#9 Tennessee Titans:
2020 record: 11-5-0
2021 record prediction: 12-5-0
The Tennessee Titans had a decent defense a few seasons ago that aided them to a playoff appearance and victory in 2017-2018, and they had a top 15 defense in their playoff run in 2019. However, their defense in 2020 was abysmal and seemingly could not stop any offense. The big question mark for the Titans coming into this season is still their defense. If the Titans are able to prove they are a top 15 or even a top 20 defense in the league, then they can make a deep playoff run and cause some damage in the AFC. In order to cover up some weaknesses on their defense, they drafted a cornerback, Caleb Farley, with their first round pick to replace Adoree Jackson and Malcolm Butler, who were lost in free agency this offseason. They also acquired cornerback Janoris Jenkins and defensive end Bud Dupree during free agency, and they are definite leaders for the Titans defense heading into the regular season. They also have a few young players that will have an extra year of experience: cornerback Kristian Fulton, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and linebackers Jayon Brown and Harold Landry III. A majority of their defense is relatively young, but I expect them to start coming together as more of a unit this year because they have had a couple years to figure out each other’s playstyles. If the Titans defense can slightly improve, then their offense will be able to lead them to an AFC South crown, especially since they replaced wide receiver Corey Davis with Julio Jones. The Titans offense is loaded with talent in almost every position. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill will have numerous targets to throw to including: A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, Josh Reynolds, and a solid tight end in Anthony Firkser. Not only do they have a potent passing attack, but they also have Derrick Henry, who is one of the best running backs in the league. Additionally, their offensive line is coming into the season fully healthy, including star left tackle Taylor Lewan returning from injury. As long as the Titans can avoid injury to their star players, especially Derrick Henry, they are definitely going to have a solid 2021 campaign.
#10 Indianapolis Colts:
2020 record: 11-5-0
2021 record prediction: 11-6-0
The Indianapolis Colts had a top 10 defense last season, which carried them to the playoffs. They had decent play from Philip Rivers last season as he threw 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but that is not elite enough play to lead a team on a playoff run. As seen in years past, elite quarterback play is what ultimately takes you to the promised land, and Rivers was not able to step up his game during the playoffs. However, he retired this offseason, and the Colts acquired Carson Wentz to replace him. Wentz has had a rollercoaster of a career due to his injuries and inconsistent play. He was selected to the Pro Bowl his second year in the league, but has not been selected for the past three years. Last season he regressed a lot in comparison to his previous years, but the Colts have reunited him with Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator he had during his best season with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Colts defense has a bunch of talent, both young and old, that will continue to perform at an elite level during the upcoming season. The big question mark for the Colts is their quarterback situation. If Wentz can revert back to how he played during the Eagles 2017 super bowl winning season, then the Colts might even go on a super bowl run themselves. However, I think he will perform much like Philip Rivers, and it will be a repeat of the 2020 season. They will be a tough battle in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and may even win in the first round, but I do not believe they can win the AFC South over the Titans.
#11 Dallas Cowboys:
2020 record: 6-10-0
2021 record prediction: 8-9-0
Even though the Cowboys lost their star quarterback, Dak Prescott, to injury last season, they still found themselves one game away from winning the NFC East. Since Prescott is coming back from injury this season, I think they will win the underwhelming NFC East. I do not see how any of the teams in the NFC East have improved by much, except some of their starters coming back from injury. I expect the Cowboys offense to perform much better this season because they have a lot of firepower, including: CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott, Blake Jarwin, and Michael Gallup. Prescott has shown the ability to be a quality quarterback in the league, including a pair of Pro Bowl seasons. The Cowboys roster has been immensely talented since drafting Prescott and Elliott, but they have not been able to get over the hump. Since it is the Dallas Cowboys, I do not want to put too much faith into them, which is why I have predicted an 8-9-0 performance this season. They could go 10-7-0 or 6-11-0, but I think they will find the wins needed to take the division crown. They have a talented defense, it just depends on if they can stay healthy and give 100% effort while on the field. It seemed as though their defense gave up, especially when Prescott was injured during the first half of the season. Since Prescott is back in the lineup, I think the defense will perform much better than in 2020 and do enough to get the job done.
#12 Washington Football Team:
2020 record: 7-9-0
2021 record prediction: 7-10-0
The Washington Football Team showed some signs of life during their 2020 campaign, especially on the defensive side of the ball. With the emerging star, Chase Young, getting some playoff experience last year, I think the Washington Football Team has a bright future. However, I think it might take until the 2022 season for them to piece everything together. Ryan Fitzpatrick being your starting quarterback is a blessing and a curse because he is capable of single handedly winning you games and single handedly losing you games. He is not afraid to throw the ball into tight windows, which can lead to some miraculous touchdowns, or boneheaded interceptions. Fitzpatrick is a mediocre starting quarterback, and I think they need to draft a franchise quarterback if they want to take the next step as a franchise. While they could win the division again this year, I think their schedule is a bit too difficult to find more than seven winnable games.
