Year after year, the picture of the NFL playoffs looks different. It sounds obvious, but too often we assume that the competitors from the previous season will return to the mix. In reality, everything is unpredictable - division winners, wild card competitors, Super Bowl favorites. In addition, we have decided to rank each of the top 2021 teams from the most vulnerable to the least vulnerable entering the 2021 campaign.
Who will most likely keep the crown of their division? Who is most likely to lose it? Here is our summary, from the most poignant to the strongest:
1. Bengals (AFC North)
2021 record: 10-7 | A series of titles in the division: 1 season
It’s not that we’re down in Bengal. Joe Burrow and their playmakers are the real thing, and they wisely addressed the O-line. The defense is also underestimated. But they have a difficult schedule with an absolutely brutal ending (their last eight are against the projected playoff teams), and the division is always tight. It would be a surprise if at least two of their rivals are not vying for the title; The Ravens should be much healthier, the Steelers are never losers under Mike Tomlin, and the Browns still have a lot of talent.
2021 record: 12-5 | A series of titles in the division: 1 season
When was the last time Dallas delivered a hippie? The answer is in 1990, which is the last time they announced consecutive seasons with double-digit victories. Meanwhile, NFC East did not have a multiple champion from 2001-2004. The Giants are completely in transition, and the commanders are still unstable with Carson Venc, who is now under the center, but the Eagles seem ready to make the jump, and the Cowboys, despite the players on both sides, still have questions in front of them.
3. Titans (AFC South)
2021 record: 12-5 | A series of titles in the division: 2 seasons
Tennessee is the perfect mediator here. Mother Sparrow’s team is always strong, and they are still built to win at the end of the year, and Derrick Henry returned healthy. Malik Willis’ entry into KB could also provoke something below the center, either as a motivation for Ryan Tannehill or as an electric successor. And there is the South, which could have another challenger in the Colts, led by Matt Ryan, but also hosting Jaguars who are recovering and unfortunate Texans. The concern is that they have already reached their ceiling.
4. Chiefs (AFK West)
2021 record: 12-5 | A series of titles in the division: 6 seasons
Andy Reed and Patrick Mahomes feel a bit like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in that as long as they’re together in Kansas City, it seems silly to bet on a division title; The Chiefs have won at least 10 games in seven consecutive seasons. But if you’re ever going to anticipate a small step backwards, why not now? Their schedule is difficult, they will adjust after Tyrick Hill, and even if the new-looking Raiders do not meet expectations, the Broncos and Chargers should be legitimate rivals given their KB stars.
5. Rams (NFC West)
2021 record: 12-5 | A series of titles in the division: 1 season
Usually the West is quite open, but there are bigger issues than usual with all three rivals: The Cardinals have a brutal schedule, not to mention some KB drama at the base; The 49ers may be turning the keys to the unproven Trey Lance; and the Seahawks will ask Geno Smith and / or Drew Locke to replace Russell Wilson. The Rams department is if they want to, as long as Matthew Stafford plays smart and relies on his All-Pro help during their hard work.
6. Packers (NFC North)
2021 record: 13-4 | A series of titles in the division: 3 seasons
It is true to be a little skeptical about their chances of going the distance now that Davante Adams is gone, and Aaron Rogers will theoretically have to work a little harder to score the points he wants. But he and Matt LaFleur have not won less than 13 games in the season since they teamed up, and their defense has more advantages. Perhaps more importantly, Bears and Lions are on the right track to be something more than pushing. Only the Vikings look like a potential threat, and they are adapting to completely new staff.
7. Accounts (AFC East)
2021 record: 11-6 | A series of titles in the division: 2 seasons
The Josh Allen effect. KB does not affect every race in the divisions, but in this case they do. Alena plus Buffalo’s side team ready for the playoffs is just as explosive as anything in Miami, New England and New York. Sean McDermott’s defense should also be equally stingy. That doesn’t mean that Dolphins or Jets won’t be better, or that Belichik’s Patriots won’t play spoiler. But the Bills have been flirting with a real title fight for several seasons, and their lineup is still deadly.
2021 record: 13-4 | A series of titles in the division: 1 season
Look no further than the man below the center. Ever since Tom Brady returned from “retirement”, they have become a story about the NFC, if not the NFL. The transition from Bruce Arian to Todd Bowls on the sidelines is an underestimated X-factor, but Brady is still in his best years at 44, and his weapon remains elite. Meanwhile, the Saints are behaving as if they are still in dispute, but they have questions in KB and the coach, the Panthers are in the same boat, and the Falcons may have the worst list in the league.