What will we remember from this 2024 NFL regular season? If the Kansas City Chiefs are aiming for an undefeated season, this is the answer. But it’s unlikely.

That leaves Jayden Daniels.

Daniels is having a truly special rookie year for the Washington Commanders, the kind of freshman season we can remember 25 years from now. Its immediate impact has transformed commanders after decades of suffering, and it has already a special winning game How’s it going make NFL history. It’s rare to see a rookie define an entire season, but that seems to be the case for half of this season.

In this regard, a look back at the best matches of the first half of the season and the best clashes to come.

The 5 best NFL games so far

Week 3: Commanders 38, Bengals 33

That Monday night match was when Jayden Daniels announced himself as a star. Daniels was 21 of 23 for 254 yards and two touchdowns, added 39 yards and a touchdown on the ground and the Commanders scored on every possession except when they took a knee to end the half. Daniels’ 27-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to put the game away seemed to be the highlight of his rookie season. He would dominate this room come October.

Week 5: Falcons 36, Buccaneers 30

It was a strange Thursday night game with lots of twists and turns and an overtime touchdown by the Falcons. The Falcons needed a wild rally just to force overtime on a Younghoe Koo basket as time expired. Cousins ​​had a career-high 509 yards in that win, which turned the NFC South powerhouse upside down.

Week 5: Ravens 41, Bengals 38

Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns and was the losing quarterback. That’s how much fun this game was. Lamar Jackson totaled 403 yards and threw four touchdowns. The Bengals lined up for the game-winning field goal in overtime, but a botched snap led to a miss. Derrick Henry broke a long run to set up the Ravens’ game-winner afterward. You won’t see many games with a quarterback at a higher level.

Week 8: Commanders 18, Bears 15

Warning: For 60 minutes, this was an ugly game. It doesn’t matter. This game is the one from the first half of the season that will be remembered 25 years from now, and that’s for the last play. Jayden Daniels rushed in (while Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson taunted the fans on the field) and gained just enough time to throw a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Noah Brown for the win. It was the rare moment when everyone immediately knew they had just seen something historic.

Week 9: Rams 26, Seahawks 20

This game was wild. Geno Smith threw two interceptions inside the Rams’ 10-yard line in the fourth quarter, one of which returned over 100 yards for a touchdown, but rallied to throw a game-tying touchdown with less than a minute left to play. In overtime, the Seahawks were within field goal range, but they took their chances on fourth and one and the Rams got a great stop. Then Matthew Stafford completed a few big passes, including a 39-yarder for the win that was scooped up by Demarcus Robinson with one hand. Completely entertaining.

The 5 Best Remaining NFL Games

Week 11: Washington at Philadelphia

The Commanders are in first place in the NFC East, which was not expected. To stay there, they will have to fend off the Eagles. It seemed like an odd choice for a Thursday night game when the schedule was released, but now it could go a long way toward determining whether an upstart Commanders team can win the NFC East. By the way, the rematch in Washington will take place in week 16.

Week 11: Kansas City at Buffalo

This one will bring back bad memories for Bills fans. The Bills suffered some tough losses to Kansas City in the playoffs, including last playoffs when the Chiefs came to Buffalo and stunned the Bills. Buffalo is good again, so are the Chiefs, and if the Bills have any hope of having home-field advantage again for a playoff showdown, this is a must-win for them.

Week 15: Buffalo at Detroit

We may see this game again in the Super Bowl. Both teams are on the mid-season shortlist of contenders. Josh Allen is having an MVP-level season and the Lions offense looks unstoppable. Whether or not there is a rematch in February, this is a fun matchup between two excellent teams.

Week 17 (tie): Kansas City at Pittsburgh, Baltimore at Houston

The NFL seemed to do pretty well with its Christmas games. All four teams playing Dec. 25 would make the playoffs if the season ended today, including the surprising Steelers. It’s not completely out of the question that the Steelers could still be in play for the No. 1 seed when they host Kansas City. It’s also not completely unreasonable to wonder if the Chiefs are still chasing the 1972 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots by going undefeated in Week 17. Next up, Baltimore vs. Houston will feature Lamar Jackson vs. CJ Stroud. Not a bad Christmas doubleheader.

Week 17: Detroit at San Francisco

San Francisco hasn’t been great yet, but we all know the 49ers can still be successful. The Lions may have been the more impressive team in the first half, and they remember what happened in last season’s NFC championship loss at San Francisco. It’s possible this game will determine whether the Lions get the No. 1 seed, which would be huge for their Super Bowl hopes.