The 2024 NFL season has finally kicked off and it's all to play for once again.It's time for star players to prove their worth, young rookies to catch the eye, and every other team to take it to back-to-back Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs. Led by Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs began their quest for a third straight triumph by holding off the Baltimore Ravens in the opening game of the season on Thursday night (5 September). But there's plenty more to be decided. With the new season under way, The Independent sat down with Sky Sports NFL experts Neil Reynolds, Hannah Wilkes, Olivia Harlan-Dekker, Jason Bell and Phoebe Shecter to get their predictions for what's to come. Watch over 100 NFL games a season on Sky Sports and NOW including two exclusive games every Sunday, playoffs and Super Bowl LIX. Follow @SkySportsNFL to keep up to date with all the latest action and news.
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00:00What did you say, Pat?
00:02What did you say?
00:04Oh, he'll be back.
00:06He'll be back. He said he'll be back.
00:08It's on. It's on.
00:14San Francisco will beat Baltimore.
00:16I think they're going to
00:18finally get to the top of the mountain before they have it.
00:20I have Baltimore beating
00:22Detroit because I think the Rosens
00:24are finally going to get over their
00:26playoff hump with Lemar Jackson
00:29I have Detroit
00:31losing to the Cincinnati Bengals
00:33because I think
00:35if Joey B can stay healthy,
00:37he can take them all the way.
00:39Tag. I have Detroit beating
00:41the Baltimore Ravens.
00:43It's a consistent tie.
00:45We like Detroit in the Super Bowl.
00:49I'm going with Kansas City for the three-peat.
00:51I need to see this happen.
00:54Once and they'll split up.
00:56Oh, you are
00:58a Debbie Downer.
01:10I think we will see her four times.
01:12I think at a certain point we'll probably
01:14stop showing her.
01:16She was in their intro
01:18commercial for the NFL.
01:20She is a part of the NFL fabric now.
01:22Although her tour is coming down, so she won't be there every game.
01:24Dang, that's what I was going to say!
01:26I was going to call Fred
01:28who knows her tour schedule.
01:30Why do you know her tour schedule?
01:32Because of things I know.
01:34If she's not touring, she will be supporting
01:36her man, just like her man
01:38supported her in the offseason.
01:40Yeah, this could
01:42end up being the saddest story of the
01:44whole NFL season if these breakup rumors
01:46and documents and contracts are true.
01:48That was the news this week, so you never know.
01:50We could be living in some Truman Show
01:52world and I don't know.
01:54Let's say one.
01:56The tour is over with. She's got time to
01:58chill out. I think she'll be out there.
02:04Oh, we're all looking for Raymond!
02:08Except for the people around him.
02:10He's not going to have
02:12as much pressure to make
02:14all the plays.
02:16When it happens and it comes, he can
02:18deliver this guy on every year.
02:20He also carries himself
02:22so well. I think he's ready for
02:24all of the
02:26stuff that comes with being a
02:28quarterback in the NFL. He's
02:30experienced some of that criticism of
02:32him being himself. I like the way he
02:34just doesn't shy away from that.
02:36He's going to be himself unapologetically
02:38and I think he'll handle it brilliantly.
02:40If you want Neil to like you, give him a good interview.
02:42He is going to hold it down
02:44for 100%.
02:46I will drink the Kool-Aid
02:48very quickly
02:50and Mancrushers will spark out
02:52in no time.
02:54I'm with you.
02:56You're consistent.
02:58If it's 100% true as well.
03:00I'm getting the joy of saying this.
03:04You've had it good for 20 odd years.
03:06New England Patriots.
03:08Ding dong.
03:10The witch is dead.
03:12I'm going to say the New England Patriots,
03:14they're very thin on talent.
03:16I'm excited to see when Drake May comes in.
03:18I think Jared Mayer will get them on the right track
03:20but it's going to be a tough road.
03:22Can I just say I wish we could spin the camera around right now
03:24because the grin
03:26on your face is brilliant.
03:30I think the Panthers are still going to struggle
03:32this year. I think there's so much working
03:34and Gates is fatigued from an
03:36ownership perspective that
03:38I don't think enough has been done
03:40to change their fortunes immediately.
03:42I've got a few
03:44on my mind.
03:48I'm going to go with Arizona Cardinals.
03:50I think even with getting
03:52Harrison Jr. in, I just don't think it's enough
03:54to get them to that next level.
03:56I think it's going to be a sad year for them again.
