One NFL player gambled on multiple NFL games while being unable to play due to mental health concerns. Another NFL player had 24 civil lawsuits filed against him by masseuses for sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Which player received the harsher punishment?
The player suspended for gambling on games is named Calvin Ridley, and he was suspended for the entire upcoming 2022 NFL season. Meanwhile, the player suspended for sexual misconduct is Deshaun Watson, and he has been suspended for 11 games. Interestingly, that punishment was almost a lowly six games, before being appealed and overturned into the current 11-game ruling. One extra punishment in Watson’s case was a $5 million fine, which is certainly going to affect him and his five-year contract for $230 million.
Watson has settled all but one of the civil cases against him, and he has not been charged criminally for sexual misconduct. However, the NFL and NFLPA appointed former judge Sue L. Robinson to discipline Watson. Robinson said that past disciplinary rulings by the NFL forced her to give Watson a lighter punishment than she felt was necessary, as she noted his behavior to be “egregious” and “predatory”. Despite these notions, the NFL and NFLPA settled on an agreement of the 11-game suspension and a $5 million fine.
Soon after the updated punishment for Watson was released to the public, Ridley posted to Twitter indicating that he would not get to see the field until 2023. When talking about Ridley’s suspension, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success, and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league, than upholding the integrity of the game.” Goodell’s quote is interesting to look at after knowing all the information about Watson, as it calls into question whether the integrity of the game is more important than morality.
If Ridley was found to be utilizing inside information or games were compromised due to his betting, then the integrity of the game argument would have a much stronger foundation. However, the NFL noted that there was no evidence of compromised games or the use of inside information. Ridley’s bets did not even include the team he plays for, the Atlanta Falcons. While betting on games is not allowed for NFL players, the fact Ridley was suspended for a year is inexcusable. Ridley’s disappointment with his punishment is understandable, especially since Watson will be allowed to play nearly half the season, despite also breaking the NFL’s code of conduct policy.
It is important to note that Ridley admitted to being in the wrong soon after receiving the suspension. Meanwhile, Watson has both apologized and completely denied the accusations by stating that he had never committed sexual misconduct with any of the women. Therefore, it has made many NFL fans doubt whether he is genuinely sorry for the sexual misconduct, as he has also stated that he had no regrets.
Many fans will struggle to watch the Cleveland Browns play football this year, as they will want to cheer for their team, but they will have to look at Watson as the face of their franchise. Watson’s first NFL action since 2020 came in a preseason game at Jacksonville, and he was experiencing what every away game will be like from now until the end of his career. The Jacksonville fans were chanting, “You sick f—”, which will likely be used more than just that one time.
It is also interesting to note that Watson’s first game back from suspension will be against his former team, the Houston Texans. The NFL might need to worry less about the game’s integrity and ensure they still have moral integrity.
The NFL Draft is an exciting time for all football fans because every General Manager has multiple opportunities to improve their team for the upcoming season, but it completely depends on who they select. In addition to picking new players to join their rosters, General Managers love to trade players and picks in order to receive a higher draft selection.
A majority of Tennessee Titans fans were blindsided by a trade that gave the Philadelphia Eagles an elite wide receiver in A.J. Brown, as the Titans received a first round pick. The main reason for this trade was because of lackluster contract negotiations between the Titans and Brown, but losing such a cornerstone to the franchise for solely a first round pick is going to be concerning for many Titans fans.
It is important to note that the Titans signed Robert Woods from the Los Angeles Rams during this year’s free agency, so the team still has a solid target for Ryan Tannehill. Woods has been a successful receiver during the 2018-2020 seasons, which were his most productive years. However, Woods is 30 years old and coming off of a torn ACL injury that he suffered in November, which will make it difficult to return to his prior form.
Meanwhile, Brown is only 24 years old and has already had two seasons of 1,000 receiving yards in just three years of experience. Brown only missed the benchmark this past season due to missing four games with a lingering hamstring injury. So, going from Brown to Woods as the top receiver option is definitely a downgrade for the Titans.
Since the Titans received a first round pick in this year’s draft in compensation for Brown, the Titans elected to choose former Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks to replace Brown.
Burks entered the draft following a stellar junior year, which showcased him acquiring more than 1,100 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns through just 12 games of action. In half of those games, Burks had more than 100 receiving yards. His most notable game of the season has to be against the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he had 8 receptions for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Although losing Brown was a devastating loss for the Titans, Woods and Burks should be able to help the passing game remain enough of a threat to open up the running game for Derrick Henry.
The rest of the Titans draft definitely had some great selections, as they chose Auburn’s lockdown cornerback Roger McCreary early in the second round. McCreary joins the youthful talent in the Titans secondary: Kevin Byard, Kristian Fulton, and Caleb Farley. Farley was the first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and is returning from a torn ACL, so McCreary will be a great backup in case another dreadful injury occurs.
