Weekly NFL Recap: Pre-Season Review
Welcome to the first of our weekly NFL recap posts! We begin with the 2024 NFL Pre-season and a look at the teams that caught the eye. Then we look ahead to the start of the new season on Thursday night (early hours Friday morning in the UK).
Several teams had a 100% record in pre-season, including the Chicago Bears, who were the only team to play and win four games.
Other teams that landed three wins from three were the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Denver Broncos.
The Houston Texans were the other team to play four games, losing to Chicago, but winning their other three pre-season matches.
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However, a number of teams failed to record a win in pre-season in 2024, going 0-3 in their games. That includes the current Super Bowl Champions, Kansas City Chiefs. Also failing to land a win were the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons.
Of course, with so many teams playing back ups and players trying to make the final roster in these games, you cannot take the results as being hugely significant in terms of the forthcoming season. The teams that line up in this week’s week one matches will be very different to those that played the majority of the pre-season games.
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Now is the perfect time for you to place any of the NFL Futures or Outright bets you may wish to make on the forthcoming NFL season. Bet365 Sport has extensive markets available on the league allowing you to bet on Divisional Winners, Conference Champions and of course, who wins the 2025 Super Bowl, which will be contested at the Superdome in New Orleans.
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Weekly NFL Recap: NFL Week One Preview
All times shown are UK times (BST). All games are shown live on NFL Gamepass. Let’s check out our weekly NFL recap of the games coming up this weekend.
Friday September 6th – 1.20am
- Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs (Live on Sky Sports)
Arguably the two best teams in the AFC will start the new NFL Season as the Chiefs host the Ravens in the opening game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Head Coach Andy Reid are looking for the ‘three-peat’ Super Bowl victory this season and their fourth in six years.
The Ravens, with NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at QB, may be their sternest challenger in the AFC. There is every chance this game could also be the AFC Championship game come the playoffs.
Saturday September 7th – 1.15am
- Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles (Live on Sky Sports)
If the season opener features two AFC powerhouses, then the second game features two such teams from the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles will once again expect to be strong contenders in the NFC East, albeit without Jason Kelce leading their offensive line.
If the Green Bay Packers surpassed expectations last season, then they are expected to go well this in what looks like being a tough NFC North. Jordan Love showed he is a fine replacement at QB for the now-departed Aaron Rodgers.
Sunday September 8th – 6pm, 9.05pm & 9.25pm
- Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons (Live on Sky Sports)
- Arizona Cardinals @ Buffalo Bills
- Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears
- New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals
- Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars @ Miami Dolphins
- Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
- Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants
- Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers (9.05pm)
- Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks (9.05pm)
- Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns (9.25pm) (Live on Sky Sports)
- Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9.25pm)
There’s lots of intriguing action to look forward to in Sunday’s main tranche of games. That includes some intriguing divisional matches between the Texans and Colts, Panthers and Saints and the Raiders and Chargers.
Top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft quarterback Caleb Williams will start for the Chicago Bears against the Tennessee Titans, for whom their own first round pick J.C. Latham will start at left tackle.
There’s a spicy Floridian match up as the Jaguars travel south to take on the Dolphins in Miami, while the Dallas Cowboys face the Cleveland Browns face off against two teams with genuine playoff aspirations.
Monday September 9th – 1.20am
- Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions (Live on Sky Sports)
Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions are many people’s tip to reach the Super Bowl this year. They fell just short in the NFC last season, losing narrowly to the San Francisco 49ers, but after a good draft and free agency, the Lions look very strong once again.
They’ll get a chance to test their mettle against the Rams who will certainly miss the now retired Aaron Donald. However, last year’s superstar Rookie receiver Puka Nacua is back and in tandem with Cooper Kupp gives the Rams a real threat at wide receiver.
Tuesday September 10th – 1.15am
- New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers (Live on Sky Sports)
Jets fans will be hoping Aaron Rodgers season lasts longer than four snaps this campaign. The former Packers QB missed the entire season but is back and under center here to lead the Jets to a much improved season. Or so it is hoped on the Green side of the Big Apple.
However, they face a very tough start with a trip to the West Coast to take on Super Bowl runners-up, the 49ers. With WR Brandon Aiyuk now re-signed on a long-term deal at wide receiver, Kyle Shanahan’s team are one of the favourites to win it all this season.
