After a year of empty stadiums, COVID-19 cancellations, and false positives we have finally made it to the 2021 NFL season. The league just recently approved to have full capacity at all stadiums this upcoming season. Football is almost all the way back. As a Patriots fan, having to sit there and watch the team play with absolutely no one in the stadium for all eight home games was rough. Especially adding to the fact that we went 7-9, our lowest record since 2000 (5-11). Every season comes with new changes, but this year is special because for the first time since 1977 there will not be 16 games in the regular season. The NFL is planning to have a total of 17 games over 18 weeks this year, making those win-and-in playoff scenarios the center of attention. Players like Dak Prescott, Odell Beckham Jr., and Saquon Barkley will be making their return to the field after season-ending injuries. Rookies Trevor Lawerence, Kyle Pitts, and Ja’Marr Chase will be stepping up to the big stage to showcase their talents for the first time on Sundays. Now it’s time to predict how well teams and players will do for this upcoming year. Let’s get into it.

AFC

AFC East

2020 Standings

1. Buffalo Bills: 13-3
2. Miami Dolphins: 10-6
3. New England Patriots: 7-9
4. New York Jets: 2-14

1. New England Patriots

Key additions: WR Nelson Agholor, EDGE Matt Judon, TE Jonnu Smith, OL Trent Brown, TE Hunter Henry, LB Kyle Van Noy

Key departures: OL Joe Thuney, WR Julian Edelman (retirement), OT Marcus Cannon (trade), S Patrick Chung (retired)

Well, that was not fun. Patriots fans were treated to a fan experience that is seen by about 50% of the league every year. The bottomless pit of mediocrity. However, as much as they played bad at times, it was not all on them. A league-high nine COVID opt-outs, injuries to key players, and multiple starters coming down with the virus, it was just not the Patriots year to succeed. After witnessing their first losing season since 2000, Bill Belichick turned on Thanos mode in the off-season, going absolutely ballistic in free agency. They secured two great tight ends in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, traded for their former tackle in Trent Brown, and secured a pass-rusher in Matt Judon from the Ravens. They didn’t stop there as they also grabbed players like Nelson Agholor, Kyle Van Noy, and Jalen Mills as well. With a full off-season with OTAs and preseason around the corner I think the Patriots are on the right path to get back on top in the AFC East. Especially with their defensive leader and captain, Dont’a Hightower, coming back after he opted out of the 2020 season. The only “ifs” are with star corner Stephon Gilmore and 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry. Gilmore is currently holding out/looking for a trade and Harry’s agent just recently requested a trade. The Patriots are now fortunate enough to have the depth to pass by if they lose both of them, but Gilmore is a top 5 corner and it would still be a big loss. At the quarterback position, I still believe in Cam Newton. Look at how he was playing before he got COVID-19. The Patriots were 2-1, the offense was clicking on all cylinders, and the defense couldn’t stop either the run or pass. Mac Jones will be the future, but the time is now for Cam Newton. Expect this team to make a challenge for the AFC East crown.

2021 Record: 12-5

2. Buffalo Bills

Key additions: WR Emmanuel Sanders & EDGE Gregory Rousseau (draft)

Key departures: WR John Brown

Unless you are the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars, reaching an AFC Championship is a sign of good things to come. The duo of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs is one of the best in the league and it doesn’t look like they are going to slow down anytime soon. Head coach Sean McDermott has established a great culture and his players believe in him. He might have brought half of the Carolina Panthers roster with him, but he’s making it work. The good thing about the Bills, besides having an incredible fan base, is that they kept almost all of their starters from last year (with some additions). The wide receiving core lost John Brown, but they gained a veteran in Emmanuel Sanders who can come in and take pressure off both Diggs and Cole Beasley. On the defensive side, the Bills locked in Matt Milano to a new four-year deal, Micah Hyde to a two-year extension, and drafted edge rushers Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr. with their first two draft picks. The only problem with this Bills team is something that I’ve been talking about for a very long time with them. An absence of a strong run game does not equate to success in the NFL. Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, & Matt Breida are all solid backs but they don’t keep a defense up late at night worrying. You never know, I might be eating those words when it’s all said and done. I guess we’ll have to wait until the pads are on to see.

2021 Record: 12-5

3. Miami Dolphins

Key additions: WR Jaylen Waddle (draft), LB Benardrick McKinney (trade), WR Will Fuller V

Key departures: S Bobby McCain, EDGE Shaq Lawson, LB Kyle Van Noy, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

This is a weird time to be a Dolphins fan. Yes your team just went 10-6 and just barely missed the playoffs, but there is somehow still a big cloud of uncertainty over your organization. And that comes down to one position on the whole team. Quarterback. After selecting Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in the 2020 draft, coach Brian Flores and the Dolphins decided to keep Tua on the bench under journeyman veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to start off the season. They brought Tua on for his first NFL start during week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams, and he impressed, winning the game 28-17. Tua started off his NFL career with a 3-0 record as a starter beating the Rams, Cardinals, and Chargers. He didn’t post any games with incredible stats, never throwing over 300 yards until week 14 against the Chiefs, but he was getting the job done. That all came to a stop week 11 when he performed so poorly he was benched for Fitzpatrick which started an unwanted quarterback carousel until the end of the year. Both Fitzpatrick and Tagovailoa went back in forth between starts and the Dolphins just couldn’t seem to find their rhythm, as they finished one seed away from the playoffs. As the offseason rolled around the Dolphins surprisingly cut ties with defensive leader Kyle Van Noy just one year into his big four-year deal and traded away starting lineman Ereck Flowers for a 7th round pick to Washington. This year is the Dolphins big test. They have surrounded Tua with weapons including his former teammate at Bama Jaylen Waddle, veteran DeVante Parker, free agent addition Will Fuller V, and underrated TE Mike Gesicki. Tua just has to lock in and produce in game. However, throwing 5 INTs at practice is definitely not going to calm any Dolphins fans nerves. On the defensive side they drafted a solid edge rusher in Jaelan Phillips and traded for linebacker Benardrick McKinney. However their star corner Xavien Howard, who lead the league last year with 10 interceptions, did not show up for mandatory minicamp looking for a new contract. We’ll see how that situation gets resolved, but in terms of this Dolphins team I unfortunately don’t see them making the playoffs. With such a better roster in New England, the Bills being as good as they are, and losing several starters on defense, I think the Dolphins will once again miss out on the postseason.

