One Early Prediction for Each NFL Team’s 2021 Season

By: NFLHeads

    With the NFL season coming to a close, every team’s record has more or less been decided, and their playoff situations have been made clear. With the information we know, it is time to make some predictions about the coming year. So without further ado, let’s get started. One big prediction for each team.

Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray will lead the Cardinals to a deep playoff run

No team has quite the same potential as the Arizona Cardinals, and I believe the offseason will be massively helpful for Murray’s development. Murray will be able to rally the Cardinals to an NFC West title, and lead them deep into the playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons will be forced to move on from Matt Ryan by the end of next year

Ryan has been showing wear and tear over the past year, and in a league where quarterbacks are becoming more and more mobile, Ryan simply no longer fits in with the new breed. In addition, Ryan has not been his normal self in 2020, and I think this will hurt the Falcons in 2020.

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens will once again reach their 2019 state

The Ravens have shown massive improvement down the stretch, especially considering their utilization of Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards, and JK Dobbins. The Ravens also have a great defense that will be able to back up any mistakes the offense happens to make.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills will be the team to beat in the AFC
No quarterback has improved each year more than Josh Allen, this defense has moved at an inordinately fast pace this year, and even though they have shown inconsistency against good teams, I believe another offseason will do the Bills a world of good. The Bills will be the team to challenge the Chiefs, and maybe, God willing, they will be the one to succeed.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers will be the surprise winner of the NFC South

With the Falcons fading, and the Saints and Buccaneers being lost in quarterback confusion, the Panthers will lead their young spunky team to an NFC South division win with Teddy Bridgewater as a game manager. This of course is all reliant upon the Panthers defense showing improvement over the offseason.

Chicago Bears: 2021 will be Matt Nagy’s last year as the Chicago head coach

This is not to say that the Bears will be completely demolished in 2020, but I think if they are a middling team again then the organization will decide that Nagy is not what the Bears need to succeed.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals will finish with ten or more wins

The Bengals have shown some improvement down the stretch, even with the loss of the face of their franchise Joe Burrow for the year. As long as the front office fixes that horrendous offensive line, the Bengals have a really good shot to be competitive. 

Cleveland Browns: The Browns will have a top 10 draft pick in 2022

To be honest, I am a little amazed that the Browns have amassed double digit wins this year, with the Bengals on the upswing, and the Steelers and Ravens in the division, the Browns will have to regress at least a little bit. This, plus all of the Browns inconsistencies leads me to believe that a regression is at store.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys will be the team to beat in the NFC

I hope the NFL community is ready for a Bills-Cowboys Super Bowl rematch because that’s what I think is liable to happen. Dak Prescott did more than enough to show that he is a top 7 NFL quarterback, and when he is healthy the Cowboys are very frisky.

Denver Broncos: The Broncos will trade for Carson Wentz and get disappointed

To put some pressure on the slowly fading Drew Lock, the Broncos will bring in some good competition in Wentz. Unfortunately, as Lock fades away, Wentz will also fade off and post one of the worst statistical seasons in recent memory.

Detroit Lions: Stafford will come in revitalized, and the Lions will have a winning season

Matthew Stafford has been stuck on a crummy team for his whole career, but I believe the time for that to end is close at hand. The Lions have Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and TJ Hockenson to utilize. In addition, the Lions finally got rid of the worst coach in the NFL, which boosts the Lions chances of success.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers defense will finally become a dominant force

The Packers will likely become a rich man’s Pittsburgh Steelers, effective offense and top 3 defense. The Packers have the Smith wall (Preston and ZaDarius), and Jaire Alexander who is really legitimizing himself as a shutdown cornerback.

Houston Texans: The Texans will not get rid of JJ Watt

To be quite honest I cannot figure out what the most likely outcome will be for the 2021 Houston Texans, so I figure the best thing to do is put Texans fans at ease by telling them that the best player to step through the Texans door is not going to be leaving anytime soon.

