All Access Football Report: Week 1
All Access Football Report: Week 1
AAF Founder Ric Serritella unveils his season predictions, plus Week 1 Power Rankings and award watch candidates. Be sure to bookmark and follow along all season! Since 2002, it's what we do.
Volume XXIV Edition LII | AAF Report Week 1
This edition of the AAF Newsletter is presented by Sports Management Worldwide, a proud partner of All Access Football. With over 80,000 student alumni in 160-plus counties, SMWW is the global leader in online sports degrees. Visit www.SMWW.com to learn how to earn your degree from home!
Buckle up! It’s time for our 2024 football predictions. The Kansas City Chiefs will be chasing history, as no NFL organization has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls. However, the Green Bay Packers did ‘Three-peat,’ twice: from 1929-31 and again in 1965-67. Kansas City will begin their quest tonight, as they host the Baltimore Ravens in a re-match of the AFC Championship (game prediction below).
The head coach/quarterback combination still remains the strongest indicator of which NFL teams stand the strongest chance to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the year. There are numerous viable candidates who could find their way down to ‘The Big Easy’ on February 9th.
2024 FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS
AFC Championship: Baltimore Ravens over Houston Texans
NFC Championship: Los Angeles Rams over San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl: Los Angeles Rams over Baltimore Ravens
MVP: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
College Football Championship: Ole Miss Rebels over Texas Longhorns
Heisman Trophy: Jaxon Dart (Ole Miss Rebels)
NFL POWER RANKINGS
Los Angeles Rams
Baltimore Ravens
San Francisco 49ers
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Detroit Lions
Miami Dolphins
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons
CFB POWER RANKINGS
Ole Miss Rebels
Texas Longhorns
Georgia Bulldogs
Ohio State Buckeyes
Alabama Crimson Tide
Michigan Wolverines
USC Trojans
Oregon Ducks
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Penn State Nittany Lions
HEISMAN TROPHY WATCH
Jaxon Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Miller Moss, QB, USC
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
NFL DRAFT TOP 10 PROSPECTS
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
James Pearce Jr., ER, Tennessee, Jr.
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Tre Harris, WR, Mississippi
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Howard Cross III, DT, Notre Dame
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
TNF Week 1: Baltimore Ravens (0-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-0), 8:20p ET - NBC
A coin toss matchup to kickoff the NFL season, Kansas City defeated Baltimore 17-10 back in January to advance to the Super Bowl and capture their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy. Kansas City enters the contest as 3-point favorites, with an over/under set at 47.5.
The addition of Derrick Henry provides Baltimore with arguably the most potent backfield in the NFL. It adds another layer of complicity and physicality alongside two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. The new RPO punch will make for an extremely difficult matchup to prepare for out of the gates, especially with little-to-no film to study up on, except from the preseason. This is a balanced squad who was ranked sixth overall in both offense and defense in 2023. But the defense is loaded with star-studded talent, including four players who earned Pro Bowl honors. The tag team combination of imposing linebacker Roquan Smith and battering mate Patrick Queen are laying more lumber than ‘The Bushwhackers,’ while frontman Nnamdi Madubuike fortifies the defensive line and versatile safety Kyle Hamilton holds down the secondary.
There is no greater equalizer in all of sports than Patrick Mahomes. Over the past six seasons, he has averaged 4,690 passing yards and 37 touchdowns (10 interceptions) per year, while guiding the Chiefs to three Super Bowl Championships. Mahomes is joined by at least two other future Hall of Fame candidates in tight end Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. However, the one new household name sure to emerge is rookie first round pick Xavier Worthy who brings blazing 4.21-speed! This could ultimately become one of the most dynamic pitch-and-catch duos we’ve ever seen in NFL history! Lastly, let us not lose sight of the fact that Kansas City leaned on their second-ranked defense a year ago, which could lead to a low scoring affair.
One of the worst pieces of advice someone can give is to bet against the Mahomes machine. If there is ever a time to catch he and the Chiefs off-kilter, Week 1 would seem to be most ripe for the taking. There will be much hoopla in the ‘City of Fountains’ surrounding the reigning champs. This game could very well come down to the last possession, prediction: Ravens 24, Chiefs 20.