2021 Record: 8-9

4. New York Jets

Key additions: QB Zach Wilson (draft), WR Corey Davis, EDGE Carl Lawson, OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (draft), OL Morgan Moses

Key departures: QB Sam Darnold (trade), WR Breshad Perriman, LB Jordan Jenkins

Imagine watching your team go 2-14 and STILL not the get the #1 pick. Pure pain. The New York Jets have officially left the Sam Darnold era behind them, trading him to the Carolina Panthers. They then drafted BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the second pick in the draft to lead their franchise. Wilson will be accompanied by some new additions on the offensive side of the ball in wideout Corey Davis, running back Tevin Coleman, and fellow first-round pick lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker to help out 2020 first-rounder Mekhi Becton on that offensive line. Under new head coach Robert Saleh they’ll be looking to bounce back and take the steps in the right direction. One thing that is not currently going their way is the contract situation with defensive captain Marcus Maye. After recently franchise tagging him this off-season both sides are not able to find a long-term deal and it’s looking like Maye will be on his way out of MetLife stadium after this year. I see the Jets taking steps towards improvement this year, but especially in a division like the AFC East they are not ready for success just yet. I can’t wait to see that week 1 matchup against Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers though.

2021 Record: 4-13

2021 AFC East Predictions

1. New England Patriots: 12-5
2. Buffalo Bills: 12-5 (wildcard)
3. Miami Dolphins: 8-9
4. New York Jets: 4-13

AFC North

2020 Standings

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: 12-4
2. Baltimore Ravens: 11-5
3. Cleveland Browns: 11-5
4. Cincinnati Bengals: 4-11-1

1. Cleveland Browns

Key additions: S John Johnson III, EDGE Jadeveon Clowney, CB Greg Newsome II (draft)

Key departures: DL Sheldon Richardson, DL Olivier Vernon, & CB Terrance Mitchell

Just like last year, Browns fans are entering this year with a relatively new emotion to them. Hope. The Browns are coming off their first playoff win since 1994, Kevin Stefanski won Coach of the Year, and they added even more pieces in both free agency and the draft. Odell is making headlines for how well he is coming back from his ACL injury. The roster is deep and loaded with talent, getting back players like Grant Delpit, Greedy Williams, & Odell from their injuries last year. They also welcome back four All-Pro selections, three of which are on the offensive line, and arguably the best running back duo in the league in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Everything is going in the right direction for the Browns. They are even 8th in Super Bowl odds according to Draft Kings. After throwing 21 interceptions the year before, Baker Mayfield came back under Kevin Stefanski’s new offense and thrived throwing for 26 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. He went the last nine weeks of the regular season with only throwing one interception along with his 11 touchdowns. The Browns have the ability to take over the league, they just need to get through arguably the hardest division in football to do it. They enter the year with concrete expectations. They’ve shown what they can do, it’s now up to them to be able to do the same and even more on top of that. I’m excited to see year 2 of the Browns rebirth. And with the fans back this year, the Dawg Pound will be rocking.

2021 Record: 14-3

2. Baltimore Ravens

Key additions: WR Sammy Watkins, WR Rashod Bateman (draft), OL Kevin Zeitler

Key departures: RB Mark Ingram II, EDGE Yannick Ngakoue, EDGE Matt Judon, OL Orlando Brown Jr. (trade)

Lamar Jackson will be going into his third year as the Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback. After two straight years of throwing for over 2,700 yards and rushing for 1,000 yards teams now just have to accept that fact that Lamar can’t be truly stopped, only slowed down. The additions of both Patrick Queen and J.K. Dobbins proved to be huge last year, as both rookies took over starting spots at their positions. To show the significance of how well J.K. Dobbins did, Mark Ingram rushed for over 1,000 yards just two years ago for the Ravens. Now he is a member of the Houston Texans. The main issue for the Ravens for the past couple of years was the inability to be a major threat in the passing game. John Harbaugh and the front office got to work on addressing that this offseason grabbing Sammy Watkins in free agency, drafting Rashod Bateman in the first round, and taking a very underrated wideout in Tylan Wallace on day three of the draft. With those three weapons now accompanying Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on the outside it will free up space for tight end Mark Andrews and the run game to open up even more. After losing both Yannick Ngakoue and Matt Judon in free agency, the Ravens also needed to bolster that pass rush once again this offseason. They used the pick from the Orlando Brown trade to select Penn State edge rusher Odafe Oweh, who caught teams eyes by running an insane 4.39 second 40-yard dash. He’s 6’5″ 257 pounds. I think the Ravens will be even better then last year and I can’t wait to watch Lamar Jackson with his new weapons on the offense.

