Surprise NFL Teams to Keep an Eye On This Season

Before the season started most pundits were contemplating the chances of the Kansas City Chiefs achieving the unachievable and winning a third straight Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes really pulled it out of the bag last season to overcome the 49ers at the end and many thought we could be in for a three-peat.

No team has ever managed to win three in a row but it would not be a surprise if there are more than a few football fans placing Super Bowl bets in Vegas backing the Chiefs for the championship game next year. That is not to say that the NFL is not full of surprises – as the first few months of the season have proved.

No championship is ever won by the end of October but there are a few teams that have overachieved in the early weeks and made pundits and fans reconsider their predictions for the season. There is still a long way to go until we know the two teams battling it out in the Super Bowl in New Orleans next February, but here are a few surprise teams to keep a close eye on as the season progresses.

Minnesota Vikings

The quarterback position of the Vikings has been the subject of much debate for a while now, with the pros and cons of Kirk Cousins the talk of many a sports bar over the last few years. But with the veteran caller moving to Atlanta in the offseason, there was a chance for a new man in town to shine.

There was some conjecture over who that man should be but when J.J. McCarthy was injured before a single snap, it seemed as though the Vikes might struggle again. But up stepped the previously maligned Sam Darnold to lead Minnesota to a 5-0 record. There have been losses since that incredible start but the Vikings should push the Lions all the way in what is now a very competitive NFC North.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks raced out to a 3-0 record at the beginning of the season but even the biggest Seattle fan will have been pointing to the relative ease of the schedule at that point. But it was still encouraging from a team that failed to make the playoffs at all last season. The following weeks gave us more of a clue to how the rest of the season might go, however.

Those weeks largely brought losses. But they were losses to teams expected to do well this year. The main thing to note about this organization is that there have been some very good moves off the field over the offseason, with new coaches bringing new ways of playing. The rest of the schedule looks equally tough for the Seahawks but a few more wins could put them in contention for a Wild Card berth.

Washington Commanders

Who saw this one happening? Washington has played just six postseason games in the last 20 years and hasn’t played past the regular season at all since 2020. There have been so many off-field controversies and goings-on recently that the only positive story coming out of DC was the change of name.

The Commanders were one of the worst teams in the league last year and not much more was expected of them in 2024. But a rookie QB has taken to the big league in a big way and the team has won games against the weaker teams in the NFL. The real tests will be against the divisional rivals but there is a real chance of winning over 10 games this season – and that would bring another playoff game at least.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have made it to the postseason more often than not in the last few years but have been unable to go very far, limping out in the Wild Card round on most occasions. The arrival of Russell Wilson in the offseason came with the risk of a repeat of the debacle of his time in Denver – and then he got injured before the season even began.

Justin Fields then came in as starter and the Steelers won their first three games. A glance at the schedule should temper any excitement in the fan base but there is no doubt that Pittsburgh is challenging in the AFC North, with the Ravens the obvious standout team. It should be noted that Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season and the way the Steelers have started this year suggests that they could once again be troubling the Wild Card spots.

New York Jets

Of all the teams we have mentioned here, the New York Jets might have been the one that pundits thought could do well this year. The brand new start was supposed to begin last year with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers turning the Jets from a joke to Super Bowl contenders in some eyes. A season-ending injury on the fourth snap of the season put paid to those hopes, however.

A fit Rodgers was then supposed to help the Jets challenge this season. But nothing has gone to plan so far. There seems to be no cohesion in the team and the big-name players are not delivering the wins. Robert Saleh was fired after the loss to the Vikings in London and nothing has really gone right since. The Jets are still one NFL team that you should definitely keep an eye on this season – but only to see just how much worse it can get at MetLife Stadium.