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

That leaves Jayden Daniels.

Daniels is having a truly special rookie year for the Washington Commanders, the kind of debut season we’ll be able to look back on in 25 years. Its immediate impact has changed commanders after decades of suffering, and has already made a special play to win the game that will be go down in NFL history. It’s rare to see a rookie define an entire season, but for half of this season that appears to be the case.

On that note, here’s a look at the best games from the first half of the season and the best matchups to come.

The 5 best NFL games so far

Week 3: Commanders 38, Bengals 33

This Monday night game is when Jayden Daniels announced himself as a star. Daniels went 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 end the game looked like it would be the signature moment of his rookie season. He would beat that play in October.

Week 5: Falcons 36, Buccaneers 30

This was a strange back-and-forth game Thursday night with plenty of twists and turns and an overtime touchdown by the Falcons. The Falcons needed a wild comeback only to force overtime with a Younghoe Koo field goal as time expired. Cousins ​​had a career-high 509 yards in this win, shifting the power of the NFC South.

Week 5: Ravens 41, Bengals 38

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

Week 8: Commanders 18, Bears 15

Disclaimer: For the entire 60 minutes, this was an ugly game. That doesn’t matter. This game is the one from the first half of the season that will be remembered in 25 years, and it is for the last play. Jayden Daniels scrambled (as Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson taunted fans from the field) and bought 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, including one that returned more than 100 yards for a touchdown, but he recovered to throw a game-tying touchdown with less than a minute left. In overtime, the Seahawks were within range of a field goal, but they went for it on fourth-and-1 and the Rams came up with a great stop. Matthew Stafford then completed some big passes, including a 39-yard game-winner that was caught by Demarcus Robinson with one hand. Completely entertaining.

The 5 best remaining NFL matchups

Week 11: Washington at Philadelphia

The Commanders are in first place in the NFC East, something that was not expected. To stay there, they will need to keep the Eagles at bay. This 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 is week 16.

Week 11: Kansas City at Buffalo

This one will evoke some bad memories for Bills fans. The Bills have had some tough losses to Kansas City in the playoffs, including last postseason when the Chiefs came to Buffalo and stunned the Bills. Buffalo is good once again, the Chiefs are good too, and if the Bills have any hope of regaining home-field advantage for a playoff matchup, this is a must-win for them.

Week 15: Buffalo at Detroit

We may see this matchup again in the Super Bowl. Both teams are on the short list of contenders at midseason. Josh Allen is having an MVP-level season and the Lions offense seems unstoppable. Whether there is a rematch in February or not, this is a fun game 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 on December 25 would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, including the surprising Steelers. It’s not completely out of the question that the Steelers will still be in play for first place when they host Kansas City. It’s also not entirely unreasonable to wonder if the Chiefs are still chasing the 1972 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots by going undefeated in Week 17. Then, Baltimore vs. Houston will have Lamar Jackson vs. CJ Stroud. Not a bad Christmas doubleheader.

Week 17: Detroit at San Francisco

San Francisco hasn’t had a great run yet, but we all know the 49ers can still do it. The Lions have been perhaps the most impressive team of the first half, reminiscent of last season’s NFC championship game loss in San Francisco. This game will likely determine whether the Lions get the top seed, which would be huge for their Super Bowl hopes.