2021 Record: 12-5

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Key additions: RB Najee Harris (draft) & OL Trai Turner

Key departures: OL Maurkice Pouncey, CB Steven Nelson, EDGE Bud Dupree, CB Mike Hilton, OL Alejandro Villanueva, OL David DeCastro

The Steelers are just… meh. Yes their defense is great and yes they started last year 11-0, but they lost four of their last five games. And then got outworked and outplayed by the Cleveland Browns at home in the wildcard, losing 48-37. Every rational Steelers fan, if there are any, knows that Ben’s best days are behind him and he hasn’t looked great in a while. HOWEVER, drafting Najee Harris was an excellent move that could be the catalyst to revive this offense. At least Randy Fichtner is finally gone with the wind. I love the Harris and I truly think he has a strong possibility at winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, can you put the entire offense and workload on him immediately? I don’t think so. You can call me a Steelers hater if you want to, but I was the one preaching that they were fraudulent last year. And this year I don’t expect anything different. I hate to say it but I think this year will be both head coach Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger’s last year as members of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2021 Record: 8-9

4. Cincinnati Bengals

Key additions: CB Mike Hilton, DL Trey Hendrickson, WR Ja’Marr Chase (draft), CB Chidobe Awuzie

Key departures: DL Geno Atkins, WR A.J. Green, RB Giovani Bernard, EDGE Carl Lawson, CB William Jackson III

This is the start of a new era for the Cincinnati Bengals. If you look at the names that are shown on the departures list, you can see that a lot of fan-favorites have now left the squad. The Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, & Geno Atkins era in Cincy has officially come to a close. The new era of Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and Ja’Marr Chase is now ready to get started. The only problems with this team is the not-so-great offensive line and an unproven head coach in Zac Taylor. Joe Burrow will be making his return after his ACL & MCL injury in week 11 against Washington and he’ll be reuniting with his college teammate Ja’Marr Chase, who is my favorite wideout in this rookie class. If Joe Mixon can stay healthy for the Bengals I see them making a significant improvement. However, they are in the same situation as the Jets. They will improve, and even win some games they aren’t supposed to, but their division is too good for them to even sniff the playoffs.

2021 Record: 6-11

2021 AFC North Predictions:

1. Cleveland Browns: 14-3
2. Baltimore Ravens: 12-5 (wildcard)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-9
4. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-11

AFC South

2020 Standings

1. Tennessee Titans: 11-5
2. Indianapolis Colts: 11-5
3. Houston Texans: 4-12
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-15

1. Tennessee Titans

Key additions: WR Julio Jones (trade), EDGE Bud Dupree, & CB Caleb Farley (draft)

Key departures: CB Adoree’ Jackson, EDGE Jadeveon Clowney, WR Corey Davis, CB Malcolm Butler, S Kenny Vaccaro, TE Jonnu Smith

The Titans had an interesting year last year. Derrick Henry became the eighth running back in league history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, Ryan Tanehill threw for a career high 33 touchdowns, and then they proceeded to lose to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens at home in the wildcard. Then the offseason came along and the Titans seemed to start losing everyone. Even offensive coordinator Arthur Smith left to become the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons. I originally had the Titans just narrowly missing out on the playoffs, but they made arguably the move of the offseason. They traded for a first-ballot hall of famer in Julio Jones, pairing him with A.J Brown at the receiver position. With those two being able to bring a lot of attention, this will open up the run game so much more for Derrick Henry. Don’t be surprised if he leads the league in rushing for a third year in a row. Getting Taylor Lewan back from injury is going to be huge for that offense and I expect them to win this division.

2021 Record: 11-6

2. Indianapolis Colts

Key additions: Carson Wentz (trade), EDGE Kwity Paye (draft), OL Eric Fisher

Key departures: QB Phillip Rivers (retirement), OL Anthony Castanzo (retirement), S Malik Hooker, EDGE Justin Houston

If you’re a Colts fan, you are not having a great time right now. First off your quarterback gets hurt, but reports are coming through that it isn’t too serious and that he’s going to hold off surgery. A couple days later and Carson Wentz is getting surgery and will be out 12 weeks at the most. Just under a week later your All-Pro guard, who’s arguably the best lineman in the NFL, gets the same exact injury as Wentz. I originally had the Colts winning this division, but with these things happening I don’t know if Sam Ehlinger or Jacob Eason can lead this team to multiple wins. It was the perfect revenge story, Wentz would bounce back with a top-10 defense backing him, a great offensive line with more weapons, and reuniting with the coach that he had his “MVP-like” season with (Frank Reich). It just seems like he just can’t catch a break. The only reason I have the Colts finishing above the Jaguars and the Texans is because of their team has experience with winning. And with Reich leading the squad I still have faith that the Colts will win some 50/50 games in order for them to reach the middle of the pack. However, I won’t be surprised if the Jaguars leap over this Colts team if they get off to the right start. I wish all Colts fans luck as they deal with this uncertainty heading into the new year.

2021 Record: 8-9

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Key additions: QB Trevor Lawerence (draft), RB Travis Etienne (draft), CB Shaquill Griffin, WR Marvin Jones

Key departures: HC Doug Marrone & GM Dave Caldwell

After seven years of Dave Caldwell and four years of Doug Marrone, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan finally pulled the plug on the clearly failed operation. Khan hired decorated college coach Urban Meyer and then drafted one of the best college quarterbacks of all-time in Trevor Lawerence with the first pick. After winning last year’s season opener against the Colts, the Jaguars would go on to lose 15 straight games. This year the culture has shifted, the team has legit depth, and a new coaching staff has arrived. I think Trevor Lawerence will have a great first year in the league with a 1,000 yard-rusher in James Robinson, a solid receiving corps, and an improved defense headlined by free-agent acquisition Shaquill Griffin. The best part about Lawerence’s arrival in Jacksonville is that he’ll be teaming up with his college teammate Travis Etienne. Jags fans have been waiting on a solid running back duo ever since the glory days of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. I’m really excited to see the Jags this year, the youth of this team will benefit them in the long-run and I think we can see this team getting a playoff berth in the next two years.

