Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. In today's installment, he examines two prominent teams that head into the 2024 season with EXTREME urgency to break through ...
Truthfully, there isn't an overwhelming difference in talent between the NFL's elites and cellar dwellers. That's what makes this league great. Team builders routinely tweak their rosters to help their respective franchises surge from pretenders to contenders in an ultra-competitive race to the postseason, which annually welcomes in new participants.
While some fan bases are content with simply securing a playoff berth, others expect their teams to make deep postseason runs, or else the campaign is viewed as a failure. This year, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets are in the spotlight as star-studded squads facing lofty expectations. With constant chatter around their respective organizations' playoff prospects, head coaches Mike McCarthy and Robert Saleh appear to be headed into a hot-seat campaign in which the mandate is simple: Win now, or else ...
With that in mind, I wanted to take a closer look at the immense pressure surrounding these two high-profile teams in 2024.
Why are the stakes so high in 2024?
The Cowboys head into the season with several marquee figures in the final years of their respective deals. This could bring out exceptional performance from the team, but even if that ends up being the case, dragging out contract negotiations might backfire if/when Dallas posts another 12-win campaign under Mike McCarthy, who's among the cast of players and coaches entering a contract season. Earlier this summer, the longtime NFL head coach acknowledged that being on a one-year deal can Facing that same plight alongside McCarthy: QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb, while OLB Micah Parsons is eligible for an extension of his own. And in June, future Hall of Famer Zack Martin -- a stalwart on Dallas' offensive line for the past decade -- said this season could be his last. Will all of this end up being a detrimental distraction in a crucial year for the organization? And by the way, this is "America's Team" we're talking about. The Cowboys are one of the biggest sports brands in the entire world, as evidenced by Sportico recently valuing the franchise . That's despite the team not hitting a single conference championship game -- much less the Super Bowl -- in the past 28 seasons. The pressure is always high in Big D, but it feels like the urgency is ramped up even more than usual for a number of key individuals.
What is success?
The Cowboys have gone 12-5 in each of the past three seasons, winning a pair of NFC East titles. Unfortunately, they've gone just 1-3 in the playoffs during that span. Consequently, the 'Boys ultimately will be judged by their postseason performance. Anything short of a deep playoff run, and it's not hard to imagine Jerry Jones delivering a flurry of pink slips throughout the facility. Given the mounting pressure on Dallas to deliver in the postseason tournament, McCarthy must keep his players focused on the initial task (regular-season success) while simultaneously preparing them for the playoff grind. Though most teams take a "one game at a time" approach, the head coach has to maintain focus on the long view, as well. That's not easy, to say the least. And if the Cowboys hit a rough patch, it'll be challenging for McCarthy to keep from wilting under the pressure of great expectations. It's hard to put a specific marker on what success means for Dallas in 2024, but the team better acquit itself well in the regular season and especially the postseason. Otherwise, changes could abound.
Will they deliver?
The Cowboys have more than enough talent to compete with the heavyweights in the NFC, but the circus atmosphere around the team throughout training camp makes it hard to imagine Dallas developing the chemistry and camaraderie needed to function at a high level in big games. With Jones currently engaging in contract standoffs with multiple stars, including the franchise quarterback and No. 1 receiver, these Cowboys once again look like a "one and done" playoff participant to me.
Why are the stakes so high in 2024?
It is now or never for the Jets in this Aaron Rodgers era. The four-time MVP is in the twilight of his career, coming back from a season-ending Achilles tear that could change his game as a mobile gunslinger with a magical touch. With the veteran likely confined to the pocket, the Jets made several personnel gambles during the offseason to upgrade the supporting cast around the 40-year-old. While the team is counting on a number of aging players (see: offensive tackles Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses) and oft-injured playmakers (like wide receiver Mike Williams) to come in and help Rodgers jump-start an offense guided by polarizing play-caller Nathaniel Hackett, the defense is working through a contract holdout (Haason Reddick, who requested a trade just a few months after arriving in New York via trade) that has led to more questions regarding the franchise's direction under general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh. Long story short: The long-suffering Jets are entering a boom-or-bust season.
What is success?
If the Jets end their 13-year playoff drought -- the longest active postseason dry spell in the league -- owner Woody Johnson presumably would view the high-profile acquisition of Rodgers as a worthwhile experiment. The quarterback brings credibility to the Jets as a Super Bowl champion and 10-time Pro Bowler. With Gang Green looking to make a splash in a crowded AFC field, the presence of such an accomplished signal-caller could tip the scales in the team's favor in a big spot. And considering how a hot quarterback can single-handedly spark a deep playoff run, the Jets can do damage in the postseason if Rodgers is healthy and available for the single-elimination tournament.
Will they deliver?
It's a tall order, counting on so many older veterans to play prominent roles in a make-or-break season. Though Smith and Moses could provide solid protection around Rodgers, the graybeards' checkered injury histories make it unlikely they will both be available for a full 17-game slate -- plus the postseason -- on the edges. Meanwhile, Williams is coming off a torn ACL that limited him to just three games last season, and the big-bodied wideout has dealt with a number of health issues throughout his NFL career. This questionable durability makes it hard to count on the big-play threat being available to alleviate the pressure on young star Garrett Wilson on the perimeter. With all of these questions on the offensive side of the ball, Saleh's defense must be prepared to carry the team into the postseason, relying on timely stops, turnovers and splash plays to chalk up wins against the AFC's heavyweights. In a league where games are frequently decided by eight points or fewer, the Jets' razor-thin margin of error could result in another playoff-less season in 2024. So, like Dallas, New York gives me pause when it comes to delivering the goods in 2024. Consequently, I'm afraid the Jets could be heading toward an offseason of change.
