What We Learned in the NFL's Regular Season: Bengals Should Give Core Another Shot

Joe Burrow's sensational season might have gone to waste, but team brass should pay up to keep Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins around. Plus, a slew of offensive rookies shined, and star running backs reminded everyone they're still worth big money.

Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all shined for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joe Burrow didn’t find a way into the playoffs, but plenty occurred during an eventful final Sunday of the regular season. 

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos made quick work of the Kansas City Chiefs’ backups to end the playoff hopes of the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins.

Surprisingly, not many teams followed the lead of the Los Angeles Rams, who favored rest over a higher playoff seed. Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers received the golden ticket—the right to face the vulnerable Houston Texans in the wild-card round as a fifth seed.

The Green Bay Packers nearly put Jordan Love back in Sunday’s game after he left with a seemingly minor injury to his throwing arm to avoid the seventh seed, but it wouldn’t have mattered because Marcus Mariota threw a game-winning pass to Terry McLaurin in Dallas for the Washington Commanders to claim the sixth seed. 

The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers provided plenty of entertainment in the early window as Michael Penix Jr. and Baker Mayfield dueled in separate games with the NFC South crown on the line. Mayfield and the Buccaneers eventually woke up and defeated the New Orleans Saints to punch their playoff spot. 

We learned plenty during NFL Week 18, but before we get to the postseason, let’s use this column to assess what we learned this regular season.    

Bengals would be foolish to break up offensive trio 

Team owner Mike Brown better open up the checkbook to keep Burrow’s top two wide receivers. Ja’Marr Chase had a historic season and Tee Higgins provided clutch performances to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive until the final day of the regular season. 

Yes, Burrow is capable of making it work with most wide receivers and perhaps the Bengals (9–8) could benefit from spreading the salary cap around to other positions. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson don’t have wide receivers as good as Chase and Higgins and are heading into the postseason as leaders of the top three seeds in the AFC. But maintaining an elite offense with premier skill players could give the Bengals an advantage next year if they improve the defense. 

Tying up most of the salary cap to three players on a team that has struggled to hit on its first-round draft picks the past few seasons doesn’t seem ideal. But maybe wasting a prime year of Burrow’s career will get everyone in the front office to step up and finally land talented defensive players. This trio is too good to break up over frugality and salary cap concerns. Cincinnati needs to find a way to make it work.  

Titans can’t miss on top pick after getting it all wrong

The Tennessee Titans got one thing right in 2024: Landing the No. 1 pick in the ‘25 draft. 

But it’s not a given that this team will get the first pick right after a year filled with misses. Tennessee spent plenty of money in free agency and believed Will Levis was the answer at quarterback. After a three-win season, the Titans (3–14) now have a handful of bad contracts, a second-year quarterback who drastically regressed, and a coach in Brian Callahan might be on the hot seat after one season. GM Ran Carthon could also be short on job security after firing Mike Vrabel and letting Derrick Henry walk in free agency. 

To make matters worse, there’s no surefire No. 1 draft prospect and it’s considered to be a down year for quarterbacks. We’ll find out soon whether Callahan and Carthon will be around to scout Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders in the upcoming months. Levis, a 2023 second-round pick, is hoping the team selects the non-quarterback.   

Patriots had no Bill Belichick succession plan after all

After years of advocating for Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft didn’t even wait until Black Monday to fire his one-and-done coach. 

Kraft often praised Mayo’s leadership and blocked other teams from interviewing the former Patriots linebacker during the final years of Bill Belichick as the head coach. With time, more details will likely emerge as to why Kraft had no patience for Mayo, but it might be because he didn’t believe Mayo was the right coach to develop rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Kraft again praised Mayo’s leadership in his statement, but mentioned he wants actions that could “expedite our return to championship contention.” Perhaps that means an experienced coach, such as Vrabel, whom the NFL insiders believe is the front runner for the Patriots (4–13). Or maybe Kraft wants a shot at Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who turned Jared Goff into an MVP candidate the past two seasons.

Kraft thought he had a solid succession plan for Belichick, but he quickly abandoned it for unknown reasons, perhaps one being for the betterment of Maye, the standout No. 3 pick in last year’s draft. Hopefully Kraft has more patience for the next coach because this roster needs a lot of work.

Barkley piled up 2,005 rushing yards and 278 receiving yards this season. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Star running backs show they’re worth the money

The monster seasons of Henry and Saquon Barkley forced teams to lock up their workhorse running backs early instead of risking a bidding war on the open market. 

New Orleans’s Alvin Kamara, Arizona’s James Conner, Detroit’s David Montgomery and Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard all earned in-season contract extensions. None of those teams wanted to make the same mistake as the New York Giants and Titans did with Barkley and Henry, respectively. But it would have been interesting to see whether top running backs in their prime would have received a sizable pay bump in free agency.   

Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon and Aaron Jones are other veteran running backs who did well with new teams in 2024. Even recent first-round picks are producing, such as Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. You can still find stout running backs in the later rounds, like Bucky Irving, a ‘24 fourth-round pick. But teams are again prioritizing running backs because of the winning seasons for Barkley’s Philadelphia Eagles and Henry’s Baltimore Ravens. Finally, tailbacks are being compensated for the versatility they provide.    