Interestingly, the Titans picked up a quarterback in the third round of the draft to serve as a backup to Tannehill. Malik Willis transferred from Auburn to Liberty due to the lack of playing time, which was one of the best decisions of his life. Willis had a 62.7% completion percentage, 5,107 passing yards, and 47 passing touchdowns through just 23 games at Liberty. Willis also ran for more than 1,800 yards and 27 touchdowns, which illustrates his passing and rushing prowess.
Another third round selection was an offensive lineman from Ohio State, Nicholas Petit-Frere. Rodger Saffold was a pro bowl offensive lineman for the Titans in 2021, but the Titans lost him in free agency to the Buffalo Bills. So, Petit-Frere should be a solid addition to the offensive line and will probably get a decent amount of playing time this upcoming season.
The last notable selection for the Titans came in the fourth round, as they acquired running back Hassan Haskins. Obviously, Haskins will be serving as a backup to Henry, but Haskins will be a good change-of-pace running back for the Titans this season. Haskins showed the capability to break tackles and outrun defenders in open space while playing for the Michigan Wolverines. Also, Haskins is a nice backup to have because Henry missed a majority of last season with a Jones fracture.
Despite losing Brown to free agency, the Titans should be a playoff caliber team with a chance to do some damage in the playoffs. With the addition of Burks and McCreary, the offense and defense should still be in the higher tiers of the NFL and give them a high chance to compete for first in the AFC South. Although, it is important to note that the Indianapolis Colts are likely favored to win that division because of the upgrades they made during this offseason.
The Houston Texans had a top 15 offense last year, but their defense was ranked 29th in the league. Their defense has not improved whatsoever because they did not have many draft picks to help with any position needs. In addition to their defense remaining one of the worst in the NFL, their offense will also be worse than previous years due to the entire Deshaun Watson situation. Watson is almost certainly not playing this upcoming season, and no one truly knows when he will see another snap in the NFL because the sexual misconduct allegations are drastic. Even if Watson were to return this year, there are numerous rumours of him wanting to leave the Texans due to their lack of success and disorganization in the front office. Although the Texans have Tyrod Taylor to start at quarterback, Taylor is definitely a downgrade from Watson. Watson just had his best season throwing for almost 5,000 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Meanwhile, Taylor has not been a starting quarterback since 2017 with the Buffalo Bills. Not only will he likely be rusty, but he does not have many weapons to rely on when he needs to move the ball. Brandin Cooks is a good wide receiver, as he caught over 1,000 yards last year with the Texans, but he is the only dangerous target for Taylor. Without Watson to will his team to a few victories, I do not see how the Texans can win more than a couple games this year. They will be in the running for a lottery pick for the 2022 NFL Draft, which will be their first opening round draft pick since the 2019 draft, since they lost a lot of draft capital due to various trades conducted by former general manager and head coach Bill O’Brien.
#18 Jacksonville Jaguars
2020 record: 1-15-0
2021 record prediction: 3-14-0
The Jaguars are still far away from returning back to where they were during the 2017-2018 season. Since that year, they lost numerous stars on their defense, which was a major part of their AFC Championship run. They are back to stage one of the rebuilding process, but they theoretically have their franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence looked like a premium talent during his college days at Clemson, but everyone knows the NFL is a completely different animal than college football. The Jaguars had four relatively high draft picks, including two first round and two second round picks during the 2021 NFL Draft. They also acquired Lawrence’s backfield teammate, Travis Etienne, but it looks like the undrafted rookie out of the 2020 draft, James Robinson, will start in the season opener. Robinson had a great year last season as he ran for over 1,000 yards and averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Lawrence will have one decent target in D.J. Chark Jr. to rely on, but the Jaguars could do with another receiving weapon in the near future. I believe the Jaguars are headed in the right direction, and they will be able to get back into playoff conversations a few years from now, but they are still needing to acquire some more talent over the next couple of years.
#19 Pittsburgh Steelers
2020 record: 12-4-0
2021 record prediction: 11-6-0
The Pittsburgh Steelers had an amazing start to the year last season by winning their first eleven games, but they lost four of their last five to end the regular season. They also lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Cleveland Browns, and it was a blowout for a majority of the game. The Steelers will be about the same team as last year. They will still have an elite defense in the NFL, but the question mark is their offensive production. Last year, they were 25th in the league in total offense, which is a major reason for their collapse toward the back half of their 2020 campaign. Ben Roethlisberger is nearing 40 years of age, and the arm strength looked much like Drew Brees at some points during last year. He had pretty good production via his numbers last season, but the Steelers have to think about how much longer he will be able to be a serviceable quarterback in the league. They have Dwayne Haskins as a young backup, but it looks like they will give Roethlisberger at least another season before benching him for Haskins. The Steelers drafted talented running back Najee Harris, which will relieve a lot of pressure off Roethlisberger because they should have a much better rushing attack this season compared to last year. The blocking for the run game was abysmal from the offensive line, but assuming they can block a little bit better, Harris will be able to have decent production his rookie year with the team. The Steelers lost a talented defensive stud in Bud Dupree this offseason, but their defense should still be one of the best in the league. The only reason I predict the Steelers to lose a couple more games this season is due to the fact that they have the most difficult schedule in the entire league. The AFC is a stacked conference and the Steelers are playing in the hardest division within the conference, but they will definitely be fighting for a wild card spot in the playoffs. If they can pull off an upset or two, they will be guaranteed a wild card seed, but it might come down to tiebreakers with the Indianapolis Colts.