2021 Record: 5-12

4. Houston Texans

Key additions: RB Phillip Linsday, QB Tyrod Taylor, OL Marcus Cannon (trade), EDGE Shaq Lawson (trade), WR Anthony Miller (trade)

Key departures: DL JJ Watt, LB Benardrick McKinney (trade), WR Will Fuller V

Deshaun Watson has been absent from practice and Texans fans have never been more depressed. However, after missing a week of practice, Watson unexpectedly returned today to the practice field. Texans report John McClain tweeted this morning that Deshaun Watson will never again play a down for the Houston Texans so you can imagine how fans are feeling. This offseason the Texans finally got rid of former coach Bill O’Brien, which seemed to please their fans. However, they also decided to get rid of the “mayor” of Houston in JJ Watt. Basically the Texans organization is in a very dark place right now. Their star quarterback requested a trade publicly and then shortly after was accused of sexual harassment by over 20 women. They hired a coach who has never even had any head coaching or coordinator experience at any level in David Culley, they made Jack Easterby (a former “character coach”) president of all football operations, and no one knows if Deshaun Watson will even take a snap for the team this year. For a team that won four games last year with both JJ Watt and Deshaun Watson playing, it’s not looking good at all. Sadly, I think they are going to be the worst team in football this year. Buckle up Texans fans, it’s going to be a rough ride.

2021 Record: 2-15

2021 AFC South Predictions

1. Tennessee Titans: 11-6
2. Indianapolis Colts: 8-9
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-12
4. Houston Texans: 2-15

AFC West

2020 Standings

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 14-2
2. Las Vegas Radiers: 8-8
3. Los Angeles Chargers: 7-9
4. Denver Broncos: 5-11

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Key additions: OL Joe Thuney, OL Orlando Brown (trade), OL Creed Humphrey (draft)

Key departures: OL Mitchell Schwartz, OL Eric Fisher, RB Damien Williams, WR Sammy Watkins

As you can see from the key additions section, the Chiefs went all in on protecting their $500 million man. If you watched the Super Bowl last year, you would understand too. Mahomes was infamously running for his life on almost every play, trying to make magic from over 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs went out and got a top five guard in Joe Thuney from New England, traded their first-round pick for Ravens tackle Orlando Brown, and then drafted one of the draft’s best centers in Creed Humphrey of Oklahoma. Looking at this team on paper is scary. The holes that were created this offseason with players leaving have already been filled and in some cases with even better players. This team has won two straight AFC championships for a reason, and until I see it I don’t know if anyone else will.

2021 Record: 15-2

2. Los Angeles Chargers

Key additions: TE Jared Cook, OL Corey Linsley, OL Rashawn Slater (draft)

Key departures: OL Trai Turner, CB Casey Hayward Jr, TE Hunter Henry, HC Anthony Lynn

The Anthony Lynn era has come to an end in Los Angeles and the Brandon Staley era has begun. Staley is coming from being a defensive coordinator for the crosstown Los Angeles Rams, a defense which was the best unit in the league last year. The Chargers will be starting this year with reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Justin Herbert, getting their young star Derwin James back from injury, and bring in rookie tackle Rashawn Slater out of Northwestern to beef up the protection for Herbert. The Chargers lost nine games last year, six of those games were decided by one score. With Herbert having a full offseason as QB1 and the team getting back to full health under a new coach, I expect good things for this team.

2021 Record: 11-6

3. Denver Broncos

Key additions: QB Teddy Bridgewater (trade), CB Patrick Surtain II (draft), CB Kyle Fuller, CB Ronald Darby

Key departures: DL Jurrell Casey, RB Phillip Lindsay, CB A.J. Bouye

The Broncos have built an extremely solid roster. The only question mark, arguably the worst place to have a question mark, is involved with the two players pictured above. Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater are currently battling for the QB1 spot in training camp after both had mediocre seasons last year. The Broncos traded for Bridgewater this offseason, sending a sixth-round pick to the Panthers for his services. Bridgewater threw for 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the Panthers last year while Lock threw for 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. As of right now, rumors are swirling that Bridgewater is looking like the favorite to win the starting job for week 1. Although the quarterback position is very important, this Broncos defense is looking crazy. Von Miller will be returning from a season-ending injury last year alongside Pro Bowler Bradley Chubb, which Broncos fans are praying for one healthy season for both players. Their secondary is arguably one of the best in the league with first-round pick Patrick Surtain II, new free-agent signings Kyle Fuller & Ronald Darby, and finally one of the best safeties in the league in Justin Simmons. I think that this team is on the upward trend toward a winning season. Courtland Sutton and Von Miller will be making their returns from injuries last year, the team has an even stronger defense, and a youthful offense looking to explode. We’ll see how Vic Fangio and co. execute this year.

2021 Record: 8-9

4. Las Vegas Raiders

Key additions: EDGE Yannick Ngakoue, CB Casey Hayward Jr, WR Wille Snead IV, RB Kenyan Drake, S Karl Joseph

Key departures: WR Nelson Agholor, WR Tyrell Williams, DL Maurice Hurst

This is both Derek Carr and Jon Gruden’s last chance for the Raiders organization. And might I say Mike Mayock’s last hoo-rah before he has to go back to that NFL Network studio. Carr has always been a solid quarterback, but just never good enough to take that next step in the playoffs. The one year where the Raiders actually had a chance, he hurt his hand late in the regular season and was ruled out for the rest of the year. The Raiders are coming off a year where they started the year 6-3, but finished with a measly 8-8 record. In his second stint with the Raiders, Jon Gruden has yet to finish a season above .500. This year the offense returns with their big pieces in star tight end Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs running the rock, and 2020 first-rounder Henry Ruggs III stretching the field in the passing game. The defense, which finished 30th last year in the league, will be tested once again this year and sadly I don’t know if it’s going to get much better. In such a tough division like the AFC West, being just “okay” isn’t going to cut it. And I think this will be the last year we see both Jon Gruden and Derek Carr as members of the Las Vegas Raiders.