03:58We don't only agree on our
04:00maybe discontent with Taylor Swift
04:02running the NFL but we also disagree
04:04and agree on the Patriots.
04:06I think they win 3-4 games max
04:08and I really hope
04:10that they preserve Drake Makes.
04:12If you put this quarterback in there and this losing mentality
04:14it's going to catch up with him.
04:16I think he's a really talented player. I hope they
04:18save him for next year.
04:20Patriots, not your year. First time in 50 years
04:22Bill Delgic's not coaching.
04:24The cycle continues.
04:30I hope it's not my Giants but
04:32it will be the Patriots.
04:34I do think they're going to have to play their quarterback
04:36because when they're playing so bad
04:38the team is going to be like man
04:40this guy might give us some hope.
04:42But as a Patriots fan
04:44you had it good for so long
04:46this is how it works.
04:48Just relax. Chill out. Let it happen.
04:50But yeah, the Patriots are going to struggle
04:52and I don't mind.
04:56Travis Kelce
04:58actually gets Andy Reid all the way
05:00to the floor this time.
05:02Knocks him over and gets cut
05:04from the NFL.
05:06There's going to be some kind of Travis Kelce
05:08related drama this season.
05:10As I say it, I'm not sure I believe it.
05:12That's when they're the best ones.
05:14Mike Tomlin has a
05:16loser's season.
05:18That was a good one.
05:20I don't know. I'm just not sure
05:22unless Russell Wilson just builds
05:24a situation. It just feels
05:26muddy.
05:30Mine's very cutesy. Very demure.
05:32It is.
05:34It is going for Atlanta Falcons
05:36making it to the playoffs. Our producer Hendo
05:38will be super happy with that answer.
05:40This is how Phoebe remains
05:42gamekeeping employed.
05:44Keep employing us guys. We love you Hendo.
05:46Phoebe, that's a great point.
05:48Guys, the Atlanta Falcons.
05:52I was going to say her cousin gets injured again
05:54which I would wish upon no one but
05:56what a great backup they have in Michael Penix Jr.
05:58And how exciting that would be to have yet another
06:00starting rookie quarterback to make
06:02those saves because the team's built up around them
06:04so I think either quarterback could be successful.
06:06So that's my weird plot twist.
06:08Trevor Lawrence is in
06:10an MVP conversation.
06:14Like balling.
06:16Like straight balling.
06:18Like it just clicks for him.
06:20It clicks for the team around him.
06:22I just think last year
06:24we were talking so much about Jacksonville.
06:26They were Houston to us last year.
06:28And now we're not mentioned.
06:30Does that flip?
06:32Does the pressure hit my Texans?
06:34Do they crumble? Does Jacksonville
06:36rise to the top of that division?
06:38And it's all because of Trevor.
06:40That's hot to hear.
06:42So I think
06:44they're going to be right there
06:46or thereabouts again. They're too good
06:48to fall completely away.
06:50But the AFC is just absolutely loaded.
06:52So I think lower averages.
06:54I mean he's way above average so that might
06:56completely make a fool of all of us.
06:58I think it's going to be tough for Kansas City
07:00to get out of the AFC.
07:02This three-peat, Joe Bell, I'm afraid
07:04it's not going to...
07:06Continue.
07:08I agree with everything you just said.
07:10I do think only a fool bets against
07:12Patrick O'Hagan's ending, but it's this boy.
07:14But I also just think
07:16they're going to win the Super Bowl, so I'm kind of with you as well.
07:18So I think
07:20they'll be up there. They'll always find a way.
07:22And I'd love to see it.
07:24There's a reason no one's done it.
07:26You're a fool.
07:28All of us.
07:30Except for J. Bell.
07:32I said the Bengals to win the Super Bowl,
07:34but I love the storyline of the Chiefs.
07:36I think the continuity
07:38that they've had from the end of last season to now,
07:40it gives them every opportunity.
07:42You've got Eddie Reed, Mahomes, everything says they can
07:44do it, but you have
07:46a lot of other Chiefs in the AFC
07:48that are looking to get this title
07:50away from them.
07:52I think they absolutely can. They have the formula
07:54to do it. They've invested in the right pieces
07:56at the right time. Make your MVP
07:58quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, happy.
08:00Keep all of his weapons all around him
08:02and in high-flying form.
08:04They absolutely can do it.
08:06What'd you say, Pat?
08:08What'd you say? Oh, he'll be back.
08:10He'll be back.
08:12He said he'll be back.