Final Countdown Until Football

Now that the 4th of July holiday is behind us we are in the final countdown until football season. In Fact, the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears begin camp next week. They get a jump on everybody else because they are in the Hall of Fame Game as soon as the calendar flips to August.

Sure, we will bide our time with Wimbledon and the MLB All-Star break. And, of course we await the Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club later this month. Plus we will entertain ourselves with Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 Media days where hope reigns eternal from coaches who are enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

Then, by August we are in fill blown training camp mode for college and pro football and the NFL preseason. Before you know it our Saturdays will be filled with college football from noon to midnight and then we come back for NFL triple header action on Sundays from 1pm until 11:30.

But that won't be enough football. We always seek more. That's why we have Monday night football, Tuesday night college football, Thursday Night Football on Prime and so on.

So if your summer weekends are slow and lazy or that honey-do list is staring at you we have some advice. Start chipping away at it because in short order you will begin to wonder where all of your free time went. The answer to that question will be: football. The Final Countdown Until Football is now! For more previews on the upcoming season make sure you stop by daily for Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6 on ESPN Southwest Florida.

It's certainly not too early to get into our expert 2024 NFL Power Rankings. Sure, it's not quite football season yet, but the clock is ticking. The NFL's pre-season kicks off in August, so we really just have about two months to go until we can start getting into the football action.

Before we get into the early 2024 NFL Power Rankings, it's worth noting that it's been a very active offseason in the NFL. Believe it or not, the NFL replaced a quarter of its head coaches in 2024. I never would have imagined so many coaches getting the boot, but that's football for you. The same goes for NFL and college football: If coaches can't deliver the wins a few years into their time with the team, they're usually out. Some of the coaches that got the boot were very successful, too, such as Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. But, sports can be fickle, so with the Patriots' dismal 2023 season, it wasn't a big surprise that Belichick and the team parted ways at the end of the season. I'm actually more surprised that he hasn't picked up a new gig yet. One that surprised me even more than Belichick was when the Seattle Seahawks let Pete Carroll go after so many successful seasons. But, with the NFL, there's a lot of money at stake. A winning franchise can bring in big bucks for both the owner and the city. So, the musical chair of coaches is expected.

Now, onto my expert 2024 NFL Power Rankings. For these rankings, I took into account how these teams performed last year, as well as new additions they've made to their rosters during the offseason. Some teams should be notably stronger than they were last season, such as the Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 draft pick this year in Caleb Williams and are banking on him to bring the goods as their new franchise quarterback. But, that said, I don't have the Bears in my top 10. The following 2024 NFL Power Rankings show my picks for the top 10 teams going into the 2024 season. Also, I'm a sports podcaster and host a podcast called "The Squad with Anne Erickson." Listen to my full interview with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff here. If you're a sports nut, I would love to hear from you and get your picks for the strongest teams going into the 2024 season. Reach out to me here. I seriously can't wait for the new NFL season to start in September.

Experts have so many differing opinions on the Bengals. Some think they'll go to the Super Bowl this year. Some don't think they'll be in play at all. I'm somewhere in between. But, Joe Burrow is strong, so he could push them to victory.

As a Detroit Lions fan, it pains me to admit that the Green Bay Packers, once again, will be strong in 2024. They were strong last year. Jordan Love is on his way to being one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Watch out for these guys.

No offense to Dallas Cowboys fans, but they can be pretty annoying. But, I won't let that cloud my thoughts on this year's team. While the Cowboys haven't spent much in the offseason, they're still a strong team, and Dak Prescott is a strong quarterback. They'll be a contender.

The Houston Texans have rebuilt faster than any team I can remember. They were surprisingly stellar last season. I mean, experts thought they would be good, but they were better than good. C.J. Stroud is a superstar.

What happened to the Philadelphia Eagles last season? It was a dismal end to what started out as a strong season. I'm sure Eagles fans would like to forget about it. But, the Eagles have spent a lot in this offseason, and they're determined to fly back.

The Buffalo Bills are hot or cold. But, Josh Allen is a stellar quarterback, and he still has a lot to prove with this team. He's great, but he hasn't been able to lead the Bills to a Super Bowl yet. This could be his year.

Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, hands down. That's not up for debate. But, the Ravens fell in the AFC championship game last season, and it was a surprise to many. Will Jackson bring the guys back to win it all? It's a strong possibility.

I've noticed that some NFL experts have the 49ers as the best team in the league next year. I just don't get it. Sure, Brock Purdy is a great quarterback. But, I don't see this team really being the best in the league. They almost lost to the Lions in the NFC Championship game last season and ultimately made it to the Big Game but fell short. But, they are always solid.

Full discloser: I'm a Detroit Lions fan. As a Michigan native, I'm for all the Detroit teams, especially the Lions and Pistons. But, that's not why I have them at No. 2 on my 2024 NFL Power Rankings tally. I really think they're that good. The Lions have spent the most money in the NFL during the offseason, both to secure current talent, such as superstar quarterback Jared Goff, and add new talent. They also came within inches of making it to the Super Bowl last season. I think this is their year.

Will it be three in a row for the Kansas City Chiefs? Maybe. The guys have won two Super Bowls in a row now, and they're still strong. They could do it again, but I think one of the teams on this roster will get in the way. Still, I believe they're the strongest, most complete team going into the 2024 NFL season.