2021 Record: 5-12

2021 AFC West Predictions

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-2
2. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6 (wildcard)
3. Denver Broncos: 9-8
4. Las Vegas Raiders: 5-12

AFC Playoff Teams

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-2 (first-round bye)
2. Cleveland Browns: 14-3
3. New England Patriots: 12-5
4. Tennessee Titans: 11-6
5. Baltimore Ravens: 12-5 (wildcard)
6. Buffalo Bills: 12-5 (wildcard)
7. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6 (wildcard)

NFC

NFC East

2020 Standings

1. Washington Football Team: 7-9
2. New York Giants: 6-10
3. Dallas Cowboys: 6-10
4. Philadelphia Eagles: 4-11-1

1. Dallas Cowboys

Key additions: LB Micah Parsons (draft), LB Keanu Neal, S Malik Hooker, S Damontae Kazee

Key departures: LB Aldon Smith, LB Sean Lee (retirement), CB Chidobe Awuzie, S Xavier Woods, QB Andy Dalton

This prediction for the Cowboys season has a big asterisk next to it. It all depends on the health of their star quarterback, Dak Prescott. After a horrific injury suffered against the New York Giants last October, Cowboys fans have been long awaiting Dak’s return. However, Dak just recently injured himself in training camp with what the team is calling a “shoulder/baseball injury“. The Cowboys have even called on the baseball team the Texas Rangers to see what they could do with Dak’s injury, considering the nature of it. After having the 28th ranked defense in the league last year, the Cowboys focused on fixing that side of the ball in the offseason. Drafting Micah Parsons with the 11th pick might turn out to be one of the best selections in the draft. Parsons raw ability and athleticism make him an instant starter in the league. Pairing him with both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch will help both of them find their form again. The only thing that I think could hold this team back is what has held them back for a long time now, their head coach. Mike McCarthy is not a great coach, and I’ll stand on that. Only reason I have them at first place is because every other team in this division has question marks at the quarterback position. A healthy Dak is miles better than any other quarterback in the NFC East. As long as Dak and the offensive line stays 90% healthy, I see the Cowboys clawing their way into the playoffs. However, I don’t see them going anywhere past the wildcard game.

2021 Record: 10-7

2. Washington Football Team

Key additions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, CB William Jackson III, WR Curtis Samuel, OL Ereck Flowers

Key departures: QB Alex Smith, OL Morgan Moses, CB Ronald Darby

The only reason I don’t have this team over the Cowboys to win the division is because I don’t have confidence in that quarterback room. Yeah Ryan Fitzpatrick may have his moments of magic, but he has never even played in the playoffs. Yeah Taylor Heinicke had a decent game against the Bucs last year in the wildcard, but he’s 28 years old with only one NFL start, and Kyle Allen is not going to get you to the playoffs. This defense is incredible, Antonio Gibson has incredible potential, Curtis Samuel is a great signing, but I just don’t have any faith that either of those three quarterbacks can win this team a playoff game. Ron Rivera is a great fit for this team and I wish them the best, but as of right now I don’t think I can put my faith in Ryan Fitzpatrick to win this team a playoff game. Something this organization hasn’t done since 2006, Fitzpatrick’s rookie year. In the end, I think this defense will do just enough to get them that #7 seed, but they won’t win a playoff game this year. They’ll be a real deal threat in maybe one or two years when they take a chance on a quarterback either in the draft or in free agency. Shout out to Matt Ioannidis though.

2021 Record: 9-8

3. New York Giants

Key additions: CB Adoree’ Jackson, WR Kenny Golladay, TE Kyle Rudolph, WR Kadarius Toney (draft)

Key departures: OL Kevin Zeitler, WR Golden Tate, DL Dalvin Tomlinson

“Yanni, how could you possibly not have the Giants making the playoffs? Especially after this great offseason and with Joe Judge at the helm, what the hell is wrong with you?”

26 career starts. Seven wins as a starter and 29 career fumbles. Daniel Jones seems like a great guy, I mean there’s not really anything to hate about him. I just don’t have faith in him. Until he proves me otherwise I just can’t, I’m sorry. I can’t see Daniel Jones leading a game-winning drive of a playoff game. At least not in this reality. The Giants went out and got one of the top receivers in this year’s free agent class in Kenny Golladay. Golladay just hurt his hamstring this week and will be out for 2-3 weeks. The Giants have recently had three players randomly retire in the span of four days (Zach Fulton, Joe Looney, & Todd Davis), with two of them being potential starting offensive lineman. Kelvin Benjamin was recently quoted saying that head coach Joe Judge “is not a head coach that can ever win a Super Bowl because he sits and cusses at the players all day” and is a “know-it-all”. And the cherry on top was the now infamous brawl that happened at practice on August 2nd, which led to Daniel Jones being at the bottom of the pile. Things are weird at the Giants facility right now. They have a good young team with some veteran leaders like Logan Ryan and Leonard Williams, but I don’t see them making the playoffs with Daniel Jones at the helm. Just please football gods, give me a fully healthy year of Saquon Barkley.

2021 Record: 7-10

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Key additions: WR DeVonta Smith (draft), S Anthony Harris, OL Landon Dickerson (draft), CB Steven Nelson

Key departures: QB Carson Wentz (trade), WR Alshon Jeffrey, CB Jalen Mills, WR DeSean Jackson

I feel bad for Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith. They are stuck in a horrible situation right now. They got a first-year head coach in Nick Sirianni, they are not deep at any position, and they’re coming off of a year where they finished with a 4-11-1 record. Four years separated from their Super Bowl victory the roster has done a complete turnover, including the firing of head coach Doug Pederson. It seems like the Eagles are entering into a rebuilding period coming into this season. And with their fans reputation to be very harsh and impatient, it’s definitely not going to help the development of last year’s Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith or Jalen Hurts. There were small rumors of a possible Deshaun Watson trade to Philadelphia this past week, but they were quickly shut down. A message to Eagles fans, why would Deshaun Watson want to be traded to a team that’s arguably in the same position as his current squad? Sorry to break it to y’all, but I think we’re going to be seeing this team in the top five of the 2022 NFL Draft.

