As summer winds down, for football fans, September heralds the arrival of the new NFL season, and we’ve got our eye on a trio of NFL punts for the coming term.
Once again, the Kansas City Chiefs open the new term as defending Super Bowl champions, hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a tasty rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game.
But looking father afield, can punters pick up any pre-season value?
Texans to reach AFC final
As the all-conquering Chiefs begin their defence of the crown for the second season on the spin, Andy Reid will be eyeing NFL history come next February.
No team in franchise history has won three consecutive Super Bowls, but the Missouri outfit are the lone favourites to do so this term.
They are also red-hot favourites to seal the AFC title for a fifth time in six years, but lurking in the shadows, a hungry QB in CJ Stroud and his Houston Texans, could be a surprise package once more.
Having won three out of four pre-season outings, the Houston side look in very nick with new but experienced faces in tow.
Plucking Stefon Diggs from the Bills and Joe Mixon from Cincinnati, Cam Akers should be a very handy number two also.
The Texans were the revelation of last term, but now with a real heavyweight line-up, Houston look a very tidy 13/4 with LiveScoreBet to reach the AFC final.
CJ Stroud to throw most passing yards
Next up for our season NFL punts, we stick with the aforementioned Texas and ponder the question: can CJ Stroud take down Patrick Mahomes in the regular season?
We say, perhaps.
It should be noted, that neither Texan nor Chief QB finished in the top 5 for passing yards last season, but both are backed to be on song this term.
Mahomes threw 5250 yds two terms ago – a full 500+ more than Rams’ QB Justin Herbert.
Last year, Stroud finished in eighth spot, 75 yds behind Mahomes, but a full 516 behind Dolphin king Tua Tagovailoa.
Ahead of the new season, both Mahomes and Stroud are the favourites for the crown, but for Stroud to top the list, 888sport carries a 13/2 punt.
De’Von Achane to rush 1000+ regular season yds
Our third punt looks to the rushing game, and the perennially electric Miami Dolphins.
Whilst Mike McDaniel will look to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle for most of the plays this campaign, the Florida side leant on their rushing game to a greater degree last term.
Running the football over 2000 team yds for the first time in well over a decade, the Dolphins were spearheaded by Raheem Mostert, finishing 10th with over 1000 yds.
However, De’Von Achane was a real eye-catcher in his rookie season.
In a term dominated by Christian McCaffrey, the 84th pick in last year’s third round draft, Achane rushed 203 yds against the Broncos, before his season was broken up by a knee injury.
Though that remains a potential issue, Achane now has 11 years youth on Mostert and could become the number one rusher for McDaniel.
If he is, Achane will be eyeing an improvement of 800 last term, and a landmark 1000 yd season is definitely on the cards for the Texas native at 11/4 with William Hill.
The 2024/25 NFL season kicks off on Thursday evening as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead.
