Grading every NFC team’s regular season: A battle for the top of the class

The NFL season is just one game away from its conclusion. With the Eagles and the Chiefs set to battle it out for the Super Bowl on Sunday, we thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at all the other teams in the NFL and assess how they performed during the 2024 regular season. All statistics sourced from SumerSports unless otherwise stated.

The Cowboys were performing poorly before Dak Prescott got injured, but any chance of a playoff run was ended when QB1 went down. Just a year or two ago, the Cowboys had one of the best rosters in the NFL, now it looked full of holes. How they respond will be interesting to watch after a disappointing year.

An embarrassing year for a franchise that continues to embarrass itself. We actually thought letting Saquon Barkley go wasn't the worst decision ever, but watching him tear it up for a division rival is tough to take. The mid-season release of Daniel Jones is humiliating for all sides. We aren't sure how Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen kept their jobs.

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Another year, another successful regular season for the Eagles. 2023 finished in embarrassing style, but Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni responded, taking Philly to 14 wins and another Super Bowl appearance. Things never look easy for the Eagles, but they continue to produce winning seasons and boast one of the most talented rosters in football.

It's hard to criticize anything Washington did in their first year under Dan Quinn. Jayden Daniels should be the GOLD and looks set to be among the league's elite quarterbacks soon enough. The roster is in need of upgrades, but the pieces are there to build a team consistently competing in the playoffs.

When you take Caleb Williams one overall and surround him with talented weapons, you should be aiming for higher than 26th in EPA/Play. It shows just how important offensive lines, and coaching, are to success in the NFL.

Another sad end to an impressive season for the Lions, who looked for all the money en route to their first Super Bowl for most of the year. Injury after injury hampered the defense down the stretch, and now, with both the offensive and defensive coordinators moving on, we worry the window may have closed in Detroit.

The Packers had another nice season that ended in nothing. Jordan Love had some turnover issues early in the season before reining it in late, which we aren't sure is the path to success for him, or the team. His aggressiveness is what makes him great, so to stifle that isn't the path we would choose.

No one expected a 14-win season from Minnesota this season when they entered the year with Sam Darnold as their starting QB. Kevin O'Connell knows how to get the best out of his quarterbacks, which is a good sign for JJ McCarthy in 2025. Unfortunately, the Vikings have an aging roster and have key players set to hit free agency. They'll be a fun team to watch this offseason.

We get angry thinking about the 2024 Falcons. What were they doing? Why give Kirk Cousins ​​all that money to stifle the development of your first round rookie? Michael Penix Jr. looked good in is limited starts, but who is going to take on Cousins' contract if they look to offload him? A confusing organization.

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Let's not get ahead of ourselves, the Panthers finished with a 5-12 record, the 25th-best offense and 32nd best defense by EPA/Play. This was not a good season by any measure, yet there's a feeling of optimism around the franchise that we are leaning into with our 'B-' grade. Bryce Young looked like a real NFL quarterback, and Dave Canales could well be a good coach. A fun team to watch in 2025.

We described the Falcons as 'confusing', which is the adjective we would use to describe the Saints, too. Through two weeks, they had one of the best offenses of all time (genuinely), yet it all fell apart in a heap almost immediately. The Saints have never committed to a rebuild, so they could be stuck as a bad-mediocre team for some time.

The Bucs finished the season with the third-best offense in football by success, slightly behind Detroit and Baltimore. Liam Coen ran an exciting and unpredictable offensive scheme, and Baker Mayfield executed it nearly perfectly. The Bucs are set up nicely for the future with a QB in their prime and one of the best offensive lines in football. This team isn't going anywhere.

Will Brinson graded the Cardinals a 'B' at his end of year grades and was mostly positive about this team. We're less optimistic about Arizona, who we feel have become forgettable, which in our eyes, is the worst thing you can be in the NFL.

The Rams continue to be a fun story season after season, with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford elevating a mediocre roster to the playoffs time after time. At some point, the Rams will need to make changes, as this roster isn't good enough to win a Super Bowl and some key pieces are aging out of their prime. Still, it was a fun year, and the young defense is great to watch.

There's no doubt injuries played a part in the 49ers' downfall this season, but the vibes felt off all year. Deebo Samuel's sideline antics certainly didn't suggest all was well in the locker room. Brock Purdy regressed as things went against him, which makes the ongoing contract negotiations all-important to the future of this franchise.

The Seahawks went 10-7 under their new head coaching regime and were unlucky not to reach the playoffs. Geno Smith is locked into one more year in Seattle, so now there could be the time to find a successor and let him learn under the vet. There should be optimism around the Seahawks, but they have some important decisions to make.

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