2021 Record: 3-14

2021 NFC East Predictions

1. Dallas Cowboys: 10-7
2. Washington Football Team: 9-8 (wildcard)
3. New York Giants: 7-10
4. Philadelphia Eagles: 3-14

NFC North

2020 Standings

1. Green Bay Packers: 13-3
2. Chicago Bears: 8-8
3. Minnesota Vikings: 7-9
4. Detroit Lions: 5-11

1. Green Bay Packers

Key additions: WR Randall Cobb (trade), LB De’Vondre Campbell, CB Eric Stokes (draft)

Key departures: LB Christian Kirksey, RB Jamaal Williams, OL Corey Linsley

The Packers front office is just sad. Your quarterback is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and the reigning MVP and you ALMOST lost him because you just kept making stupid decisions on top of stupid decisions. I still can’t believe they traded UP for Jordan Love, and didn’t even tell Aaron that they were thinking about doing the move. And then on top of that they lowballed him on the first contract extension offer, among other things. At least they went out and made a desperation trade for Rodgers’ old teammate (and Packer great) Randall Cobb. It seems to be the “last dance” for both Rodgers and Davante Adams this year, at least according to their Instagrams. For a team that has been to two straight NFC championships, and has a quarterback who just won his third league MVP, I expect them to keep the momentum going and grab another division title. Contrary to their other personnel decisions, I love the Eric Stokes and Amari Rodgers picks in the draft. Both picks address needs in the team with great value and potential. If the team remains healthy, I expect them to be right back in that NFC championship. We’ll see if they can finally climb over that obstacle though.

2021 Record: 13-4

2. Minnesota Vikings

Key additions: DL Dalvin Tomlinson, CB Patrick Peterson, S Xavier Woods, DL Sheldon Richardson, OL Christian Darrisaw (draft)

Key departures: S Anthony Harris, TE Kyle Rudolph, OL Riley Reiff, CB Jeff Gladney

When people say Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is a defense kind of a guy, they aren’t lying. And when a defensive coach has his team finish 29th in total defense, he’s going to do everything in his power to fix that in the offseason. Zimmer and the Vikes front office went and got veteran leaders in Sheldon Richardson and Patrick Peterson and then acquired former Cowboys safety Xavier Woods as a replacement for Anthony Harris, who left for Philadelphia. The only two blemishes to an otherwise great offseason for the Vikings, came during this past week. 2020 first-round pick Jeff Gladney was indicted on a felony assault charge and was immediately cut by the team, despite his claim of innocence. And then star rookie receiver Justin Jefferson suffered a sprained AC joint in his shoulder diving for a catch in practice, he’s now ruled to be day-to-day. This team definitely has the talent and experience to make a playoff push, it’s just up to how quarterback Kirk Cousins leads this squad. Talking about wearing a plexiglass shield instead of just getting vaccinated isn’t really going to be a great help though Kirk.

2021 Record: 8-9

3. Chicago Bears

Key additions: QB Justin Fields (draft), CB Desmond Trufant, WR Marquise Goodwin

Key departures: CB Kyle Fuller, OL Charles Leno Jr., WR Anthony Miller, QB Mitch Trubisky

I like the Bears. Great fanbase, a lot of likable players, and some young underrated talent like Darnell Mooney and Jaylon Johnson. They had two problems last year, both of those problems still remain. Those problems are at the quarterback position and that their head coach is Matt Nagy. After Matt Nagy won Coach of the Year in 2018, finishing with a 12-4 record, the Bears have gone through back to back 8-8 seasons. After the Mitch Trubisky experiment has finally ended in Chicago, the Bears are turning to Andy Dalton to be their starter week one. Even though, they traded up to select Justin Fields in this years draft, the Bears are sticking with Andy Dalton. And for me, that is the exact reason why I’m putting them in third instead of second. If they were to start off the season with Fields at the helm I feel that they’d have an increasingly better chance of a playoff berth than with Dalton. I think the Bears are going to try to stick to their promise to Andy Dalton and before it’s too late they are going to find themselves under. 500, behind to the Vikings and Packers in their division. However, you never know what unexpected event might happen to change their mind. We shall wait and see.

2021 Record: 7-10

Key additions: QB Jared Goff (trade), OL Penei Sewell (draft), DL Michael Brockers (trade), CB Quinton Dunbar, WR Tyrell Williams, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman

Key departures: QB Matthew Stafford (trade), WR Kenny Golladay, WR Marvin Jones Sr, CB Justin Coleman, RB Kerryon Johnson, CB Desmond Trufant

I mean… At this point… Should Lions fans even have hope? Literally one playoff win since 1963. Three playoff appearances in the last 20 years. Being a Lions fan must be nothing but pure pain. And now to add on to that, the Matthew Stafford era in Detroit has officially come to an end. I like new head coach Dan Campbell, he’s a crazy football guy. However, is that going to translate to winning? That question is yet to be answered in Detroit. On a positive note, Penei Sewell was a steal in the draft, they got a high-value veteran in Michael Brockers for a low pick, and Jared Goff is reportedly firing on all cylinders with tight end T.J. Hockenson in training camp. To be frank, this team is simply not good enough to win over five games. And I don’t know when the next time they will be. Just pray for Lions fans everyone, they need it.

2021 Record: 4-13

2021 NFC North Predictions:

1. Green Bay Packers: 13-4
2. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
3. Chicago Bears: 7-10
4. Detroit Lions: 4-13

NFC South

2020 Standings

1. New Orleans Saints: 12-4
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11-5
3. Carolina Panthers: 5-11
4. Atlanta Falcons: 4-12

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key additions: EDGE Joe Tryon (draft), QB Kyle Trask (draft), RB Giovani Bernard

Key departures: None?

