a Jacksonville defense with plenty of question marks.
Cousins made the second big move of his career this off-season while rehabbing a torn Achilles. He starts out the season against a tough Pittsburgh defense.
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19. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
21. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Mayfield has a new offensive coordinator but starts the season against Washington’s defense with top wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin once again.
Carr gets a new offensive coordinator as well in Klint Kubiak and eases into the season against Carolina. Chris Olave enters year three and could make a jump to Carr’s benefit.
Williams is unproven at the NFL level but enters the league as one of the most promising rookies in years.
22. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots
23. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
24. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Brissett is starting for the first time since 2022 this week. New England lacks talent in the pass-catching corps, though, and it could make things difficult to start 2024.
Richardson enters year two with a familiar cast of talent around him. He’ll start off the year against an upgraded Houston defense with playoff aspirations.
Watson enters arguably the most important year of his career in Week 1 against Dallas. He’s yet to regain the Pro Bowl form he had in Houston entering year three in Cleveland.
25. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
26. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
27. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jones gets a big boost from No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers at wide receiver but there’s not a lot of talent around him. He could struggle again in the second year of his extension.
With J.J. McCarthy‘s injury, Darnold is a full-time starter for the first time since 2022. He’ll have a talented pass-catching corps to throw to even with T.J. Hockenson injured to start the season.
Wilson is on his third team in four years and did not play well in Denver. He led the league in sacks in 2022 and will need to play much faster starting this week against Atlanta.
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28. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
29. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
30. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Young could get a bump in year two with new head coach Dave Canales and lots of new talent at wide receiver and offensive line.
Daniels lost No. 2 wideout Jahan Dotson to a trade with Philadelphia but Tampa Bay’s defense may ease him into his rookie season.
Levis gets a new play caller in Brian Callahan, an upgrade at left tackle in JC Latham, and new wide receivers in Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. It’s down to him to make improvements starting against the Bears.
31. Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas Raiders
32. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Minshew is a Week 1 starter for the first time since 2020. He was solid for Indianapolis last season but has a taller task this season with a less proven offensive infrastructure outside of Davante Adams.
Of the three starting rookies, Nix has the most experience from college but may be tested early against Seattle under new head coach Mike Macdonald.