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Weekly NFL Recap: NFL News Stories
This week, several significant news stories emerged from the NFL. One of the most talked-about stories was the decision by the New England Patriots to start veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett over their 2024 third overall pick, Drake Maye. Head coach Jerod Mayo stated that Brissett’s experience and leadership were crucial for the team, especially given their offensive line issues.
Another major story was the contract extension of Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker. Dicker received a four-year, $22.004 million extension, with $12.5 million guaranteed. This makes him one of the top five highest-paid kickers in the NFL.
The most shocking story of the week was the shooting of rookie WR Ricky Pearsall of the San Francisco 49ers in a failed robbery attempt. Fortunately, Pearsall doesn’t seem too badly hurt and should be back in action at some point this season. A teenager was arrested and charged with attempted murder and two other accounts over the horrifying incident.
The Baltimore Ravens also made headlines with the return of tight end Mark Andrews to practice after missing two weeks due to a car accident. Although whether he is fit enough to play in Thursday Night’s game in Kansas City remains to be seen.
Weekly NFL Recap – NFL Trades
The trade market was active this week, with several notable transactions. The Buffalo Bills acquired defensive back and returner Brandon Codrington from the New York Jets in exchange for multiple late-round picks. This trade is expected to bolster the Bills’ special teams and defensive lineup.
The Kansas City Chiefs also made a move, trading for tight end Peyton Hendershot from the Dallas Cowboys. The Chiefs gave up a conditional seventh-round pick in exchange. Additionally, the Los Angeles Rams traded linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Tennessee Titans, addressing the Titans’ linebacker injury struggles.
Weekly NFL Recap – NFL Injuries
Injuries continue to impact teams across the league. The Kansas City Chiefs received a blow with wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown likely to miss the season opener due to a shoulder injury sustained during the first preseason game. The Philadelphia Eagles also faced a setback with defensive back James Bradberry out for 6-8 weeks due to a lower leg injury.
The Green Bay Packers suffered a significant loss with running back AJ Dillon out for the entire 2024 season due to a neck injury. Dillon played fifteen games last season, rushing for 613 yards and two touchdowns. The Miami Dolphins placed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on the PUP list, meaning he will miss at least four games of the regular season.
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Weekly NFL Recap – Power Rankings – Top 10
Power Rankings
1. Kansas City Chiefs – Super Bowl Champs are looking for a three-peat.
2. San Francisco 49ers – 49ers are still the dominant force in the NFC.
3. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens look ready to battle the Chiefs hard in the AFC.
4. Detroit Lions – Almost pipped the 49ers last season, could do it this year.
5. Cincinnati Bengals – If Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase stay fit. They can beat any team.
6. Houston Texans – Superb first season from CJ Stroud and the Texans only got better.
7. Philadelphia Eagles – Perhaps not the force they were, but still a huge threat.
8. Buffalo Bills – Like the Eagles, not the team of a couple of years ago, but still talented.
9. Miami Dolphins – Huge potential but the Dolphins have to start to win the key games.
10. Dallas Cowboys – Very talented defense, but the Cowboys have other questions to answer.
The Rest…11-32
- 11. Green Bay Packers
- 12. New York Jets
- 13. Pittsburgh Steelers
- 14. Cleveland Browns
- 15. Los Angeles Chargers
- 16. Jacksonville Jaguars
- 17. Seattle Seahawks
- 18. Indianapolis Colts
- 19. Minnesota Vikings
- 20. Los Angeles Rams
- 21. Chicago Bears
- 22. Denver Broncos
- 23. New Orleans Saints
- 24. Las Vegas Raiders
- 25. Arizona Cardinals
- 26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 27. Atlanta Falcons
- 28. New York Giants
- 29. Tennessee Titans
- 30. Washington Commanders
- 31. New England Patriots
- 32. Carolina Panthers
Weekly NFL Recap: Where Can I Watch NFL Action in the UK?
Sky Sports covers the majority of NFL action in the United Kingdom and the channel shows several Live Games each week, as well as the flagship NFL Redzone programme with Scott Hansen on Sundays.
Customers in the UK can also purchase an NFL Game Pass (£159.99) through DAZN, Amazon or the NFL website which allows them to watch all the games in the NFL each week of the season and post-season.
Weekly NFL recap shows covering all the games of the week are also available on ITV and Channel 5 on free-to-air TV.
It’s been a fantastic pre-season and as we look ahead to the start of a brand new season, fans can expect more thrilling action! Stay tuned for regular weekly NFL recap updates and analysis as the new 2024 NFL season gets underway!
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