Have you ever seen a Super Bowl winning team bring all 22 starters back and then upgrade their depth in the draft with players like Joe Tryon and Jaelon Darden? I can’t remember the last time a team even did that. Bruce Arians and his guys are looking to make another run at the big one, but hopefully this time Tom Brady won’t be playing through a torn MCL the whole year. After starting the season 7-5, the Bucs went on an eight game winning-streak all the way to the Super Bowl where they became the first team to ever host and win a Super Bowl in their own stadium. The team franchised tagged Chris Godwin, re-signed key players like Shaquille Barrett & LaVonte David to extensions, and brought back players who stepped up in the big games like Leonard Fournette and Antonio Brown. They’ll be getting back tight end O.J. Howard from an achilles injury last year to team up with both Cameron Brate and Rob Gronkowski. They’ll also be bringing back arguably the best defensive coordinator in the league in Todd Bowles, signing him to a three year extension last week. 44 year-old Tom Brady will be looking to win his eighth Super Bowl this year and with this roster, don’t be surprised if it happens. The only thing that’s stopping this team from repeating as champions, is themselves.

2021 Record: 14-3

2. Carolina Panthers

Key additions: CB Jaycee Horn (draft), EDGE Haason Reddick, QB Sam Darnold (trade), CB A.J. Bouye

Key departures: QB Teddy Bridgewater (trade), DL Kawann Short, S Tre Boston

This is the most weapons that Sam Darnold has been surrounded by in his short NFL career. Two years with Adam Gase was never going to equate to success, and this is Darnold’s make or break year. I like Matt Rhule as a coach, I think he has his guys backs and they play for him. I also love Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator and the defense that they’ve constructed over there in Charlotte. First-round pick Jaycee Horn was the first defensive player selected in this year draft, and for good reason. Horn is an aggressive and physical corner standing at 6’1″ with a great ability to win the battle at the line of scrimmage. The front seven is stacked with Derrick Brown, Brian Burns, Haason Reddick, & Shaq Thompson. And they also have one of the most exciting and versatile players in the league in Jeremy Chin, who recorded a total of 117 tackles and even scored two touchdowns. With Darnold surrounded by Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, second round pick Terrace Marshall Jr., & former teammate Robby Anderson I expect him to flourish. We’ll see how things pan out this year at Bank of America stadium.

2021 Record: 8-9

3. New Orleans Saints

Key additions: CB Brian Poole & (technically) LB Kwon Alexander

Key departures: QB Drew Brees (retirement), TE Jared Cook, EDGE Trey Hendrickson, CB Janoris Jenkins, DL Sheldon Rankins, WR Emmanuel Sanders

The only reason the Saints aren’t in fourth in my predictions is because of one player and one player only. Alvin Kamara. He’s a top five running back in the league who can change the course of a game at any time. The Saints lost a LOT this offseason. They lost basically their whole identity for the past 10+ years in Drew Brees, and for the first time in a while there’s uncertainty at the quarterback position. The battle going on right now in training camp is between former Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and do-it-all weapon Taysom Hill. Winston has a lot of experience in the league, even making a Pro Bowl in 2015, but is notorious for throwing a lot of interceptions. That reputation is highlighted by his 2019 year where he infamously threw for 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Hill’s issue is that he has under five career starts at the quarterback position so he just doesn’t have that much in-game experience and in a year where the Saints have lost a lot of depth, it’s not going to help either of them. Another problem has recently come out of Saints training camp as star receiver Michael Thomas has been throwing cryptic messages at the Saints on social media, after they said Thomas had cut off all communication with the team during his rehab for his ankle injury. Thomas opted to go through an ankle procedure this past June that is likely to sideline him until October. Bottom line is that it is not looking too good for the Saints. And being in one of the toughest divisions in football I don’t know how well they’re going to hold up.

2021 Record: 6-11

4. Atlanta Falcons

Key additions: TE Kyle Pitts (draft), RB Mike Davis , RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson, HC Arthur Smith

Key departures: WR Julio Jones (trade), OL Alex Mack, RB Todd Gurley, RB Ito Smith, S Ricardo Allen

The Falcons situation is eerily similar to what is going on in Las Vegas for me. A decent/good offense that didn’t really add much this offseason, a quarterback on their last chance (Matt Ryan & Derek Carr), lost a weapon at the receiver position (Nelson Agholor & Julio Jones), and both had awful defenses against the pass last year (Falcons 32nd & Raiders 26th). Obviously Nelson Agholor will never get even close to Julio Jones level but both put up similar stat lines last year, with Agholor scoring five more touchdowns and just over 120 more yards. New coach Arthur Smith is coming from having great success in Tennessee with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tanehill. First-round pick Kyle Pitts became the highest ever selection for a tight end, and I anticipate him to be up there in the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year if he stays healthy. For me the defense just isn’t there yet and they are not good enough to make the playoffs, especially in the NFC South. Maybe after they get Spencer Rattler or Sam Howell in the draft this year, then they’ll be on the right track. They are still trying to escape the ghosts of “28-3”.

2021 Record: 4-13

NFC South 2021 Predictions

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 14-3
2. Carolina Panthers: 8-9
3. New Orleans Saints: 6-11
4. Atlanta Falcons: 4-13

NFC West

2020 Standings

1. Seattle Seahawks: 12-4
2. Los Angeles Rams: 10-6
3. Arizona Cardinals: 8-8
4. San Fransisco 49ers: 6-10

1. Seattle Seahawks

Key additions: TE Gerald Everett, OL Gabe Jackson (trade), WR D’Wayne Eskridge (draft), EDGE Aldon Smith

Key departures: CB Shaquill Griffin, CB Quinton Dunbar, WR David Moore, TE Jacob Hollister

I probably got a couple grey hairs from trying to predict this division. Ultimately, I had to go with the quarterback who is absolutely incredible in the regular season and then sadly disappears come playoff time. Russell Wilson. He went insane last year, throwing for 40 touchdowns and just over 4,200 passing yards. The connection between him and D.K. Metcalf grew incredibly, with Metcalf racking in 83 catches for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. With the loss of corner Shaquill Griffin the Seahawks will have to rely on Jamaal Adams, Tre Flowers, and new signing Ahkello Witherspoon to hold down the fort after the team finished 31st in pass defense last year. This first place prediction does depend on one factor though, the Seahawks fixing the contract situation with left tackle Duane Brown. Brown is Wilson’s blind-side protector and arguably Seattle’s best lineman. It’s going to be a tough year in the NFC West, and if the Seahawks want to repeat as division champions, they are going to have to figure out Brown’s contract quickly.

