NFL 2021 PREDICTIONS
SportsBeat!
Written by Aaron Cantin
FINALLY! The 2021 NFL season kicks off tonight. Let’s hope for all the same drama and more we saw last year. Looking back, it seems obvious Tom Brady added another ring to his finger considering the weapons he had on offence and the solid defence the Bucs had. They got even better this year too, but so did many other teams. That’s what brings us here. What better time to give my regular season predictions by division, Super Bowl matchup and champion. Let’s get this.
Source: Clutchpoints
AFC East
Buffalo Bills (13-4)
New England Patriots (9-8)
Miami Dolphins (8-9)
New York Jets (6-11)
The Bills are an offensive machine with Josh Allen, who now has a big contract to match his emergence as an elite passer and runner. They will have even more trust in him this season with a few more weapons. The defence will get more complimentary credit for having more playmakers on every level. The Bills are real Super Bowl contenders.
AFC North
Cleveland Browns (13-4)
Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-10)
The Browns turned the corner quickly with coach Kevin Stefanski, thanks to their running game. That will set up a big season for Baker Mayfield as the passing game delivers a lot more. The defence has fewer weaknesses around Myles Garrett with additional impact players on every level. Cleveland deserves all the extra division-winning hype after coming through with a long-awaited wild-card breakthrough.
AFC South
Tennessee Titans (12-5)
Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-11)
Houston Texans (1-16)
The Titans continue to have some defensive holes even with some better pieces, but their offence should remain status quo explosive if healthy. They will remain run-heavy with Derrick Henry, delivering a dangerous downfield play-action passing game with Ryan Tannehill now throwing to Julio Jones as well as A.J. Brown. Coach Mike Vrabel will help them overachieve again.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
Denver Broncos (10-7)
Los Angeles Chargers (9-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (7-10)
The Chiefs have Mahomes and the rest of the league is chasing that level of special QB play. They always have a high floor and as long as Mahomes is healthy, they will be on the shortlist to get to the Super Bowl. His two elite weapons also are in their prime and Mahomes should get better support from Clyde Edwards-Helaire and the running game. The defence remains a complementary playmaking force.
NFC East
Washington Football Team (10-7)
Dallas Cowboys (10-7)
Philadelphia Eagles (7-10)
New York Giants (6-11)
The Football Team will have an explosive offence of its own to challenge the Cowboys with Ryan Fitzpatrick distributing the ball to top triplets of playmakers in Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas. It's also easy to get pumped for Ron Rivera's defence-making plays with Chase Young at the front of it. Just expect inconsistency with Fitzmagic.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers (12-5)
Chicago Bears (10-7)
Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
Detroit Lions (2-15)
The Packers know they will have Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams headlining their offence for at least one more season, with Aaron Jones and the running game serving as the true foundation. Coach Matt LaFleur's team will be in the running for the NFC title again but need the better defence to get over the hump into the Super Bowl.
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5)
New Orleans Saints (9-8)
Carolina Panthers (6-11)
Atlanta Falcons (5-12)
The Buccaneers are a rare Super Bowl-winning team to return intact in the following season, with the GOAT QB Brady to boot. They deserve to go from wild-card entry to dominant division champions with a good chance to defend their ring.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals (11-6)
Los Angeles Rams (11-6)
San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
The Cardinals just missed the playoffs and the heat is on coach Kliff Kingsbury to deliver with a high-upside Kyler Murray. Luckily, there will be room for four teams from the division to make up the majority of the NFC playoff field to join the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers.
AFC championship game: Chiefs over Bills
NFC championship game: Buccaneers over Packers
Superbowl winner: Chiefs over Bucs
That’s right, I’m calling a Superbowl rematch with it going the other way this time. Choosing the Chiefs to prevail over the Bills was the hardest decision on this list. The Bills look lethal and Josh Allen is a generational talent. But so is Mahomes. On the NFC end, it was either the 49ers or the Cardinals I was deciding between before choosing the Packers to make it. I can see surprises in the NFC and make these predictions look dreadful. Let’s find out.
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