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The first weekend of the 2024-25 NFL season certainly did reveal quite a bit. While we don’t want to overreact with four months of the regular season remaining, there were some performances that caught our eye…and not in a positive manner. These teams have plenty of time to turn things around. However, this piece will rank the five teams on the proverbial panic meter based on their play this past weekend. These five squads could be headed for disastrous years if things don’t turn quickly.
5. New York Giants
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The Giants are abysmal. New York lost at home to Minnesota by a score of 28-6. The Vikings are projected to finish dead last in their division and are starting their second-string QB. Despite this, the Giants weren’t even competitive. The Daniel Jones experiment continues to be an unmitigated disaster. Since inking a $160 million extension, he’s thrown more pick-six interceptions than touchdown passes to his receivers. There are even rumblings of discontentment from this year’s first-round pick WR Malik Nabers. Without a doubt, New York has a chance to legitimately be the worst team in the NFC.
4. Carolina Panthers
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Oof. Carolina is ranked No. 4 here for two simple reasons: No one expects them to be any good, and — in fairness to the front office — the Panthers are breaking in a new coaching staff. However, losing by 37 on the road to a mediocre-to-average New Orleans team is certainly not a good sign. Even worse was the play of last year’s No. 1 Overall pick, Bryce Young. The Los Angeles native went 13-of-30 for 161 yards and two INTs. There’s a distinct possibility that he will not be able to overcome a tiny frame and a general lack of arm strength. Carolina could very well bench Young sooner rather than later. That would signal what everyone already knows: The trade with Chicago to acquire Young will go down as an all-time bad trade in the history of the league.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
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This is a scary one. While the AFC North is a tough division, Cincinnati has been pegged — at the very worst — as a team that can contend for a playoff spot. Some even think the Bengals will win this division. Worries about Joe Burrow’s wrist and the situation revolving around Ja’Marr Chase proved to be secondary. In what looked like a very winnable game, Cincinnati lost at home to a bad New England team. The Bengals mustered only 10 points and 224 yards of total offense. With Pittsburgh winning, and Baltimore looking like an elite AFC squad, Cincinnati appears to be in real trouble.
2. Atlanta Falcons
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There was a considerable amount of optimism in Atlanta this offseason. Looking to upgrade its QB position, the front office went out and signed Kirk Cousins to a multi-year deal. An experienced and proven guy, he was brought in to lead this talented roster to an NFC South division title. Playing a Pittsburgh team at home without much of an offense, the Falcons were dreadful — losing 18-10 in a game that highlighted some real issues. Cousins completed 16-of-26 passes for only 155 yards. He threw one TD, but also two INTs.
The Kyle Pitts-Drake London combo combined to catch five passes for a meager 41 yards (on six targets). Making things more complicated is the fact that the team’s first-round pick — Michael Penix Jr. — is also a quarterback. How long will it take before the Falcons move on to the rookie from Washington? Cousins is in the first year of a four-year contract paying him $100 million in guaranteed money.
1. Cleveland Browns
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Cleveland ranks as the team highest up on the panic meter based solely on expectations. This team is expected to compete for not only an AFC North title but also a Super Bowl. The roster is one of the better ones in the league. The front office also invested heavily in Deshaun Watson as the lynchpin tying all of this together. Sadly for those supporting the Browns, Watson’s play this past weekend was very troubling. During the 33-17 home loss to Dallas, Watson went 24-of-45 for 169 yards. This included one TD pass and two INTs. Watson struggled immensely to push the ball downfield. He settled for shorter, more manageable throws. It made Cleveland highly predictable in the process.
His body language looked off, and there were even moments where his teammates didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with him (check out the clip of Joel Bitonio bypassing Watson’s attempt to pull him off the turf by slapping his hand away). Cleveland has a ton of capital invested in Watson. If he continues to falter, some serious decisions need to be made before the season slips away.