2021 Record: 12-5

2. Arizona Cardinals

Key additions: EDGE J.J. Watt, WR A.J. Green, OL Rodney Hudson (trade), CB Malcolm Butler, WR Rondale Moore (draft), RB James Conner

Key departures: CB Patrick Peterson, WR Larry Fitzgerald (retirement), RB Kenyan Drake, TE Dan Arnold

Now this is a bold take. Look at the picture above of the muscle hamster that is Kyler Murray. I believe in this team. The news from the Cardinals training camp is that Kyler has taken an even bigger step in his development this year and has been connecting well with new wideout A.J. Green. I have the same prediction for Rondale Moore as I do for Elijah Moore. With all the attention going towards DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and Christian Kirk expect Moore to have a breakout season. He’s the perfect receiver for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, a great technical route runner with explosive speed (4.29 40-yard dash). With Kenyan Drake gone running back Chase Edmonds is ready to take on the starting spot and I think he’ll be a great player this year, especially with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. With the young defense highlighted by Chandler Jones, Budda Baker, and Isaiah Simmons expect the Cardinals to surprise the league this year.

2021 Record: 11-6

3. Los Angeles Rams

Key additions: QB Matthew Stafford (trade), WR DeSean Jackson, WR Tutu Atwell (draft)

Key departures: QB Jared Goff (trade), S John Johnson III, LB Samson Ebukam, CB Troy Hill, TE Gerald Everett, DL Michael Brockers

This may be a surprise to a lot of people, since I’ve seen some put the Rams in the Super Bowl in their offseason predictions. However, newly acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford (in my humble opinion) is a little overrated. Yes he’s a good quarterback with an insane arm and the ability to make some crazy throws, but we have to look at his career. He is 33 years old, going into his 13th NFL season, with only one playoff appearance. One. Now I know that football is a team game and isn’t always his fault, I mean he did play for the Lions. However, I don’t know if he is the “big step” that everyone in the football community are claiming him to be. The Rams also lost several key players on the defensive side of the ball in John Johnson III, Samson Ebukam, and Michael Brockers. They also lost their coordinator Brandon Staley, who led them to the leagues best defense last year, as he became the Chargers head coach. The worst of them all was running back Cam Akers tearing his achilles in July, ruling him out for the 2021 season. Akers is a promising young talent that ran for 131 yards on 28 carries in the Rams upset victory over the Seahawks in the wildcard round last year. I like the Rams, this is no hate towards them. Sean McVay is a great coach who has the ability to rally his guys behind him. I think they’ll just sneak in to that wildcard spot this year. Do I think they are going to go anywhere past the divisional round? Doubtful. We’ll see how things pan out in LA.

2021 Record: 10-7

4. San Fransisco 49ers

Key additions: QB Trey Lance (draft), LB Samson Ebukam, OL Alex Mack, RB Trey Sermon (draft)

Key departures: DL Solomon Thomas, WR Kendrick Bourne, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, WR Marquise Goodwin

I don’t know at this point. Should I just hop on the Trey Lance hype train now or do I wait for Jimmy Garoppolo to play six mediocre weeks before Lance wins the job. I mean look at this throw.

This throw from Trey Lance 👀👀 @treylance09 @THE2ERA

(via @49ers)pic.twitter.com/SjIBzB0hRW

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) August 7, 2021

Listen, I like the 49ers. They have great depth on both sides of the ball. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are arguably the most underrated duo in the league right now at the wide receiver position. When healthy, Raheem Mostert is a problem at running (refer to 2020 NFC Championship against Green Bay). And they’ll be getting back former defensive rookie of the year Nick Bosa from a season-ending ACL injury last year. However, here’s what I think is going to happen. Despite all the hype, the Niners will sit Lance for at least the first five weeks of the season. Then they’ll insert him in the fourth quarter of week 6 when Garoppolo throws three picks. Lance will do well, but not well enough for the win forcing Shanahan to go back to Jimmy G as starter. Week 8 will be the week that Lance officially gets the starting job, however in the NFC West, it’ll already be too late. If the Niners are smart enough to play Lance earlier in the season then they might have a chance of making the playoffs. Like I said earlier, this is the best division in football making it very hard to predict so don’t be surprised if my predictions are completely off. However, I can’t wait to see Trey Lance in an NFL game throwing to Deebo and Aiyuk.

2021 Record: 7-10

2021 NFC West Predictions:

1. Seattle Seahawks: 12-5
2. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6 (wildcard)
3. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7 (wildcard)
4. San Fransisco 49ers: 7-10

NFC Playoff Teams

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 14-3
2. Green Bay Packers: 13-4
3. Seattle Seahawks: 12-5
4. Dallas Cowboys: 10-7
5. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6 (wildcard)
6. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7 (wildcard)
7. Washington Football Team: 9-8 (wildcard)

And there we have it ladies & gentlemen. My 2021 NFL predictions. I hope to be able to keep uploading articles as the season goes. I am extremely excited for this season and I can’t wait to see how teams like the Patriots, Browns, Ravens, & Cardinals do this year. I will be uploading a 2021 Premier League predictions article very soon, along with a “songs I’m listening to” article as well. I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time. Now it’s time to wait for September 9th, where the Cowboys will be traveling to Tampa to take on the defending champion Buccaneers to open the season. Until next time this is YSN, signing out.