#13 New York Giants:
2020 record: 6-10-0
2021 record prediction: 7-10-0
One major win for Giants fans this year is the fact that Saquon Barkley will finally be playing again. He was injured for the entire season after only playing in the first two games of the 2020 campaign. Barkley rushed for over 1000 yards his first two seasons in the league, and last year was his first injury concern. He is definitely the most important part of the Giants offense, and if he gets injured again, I do not see the Giants performing any better than last year. Their quarterback, Daniel Jones, noticeably regressed from his rookie season to last season. He barely threw more touchdowns than interceptions in 2020, and I think fans will turn on him if he performs like he did last year. However, the Giants do not have a suitable backup if he performs suboptimally this season, so they are pretty much stuck with him for the whole year. The wide receiver talent is one of the best things about the Giants roster, as they have Sterling Shephard, Darius Slayton, and Kenny Golladay. They even have decent backups to their three starting receivers, as they have Kadarius Toney who showed flashes of greatness in his college days at Florida. The Giants also acquired some defensive pieces during the offseason, including two former Tennessee Titan players: Logan Ryan and Adoree Jackson. However, they were a part of the lackluster 2020 Titan defense, which does not make me feel confident in their ability to improve the Giants defense. Unless Daniel Jones miraculously progresses like Josh Allen did last year, I do not see how the Giants can win many more games than last season.
#14 Denver Broncos:
2020 record: 5-11-0
2021 record prediction: 4-13-0
The Denver Broncos are in complete rebuilding mode, and they do not even have a definite starting quarterback for the regular season, which is already a red flag. If Drew Lock is their starter again this year, there is no way the Broncos are winning more than four games. Lock threw 16 touchdowns last season, but also threw 15 interceptions. However, if Teddy Bridgewater wins the starting job, I can see the Broncos getting six or seven wins this year. Either way, they are still in need of a franchise quarterback and will not be contesting for a playoff spot anytime soon. In fairness, they have a great wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy, who showed a lot of promise during his college days at Alabama and in his rookie year last season. They also had a decent season out of their running back, Melvin Gordon III, who nearly rushed for 1,000 yards last season. So, they are headed in the right direction, but they need to add a few more pieces to return to playoff discussions.
#15 Detroit Lions:
2020 record: 5-11-0
2021 record prediction: 3-14-0
The Detroit Lions had an interesting offseason that included exchanging Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff. Stafford was a consistently good quarterback for the Lions over the course of his twelve year career with the team, but they opted to trade him for Goff, a third round draft pick, and two first round draft picks. Overall, I think Goff is a definite downgrade from Stafford, but it is not a drastic falloff. The Lions have a new head coach that is full of energy, although we will see how long that lasts due to the fact that he is now with the Lions organization. Amon-Ra St. Brown could prove to be a nice weapon for Goff, as he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. However, their wide receiving corps is looking like one of the worst in the league, as none of their receivers had 1,000 yards last year. Their #1 wide receiver is Tyrell Williams, who had one great year in 2016, but has since been average. He has not caught more than 750 receiving yards since that season, which is worrisome for your supposed main target. The Lions roster is still looking extremely difficult, and I do not see how they can improve upon last year when it seems as though they have only gotten worse. One bright spot for the Lions is their running back D’Andre Swift, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his rookie season last year. I expect the Lions to have another losing season and be fighting for a top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
#16 Green Bay Packers:
2020 record: 13-3-0
2021 record prediction: 14-3-0
The Green Bay Packers were on the verge of fighting for last place in their division, but Aaron Rodgers ultimately opted to return to the team for the 2021 season. If he had not returned, the Packers would be looking a lot more like the Lions this year. However, since he has chosen to play for the Packers, I expect them to be right back where they were last season. They still have running back Aaron Jones, and they retained Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling at the wide receiver position. They also added Randall Cobb after losing him a couple years ago. Rodgers had a great rapport with Cobb as they have played numerous seasons together, so adding him back into the roster is a big win for the Packers. The main problem with the Packers was their defense last year, and that seems to still be a major question mark heading into this season. Although they did add a rookie cornerback Eric Stokes via a first round draft pick during the 2021 NFL Draft. However, I do not think one major investment is enough to truly turn this mediocre defense around. Rodgers will easily be able to carry them to a great record and a possible top seed in the NFC, but will he be able to carry them to another Super Bowl? In recent memory, the answer has been no. However, he might have one more miracle run left in him before he is ready to commit to retirement.