NFL Hot Takes

The 2024 NFL season has been one of the most injury-ridden and unpredictable seasons yet. Some teams have lived up to the hype; others have failed dramatically. These absurd weekly results inspired me to write about my hottest take on each team in the league. I have no idea how these claims will turn out, but I look forward to being proven right or outrageously wrong. Let’s start this series with the NFC East.

Dallas Cowboys

Paying Dak Prescott was a colossal mistake. Dak ranks second in total passing attempts and total passing yards, but he ranks 18th in completion percentage, 15th in yards per passing attempt and QBR, and 16th in passer rating. While these are perfectly fine numbers for a serviceable quarterback, it does not at all reflect the ridiculous contract he signed in September. A four-year, $240 million contract makes Dak the highest-paid player in NFL history. For $60 million a year, I would be devastated to learn he wasn’t performing at the level of a top-10 quarterback in the league, never mind top-five. Between overpaying for Dak and giving Ceedee Lamb a four-year contract of $136 million, Jerry Jones will have to look for spare change when it comes time to give Micah Parsons a fair contract in 2026. I once again repeat that Dak is not a bad quarterback, far from it. He simply has not performed well against playoff-caliber teams like the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Even in the Cowboys’ win over the Cleveland Browns, Dak’s adjusted QBR was 28.3. With such a financially burdening contract, I fear that this team’s future will have to rely on great draft decisions or other great players taking lower contracts to stay competitive.

New York Giants

Daniel Jones was never the problem. Jones has thrown for six touchdowns and three interceptions, one from Dallas and two from Minnesota. Coming into the season, the Giants had the tied sixth most challenging schedule in the NFL. Despite this, the Giants have a record of 2-3. With the consensus that the Giants had one of the worst offensive lines in football, the team brought in experienced tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and guards Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan Jr. The Giants also brought in a new OL coach, Carmen Bricillo, and the return of tackle Andrew Thomas brought more skill to the Giants’ offensive line. The reformation of the Giants’ offensive line has given Jones the chance to succeed in this position instead of trying not to get squashed by defensive players. For instance, Jones has been sacked 12 times through the five games thus far. Through the first five games last year, Jones was sacked 28 times. Twenty. Eight. He threw for only two touchdown passes and six interceptions. While Jones’ performances have been far from perfect, his improvements and ability to connect with teammates offensively suggest that the offensive line was undoubtedly the most significant problem holding the Giants back from winning.

Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley will break records for the running back position this year. He’s third among RBs in total rushing yards and second in rushing yards per game. Saquon has 33 more yards than Josh Jacobs, yet Jacobs has 17 more rushing attempts. Despite the absence of A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, Barkley has gotten fewer attempts (27) in the last two games than when they were active (46 attempts in Week 1 and 2). His average yard per rush attempt has also dramatically increased, from 4.4 to 8.5. Saquon has only gotten more efficient in his yardage in the absence of the team’s top wide receivers, which means that he could produce even better with their presence felt on the field. With Saquon’s resurgence in hyper-efficient rushing, I’m sure he will break the single-season high in rushing yards with an offense loaded with talent that can take away the attention from Barkley.

Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels will be far better than RGIII. Through Daniels’ first five weeks in the NFL, he has thrown four passing touchdowns, ran four touchdowns into the endzone, and thrown two interceptions. RGIII, through his first five weeks, threw four touchdown passes, ran the ball for a touchdown four times, and threw an interception. Daniels has 1,135 passing yards and 300 rushing yards, while RGIII had 1,161 passing yards and 241 rushing yards. Jayden Daniels has a passer rating of 106.3, and RGIII had a passer rating of 102.4. The reason for the extensive comparison of their statistical accomplishments is to highlight the likeness between the two in their debuts and playstyles. The only significant difference I could find was that RGIII was 2-3 in those five games; Daniels is 4-1. Daniels has hit the ground running in terms of racking up wins. He’s also more efficient in completion percentage, with 77.1% compared to RGIII’s roughly 68.9% through the first five games. Daniels’ win against Cincinnati was largely due to his 141.7 passer rating, not connecting on just two passes the entire game. The similarities in each others’ games lead me to believe that Daniels will be a parallel player to RGIII. Still, the ability to start winning immediately and produce a methodical offense so quickly suggests that Jayden Daniels will be far greater than RGIII ever was.