Three NFC playoff absentees likely to return in 2024
The NFL has long been a league of parity, arguably the sport’s biggest strength. This is evident in the playoffs, with there often being teams who make the playoffs one year and don’t the next and vice versa.
Nine of the 16 teams in each conference failed to make the playoffs in the 2023 season. In the NFC, these were the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Commanders.
Whilst the AFC has gone from one dynasty in the New England Patriots to another in the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFC has been the epitome of the league’s parity.
In the 21st century, only four NFC teams have failed to win the conference. These are the Dallas Cowboys, Commanders, Vikings, and Detroit Lions, who came so close to winning the title game against the San Francisco 49ers a month and a half ago.
Only one team this century has won back-to-back NFC Championships. This came in the form of the 2013 and 2014 Seahawks.
Here are three playoff absentees in the NFC that are the most likely to return to the postseason in the 2024 season.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have not reached the playoffs since the 2017 season, a year removed from their infamous 28-3 collapse in Super Bowl LI. It has been a difficult time for the franchise ever since, with the gradual decline of Matt Ryan at quarterback and the painful to watch Desmond Ridder afterwards. They now have Kirk Cousins under centre.
Cousins has his critics, who often criticise his primetime record. However, he represents a significant upgrade at the position. In his last fully completed season in 2022, he threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns.
There have only been six seasons in Falcons history where a quarterback has thrown for more yards or touchdowns than Cousins did in 2022.
The Falcons still managed to go 7-10 and were in the hunt of the division for at least two thirds of the season due to the poor form of the three other NFC South teams. As well as a favourable division, they were largely kept in the division hunt due to the team around Ridder.
Not only will Cousins have Drake London and Kyle Pitts to throw to, but the offense also features an exciting running back duo in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Whilst the defense is the team’s weakness, they still have the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, where they can find themselves a defensive stud.
In an aforementioned easier division, the Falcons will go into the 2024 season as a strong contender for the NFC South and a place in the playoffs.
Chicago Bears
Not only have the Bears added running back D’Andre Swift, wide receiver Keenan Allen and safety Kevin Byard, but they also have the first and ninth overall picks in this year’s NFL Draft.
It is all but likely, unless the front office have a huge shock up their sleeves, that they will have the first overall pick and use it on Caleb Williams, seen as one of the best quarterback prospects in the last ten to fifteen years.
With the ninth pick, they can also get another weapon to go alongside Allen, Cole Kmet and DJ Moore with someone such as Washington’s Rome Odunze or protect Williams with offensive tackle Joe Alt out of Notre Dame. Alternatively, they can booster their defense by taking an edge rusher such as Alabama’s Dallas Turner or Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
If the Bears can draft right, and they still have the tenth biggest cap room in the NFL to add more players to the roster, then this can be a team that can make some waves in the 2024 season.
Unlike the Falcons, the Bears are in a tough division. Not only do they have to play the Lions twice, but also a young and exciting Green Bay Packers team home and away.
The division may be a tough one to win, but there is more than enough players in this team that can sneak in as a wildcard team.
Seattle Seahawks
It is the end of an era for the Seahawks as legendary head coach Pete Carroll made the move upstairs after 14 seasons. Former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald is his replacement and he joins a team that went 9-8 last season.
Geno Smith was the Comeback Player of the Year in the 2022 season and whilst he regressed in 2023, he has all the capabilities to get back to his previous form, especially with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Noah Fant and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to throw to .
They also have a promising young RB duo of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet and a great up and coming tackle in Charles Cross, who excelled in run blocking in 2023. McDonald is a defensive minded guy and there are some studs on this side of the ball.
Whether this is the youth of Boye Mafe, Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen or the experience of Leonard Williams, there is a nice balance to their defense and one that can win them games if the offense struggles.
Whilst the 49ers are likely to go into the seasons as the favourites to win the NFC, there is every chance they could be hit with an injury bug and leave the door open to other teams. With the Cardinals in rebuild and the Los Angeles Rams now without legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the division would be up for grabs. It is more than likely that the Niners win this division, but a playoff spot via the Wildcard Round is certainly within the realms of possibility