Falcons got it wrong with Cousins, right with Penix

The Falcons’ plan for a quick fix with Kirk Cousins diminished as fast as their veteran signal-caller’s mobility and arm strength. Atlanta made a mistake signing Cousins, one that cost them a guaranteed $100 million. 

But on the bright side, there’s plenty to be excited about for 2025 because Atlanta’s long-term plan at quarterback appears to be the real deal. Rookie Michael Penix Jr. had another sensational performance in Week 18, but unfortunately for the Falcons, Penix can’t do everything. Raheem Morris’s defense got torched by Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers, losing in overtime minutes after the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South.

Morris waited too long to bench Cousins and his defense never found consistency, partly because they don’t have quality pass rushers. The Falcons raised some eyebrows around the league for not using their No. 8 pick in April’s draft on an edge rusher. They instead opted for Penix, who could get the Falcons back into the playoffs next season. 

This team has finally found a franchise quarterback, but it came at the expense of the 2024 season. Focus on the bright future, Falcons fans. 

Steelers can’t run it back with Russell Wilson

The Russell Wilson experience has been a roller coaster, one the Pittsburgh Steelers should stay away from him next season. Wilson’s connection with George Pickens helped the Steelers (10–7) advance to the playoffs, but they still appear to be a one-and-done team after enduring a four-game losing streak. Even if Wilson somehow wins a playoff game, Pittsburgh by now knows there are too many highs and lows with starting Wilson over the course of the season.

Wilson had a game-winning throw in Washington and lit up the Bengals with a 400-yard performance during his first meeting against them. But he also had a pair of dreadful performances versus the Ravens and an ugly outing against Cincinnati in the regular-season finale on Saturday. 

Maybe the Steelers bring back Wilson on a cheap deal and pair him with a rookie quarterback. But Wilson can’t be handed the starting job again—there was never a true competition between him and Justin Fields. Pittsburgh won’t ever escape mediocrity by continuing to trot out subpar signal-callers.  

Bears won’t go anywhere with Williams unless O-line improves 

The Chicago Bears (5–12) ended their dreadful season on a high note after Caleb Williams produced a game-winning drive to end a 10-game losing streak. The victory also snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Packers.

Williams and the Bears now have momentum for next season, but nothing will change unless the team secures better offensive line play. Surprisingly, Williams received decent protection in Green Bay, leading to a few impressive moments for the 2024 No. 1 pick. But Williams was sacked 68 times this season and often failed to push downfield due to the shaky offensive line. 

GM Ryan Poles has struggled to find quality offensive linemen, but right tackle Darnell Wright, the team’s 2023 first-round pick, played better in the second half of the season. Poles might have made a mistake drafting wide receiver Rome Odunze in the first round in ’24 instead of adding another offensive lineman. 

Offensive rookie first-round picks played up to the hype 

It’s easy to understand now why NFL teams heavily favored offensive players more than defenders during the first round of the 2024 draft. 

The first 14 picks were on the offensive side, including six quarterbacks. Williams struggled at times and Penix only started three games, but Jayden Daniels, Nix and Maye appear to be the real deal after they enjoyed impressive rookie seasons, with the first two leading their teams to the postseason. Tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Malik Nabers were also selected inside the first 14 picks, and both recorded more than 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards. 

Joe Alt, the fifth pick, could be one of the best tackles for many years to come. And even offensive players drafted in the back end of the first round delivered, such as Brian Thomas Jr. and Xavier Worthy. But the defense also had a few impressive rookies, including Jared Verse and Quinyon Mitchell.     

Wild-card teams aren’t afraid to play in Houston

Saying the Steelers and Chargers played their starters in Week 18 for better playoff seeding doesn’t tell the entire story. 

Herbert was on the field for four quarters against the Las Vegas Raiders because the Texans, the No. 4 seed, are a wounded playoff team and not even close to being as good as the Ravens, the No. 3 seed. The Steelers played their starters in Saturday night’s loss against the Bengals knowing that they were no longer in contention for the AFC North title. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s actions said he wanted the Texans, not the Ravens, on wild-card weekend. Now Tomlin might regret sending his fatigued team that lacks depth to Baltimore for a third game against Jackson and Henry. 

Luckily for the Chargers, Herbert and the other key players avoided injury and now have the golden ticket to play the Texans as the fifth seed. The Texans can’t be happy about seeing teams fighting to play them. Perhaps Houston, who has a horrendous offensive line and many injured wide receivers, will use it as fuel while preparing to play Jim Harbaugh’s team.  

The ‘dynamic kickoff’ wasn’t so dynamic 

Remember when we spent so much time learning the new kickoff rules and saying how this could drastically lead to more scores on special teams? Well, we’ll never get those hours back. 

The new kickoff wasn’t very dynamic, but there were some positives. It seemed there were fewer touchbacks, perhaps making it enough for league owners to bring back the rules in 2025. If the dynamic kickoff returns, let’s just go back to calling it a kickoff and drop the “dynamic.”