The 2024 season was one of initial frustration, fortunate and lucky wins, and finished off by mistake prone football, our luck evening out and mixed emotions to finish. There were offensive and defensive trends that never went away the whole year. Proving we were average at best. It was superior coaching, especially on defense and special teams that allowed to only lose to 1 team who had less than 10 wins.
Just for the sake of curiosity, how many NFL teams are you aware of that cut 40 players the year before they make the playoffs?
At 1-3, fans and commentators for the first time start to question Gannon's plan and hire. There is alot of doubt directed his way on his weekly interview on Burns and Gambo. It was more frustration than anything. We had chances to beat BUF and DET and lost for various reasons. Everyone knew the schedule was tough and but we blew a chance to at least be 2-2.
But what we saw in BUF was a defense that was bipolar and an offense that would start building on its trend of going flat in the 4th quarter. The DET game, where the defense shut out the Lions in the 2nd half, but the offense could only manage a FG was rough. Then the embarrassment of the blowout by WAS and Kingsberry's offense had gotten us to this point. It was at this point at 1-3, an improbable run started...
1. Chad Ryland. This guy went 3/3 on game winning kicks. A kicker who was the "worst kicker in 2023." Lets look at those games:
at SF: After Murray's long TD run, the rest of the first half is horrible. A Pick Six, Dropped Mcbride TD leads to a blocked FG TD. Down 16-7 at half. We learn SF FG kicker is out for the game. SF is forced to go for it on 4th down multiple times in 2nd half in AZ territory. Defense forces two turnovers, SF offense manages 0 points, Connor runs wild, Murray takes cares of the ball and Ryland's fg at 30 seconds left is the game winner. Pretty lucky win.
(at GB: We get blown out, offense and defense looks like a below average.)
LAC: We would be trailing at home in 4th quarter. A long Murray TD run and fortunate Connor screen is needed for Ryland to make a kick as time expires. 17-15
at MIA: We would be trailing the entire game. We had no business winning this game. MIA defense collapsed in the 2nd half. Kyler had his best game of the season. After this miraculous comeback and another Ryland game-winning kick, we are magically 4-4.
Is this what a playoff football team looks like?
CHI/NYJ: Bears are reeling from the last second hail mary from Washington. This is right before the coach got fired. Jets and Rodgers are similarly coming up. One thing we did well was beat teams we should beat. But the defense shutting these offenses down wasn't exactly as impressive as it looked.
6-4. First place, with an improbable amount of luck and fortune.
2. We play a good MINN team and once again, the defense shows signs that it can't hold a lead. The offense stutters in the 4th quarter. 2 games vs SEA who is coming in hot, especially defensively and this story is basically writing itself. The lack of talent we have on the dline is extremely evident. Should we have lost all 3 games? Probably not, even if we are just an average team. But it follows the story of the season. Every game was unpredictable. We lacked consistency on both sides of the ball. There was a lack of a pass rush. A run defense that was dominated earlier in the year and a pass defense that played bend but not break. Our red efficency on offense and defense was the one shared stat that gave us chances to win.
3. This one also makes my point about the offensive line not being as big of an issue this year as people think it will be. We managed to be in all these games. Whether we should have won or not. This was with Jonah Williams going down in Week 1 and Hernandez going down in Week 5 at SF. This was also without our entire starting defensive line. So if you think having weaknesses on our oline will overwhelm the talent we brought in on def this offseason, this is something we already dealt with. Furthermore, there was no playoff run happening with all these injuries last season and no depth. Not the case this year.
4. Adding to this point, career backups and rookies were starting at key positions on both sides of the ball. Now they are back to being solid rotational positions and depth for the starters we added in the offseason, especially on the defensive line. This is why we were so inconsistent.
5. A QB that struggles in the 2nd half and end of season. Although the caveat would be, the talent we just added would not give up 36 points to CAR. The talent we just added will be able to get more 3 and out and force turnovers. The pressure may be on Kyler more this year, but in reality the offense should have more opportunities to score and take their time. We lose 3 winnable gamers that were leading in the 3rd qtr by a grand total of 8 pts. (MIN, CAR, LAR) Kyler has never had a legit top 10 defense before and this should be close enough. Talent elsewhere helps make up for his deficiencies, as seen in 2021 when we went 11-6. And these are all the reasons why we will make the playoffs this year. We are better than average now, we have depth and we overcome oline deficiencies last year. And our QB's late season deficiencies in 2021. Adding leaders and run stoppers on the defensive line along with skilled pass rushers, and possibly having 2 shutdown CBs.
