Expert Analysis
12/13/24
8 min read
5 NFL Players Who Could Break Out In 2024 Season's Final Weeks
There are always a handful of players who “break out” during the final month of the NFL season. Some of those players turn these next four games into positive momentum heading into the following year, like Chase Brown, who finished the 2023 season strong for the Bengals and has turned into their featured back.
So, who could be that player in 2024 who strings together a few strong performances with just a month left? Here are five players that are set to break out during the next four games:
Predicting Breakout NFL Players
Dallas Turner, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings 
Minnesota’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL this season despite getting next-to-nothing from their first-round EDGE defender. Dallas Turner was widely regarded as the best pass rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s played just 25 percent of the defensive snaps for the Vikings this season.
Through 12 games, Turner has recorded just one sack and 12 combined tackles. Those are pretty poor numbers for a first-round pick. However, the good news is that his snaps have gone up in recent weeks, playing 117 snaps since Week 9 (compared to 85 from Weeks 1-8).
While the overall pass-rushing numbers haven’t been great, the fact he is seeing more snaps must indicate that the Vikings are seeing some improvement from him during practices.
The Vikings have some big games left on the schedule and could still earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC. If Turner can start to produce like the player we saw at Alabama, the Vikings could easily have the best defense in the NFC.
Sometimes, it takes rookie pass rushers a while before they start to produce. And you can bet that Turner will figure it out sooner rather than later.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Xavier Worthy has put together four solid games in a row for the Chiefs, averaging more than 50 yards per game. However, if you’ve watched the Chiefs at all during the last month, you know that he’s had plenty of chances to have much bigger outings. Several factors have led Patrick Mahomes to miss Worthy down the field, but there is no doubt that he is getting open and creating separation.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Worthy is averaging 3.8 yards of separation at the time of his targets. That is the sixth-best in the NFL among receivers this year. He’s getting open at will, but Mahomes hasn’t always been able to connect with him. Here is a clip of just a handful of the misses between Mahomes and Worthy this year:
With the Chiefs getting closer to the playoffs and potentially clinching the No. 1 seed, expect Mahomes to lock in and become more accurate on his deep attempts. Worthy is already heavily involved in the offense, so it’s not a matter of getting him onto the field. It’s just connecting on these deep shots. Those types of plays tend to take some time to get in rhythm, and the hope is that with only four games left, that connection will strengthen.
It feels like a bit of a hunch, but look for Worthy and Mahomes to step up during the next four weeks as they begin prepping for another Super Bowl run. Both players are just too talented for this not to work out.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson was benched earlier in the season for poor play but has improved since returning to the lineup. The Colts are 2-1 in his last three starts, and Richardson put together game-winning drives in both of their wins. Now, the overall passing numbers still leave a lot to be desired, but the final four games of the season will give us an excellent idea of where Richardson is at in his development.
The Colts still aren’t out of the wild-card race, but they play a huge game against the Broncos this week. According to the New York Times Playoff Simulator, a Colts' win would give them a 66 percent chance to make the postseason. A loss would drop them to 10 percent, and they would lose the tiebreaker to Denver.
If Richardson and the Colts can win that game, they will have a pretty easy final three games (Titans, Giants, Jaguars), and they will be heavy favorites in all of them. Can Richardson find any rhythm and go on a four-game winning streak?
We shall see, but this is an excellent opportunity for the second-year quarterback to regain faith in the fanbase and prove that he can be the next great franchise quarterback in Indianapolis. Even if he can play just well enough to be the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback for the Colts going into 2025, that would be a big win for Richardson and the franchise moving forward.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
It’s been a quiet sophomore season for Dalton Kincaid, a former first-round pick from Utah. The Bills traded up to acquire Kincaid in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has yet to live up to the hype. That doesn’t mean he has been a bad player, but injuries have limited him some during the past two seasons.
His efficiency numbers are up, and he creates more plays after the catch. But his overall targets are down, and his inability to stay on the field has caused him to lose some ground in Buffalo's pecking order.
Kincaid is finally healthy and set to play against the Lions in Week 15 after missing the last month with a knee injury. Buffalo’s offense hasn’t missed him, as they’ve averaged 35.6 points per game despite him not playing. However, Kincaid offers something unique to the offense.
He is a big-bodied receiver who can get open at will over the middle of the field. There are a lot of similarities to Travis Kelce in his game, but he needs to stay on the field to develop that connection with Josh Allen.
Look for the Bills to find ways to get Kincaid more involved in the offense during the final month of the season as we head into the playoffs. He is too talented of a player only to receive a few targets each week. He should be in line for a lot of work over the next several weeks and into the playoffs.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Chase Brown and Zamir White are two running backs that “broke out” in the final four games last year and became the No. 1 RB on their respective teams the following season. Brown has become a dynamic weapon for the Bengals, while White has been phased out of the offense. Breaking out in the final four weeks doesn’t always guarantee future success, but it does lead to more opportunities.
That will be the case for Kimani Vidal, who will see an increase in snaps and touches for the Chargers during the next month.
J.K. Dobbins (knee) will likely miss the remainder of the regular season but should be ready for Round 1 of the playoffs. Gus Edwards is a fine between-the-tackles runner, but he doesn’t offer much in the passing game. That is where Vidal can shine, as he has already made a few big plays as a receiver this year.
Vidal was a highly productive player coming out of college but slipped to the sixth round of the 2024 draft due to his level of competition (Troy). He was a healthy scratch for most of the season, but he has started to see an increase in work during the last few weeks.
Vidal saw a career-high eight touches against the Chiefs in Week 14, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. The numbers were pedestrian, but the fact that he earned the trust of Jim Harbaugh in a huge game like that should be a good sign for him moving forward.
It’s unlikely that he’ll receive the lion’s share of the work in this backfield moving forward, but we could see him earn 10-12 touches per game to finish out the season.
If he can be productive with those opportunities, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he earned a much bigger role for the 2025 season. Keep an eye on Vidal, as he is in the perfect situation for his skill set and could really shine over the next month, given the injuries at running back for the Chargers.