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts will be forced to give up an elite talent in the 2021 Draft

Philip Rivers has made it mildly clear that this is his last year in the NFL, and unfortunately I do not think that the Colts draft position is going to help matters. The premier quarterbacks are likely going to go early, which means the Colts will have to trade up. The Colts will have to give up a blue chip talent to move up in the draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars: DJ Chark will have a massive breakout year

Chark attack! DJ Chark was a beast in 2019, and got shut down in 2020 due to inept play from the quarterback position. Once that play solidifies one way or another, Chark will be able to fully develop and dominate the field.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs will escape the regular season with a perfect record

Patrick Mahomes is the best professional athlete in the history of sports, and it is going to show in his 2021 showing. Even though they might barely miss the Super Bowl, I believe they will kick off the first 18 game season by going 17-0.

Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders will end up with a different starting quarterback by midseason

No I have no idea who that quarterback will be, but I think Carr is a progress stopper. He is not consistent enough to get the black and silver any kind of reasonable success. The Raiders will finish off the season right around the middle, but ending strong with a different quarterback.

Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert will have a massive sophomore slump

You thought Baker’s falloff was bad? You haven’t seen crap yet. I attribute this falloff to the fact that Herbert has not yet found out how to win close games with good surrounding talent. This will turn out to be a problem, and Herbert will experience a recession.

Los Angeles Rams: The Rams will start a trend of getting nine wins

The Rams are stuck in a similar purgatory as the Raiders, Jared Goff is a bit of a progress stopper surrounded by a good team. They are going to be the next version of the Tennessee Titans.

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa will have a breakout year

Something that is being lost in the shuffle is that the Dolphins had some offensive opt outs due to COVID-19. This added to an offseason of training will make Tua a force to be reckoned with.

Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins will be gone

Not just replaced, Kirk Cousins will not be a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins keeps on running out his welcome in Minnesota, and he keeps losing games in big spots. At some point the organization will get fed up with this and make a big move, and I believe that time is fast approaching.

New England Patriots: The Pats will move on right back to the playoffs

The Pats have a very excellent history of grooming talent, and once they get the star power that left due to COVID back, the Pats will again reach a winning record, and a wild card berth with the best head coach in the NFL.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints will have double digit losses

The Saints are a team without a quarterback, and they will be even worse off when Drew Brees leaves, which is probably soon. The Saints are screwed, and should no longer be considered an NFC superpower.

New York Giants: The offense will start to get humming

The Giants are already incredibly injured, particularly on offense. Once they are all back and at full strength they will be a very high scoring offense. Finally people will start looking at Danny Dimes as a competitor and not as a bust.

New York Jets: The Jets will keep Gase for consistency

Adam Gase has come under fire for being a bad coach, but I think it is possible that the Jets would like to save face and keep Gase around just to see if he has a high ceiling. This may not be the right move, but it is the move the Jets will want to make.

Philadelphia Eagles: The quarterback struggles will continue

The Eagles have not been able to properly utilize their quarterback position, and even with Jalen Hurts playing so well I can see the Eagles staring down the barrel of a recession in quarterback play.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers will make Bud Dupree one of the highest paid defensive players in the NFL

The Steelers have a great defensive roster, but one of its centerpieces is going to free agency this year. Good front offices hold on to good players, and that is exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to do. Dupree will have such a massive contract that people will be touting him as one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy G will save his job

Garoppolo has dealt with injuries the last three years, but I believe he is ready to recapture his elite play that he so briefly showed in 2017. The Boy Who Would be Brady will play very well in 2021, securing the NFC West and his job.

Seattle Seahawks: The kitchen Russ is cooking is will burst into flames

Russ has spent far too long carrying this offense on his back, and I think it is going to catch up to him, particularly in light of how poorly the defense has been playing. The Seahawks are going to embarrass next year with a losing record, and I would not be expecting an MVP season in 2021.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs hype train will slow down, but not stop

The Bucs are probably not going to stick with TB12 in 2021, and that will leave lots of room for change in Tampa. This is going to slow down the Bucs quite a bit, but with Arians at the helm I would count on late breaking success from this talented team.

Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry will leave the all time rushing record in the dust

Derrick Henry runs with a power and a fierceness that defenses have nightmares trying to figure out how to control. The Titans are going to run Henry into the ground so much that he is going to crack 2500 yards in 2021, get excited folks.

Washington Football Team: Cue Zach Wilson Cinderella run

Zach Wilson is one of the more intriguing prospects in the league, and I believe Riverboat can make him run a fast, aggressive offense to complement the staunch defense featuring Chase Young.