#20 Minnesota Vikings
2020 record: 7-9-0
2021 record prediction: 10-7-0
The Minnesota Vikings are the exact opposite of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the Vikings have one of the best offenses, but one of the worst defenses in the league. Looking at the talent on the Vikings offense, the season looks promising for the squad. Kirk Cousins can utilize three different weapons in Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen. Although they had a horrendous defense last season, they have improved immensely on that side of the ball this offseason. Two marquee players to keep your eye on are Patrick Peterson and Xavier Woods, which should help their pass defense. They also acquired a defensive lineman to help with the depth there, and they have a few players returning from injury/opting out of last season. The Vikings have a good chance at making a run for a wild card seed in the NFC, especially with what should be a much improved defense alongside an elite offense. Justin Jefferson had an amazing rookie season, and he will likely take another big step toward becoming a top wide receiver in the league. They do not have a super tough schedule, so I can easily see them attaining double digit wins this season and making the playoff race fun to watch in the final weeks of the season.
#21 New England Patriots
2020 record: 7-9-0
2021 record prediction: 9-8-0
The New England Patriots had a peculiar season in 2020, many of their key defensive players opted out and Cam Newton started at quarterback without being able to spend much time with the team before the start of the season. Newton even had to sit out a game due to contracting COVID-19, and he looked off ever since he returned from the health and safety protocol. After being able to play preseason games and get a full offseason with the team, Newton should be much improved and more confident with the offensive scheme heading into the 2021 season. This may be Newton’s last chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, so he will be giving maximum effort the entire season to show the other 31 teams what he can still achieve. However, being in the AFC is a difficult challenge, so it will be hard to achieve double digit wins this season. I predict they will win just nine games, which is still a couple games away from even getting a wild card spot in the playoffs. Although, I could see them being a sleeper team for the upcoming season because everyone is writing them off as a mediocre team. The Patriots could easily sneak into a wild card spot and win ten or eleven games this year, but it really depends on if their offense can get things going and keep it going all year. Newton will be looking to prove to himself and everyone watching that he still has what it takes to be a good quarterback in the league, so I believe the Patriots will be one of the more interesting teams to watch as the season progresses. The Patriots will likely not make the playoffs, but they are the one team that I think could make a sneaky run into the playoffs this season.
#22 Miami Dolphins
2020 record: 10-6-0
2021 record prediction:11-6-0
The Miami Dolphins are coming off of a great season as they went from 5-11 in 2019 to 10-6 in 2020. Heading into this season, they are going all in on their first round draft pick Tua Tagovailoa as the starter heading into this year. He split time with Ryan Fitzpatrick last season, so there was never a solidified starter for the Dolphins throughout a majority of their 2020 campaign. The Dolphins drafted wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had a rapport with Tagovailoa during their college football days at Alabama. Alongside Waddle, the Dolphins retained DeVante Parker who has been a solid wide receiver that is capable of having 1,000+ yards receiving in a season. Last year, the Dolphins defense was ranked in the top five of the entire league, and they should be about the same or even better for the 2021 season. If Tagovailoa can limit turnovers, then the Dolphins will be in consideration for a wild card spot this year. I predict they will be slightly improved upon last season and find a way to collect eleven wins and their playoff fate will be decided by tiebreakers with the Steelers and Colts. Given the Dolphins were just left out of the playoffs last year despite having double digit wins, I believe they will find a way to make it this year. Their defense will keep them in all of their games, it just depends on if their offense will make enough plays to win the game in the 4th quarter. The only hole is their running back position, but Myles Gaskin averaged over four yards per carry last season, so he should be good enough to get the job done on the ground.
#23 Las Vegas Raiders
2020 record: 8-8-0
2021 record prediction:9-8-0
The Las Vegas Raiders have a pretty good team on paper, but their defense let them down numerous times last season. They were ranked 30th in total defense, and not many teams will have winning seasons with a defense ranked that low. Ever since Khalil Mack was traded from the Raiders to the Bears, the Raiders defense has been porous. Unless the Raiders defense can start firing on all cylinders, I do not see how they achieve double digit wins this season. Their offense was ranked 8th in the league, which is near elite status. Their schedule is ranked the 8th toughest in the league, which also makes it hard to predict 10+ wins for them. They are stacked with talent on the offensive side of the ball: Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs, Henry Ruggs III, Darren Waller, and even Hunter Renfrow. The Raiders offense will likely be ranked in the top 10 again, their entire season depends upon performance of their defense. They have a couple good players on that side of the ball, but they need some key players to step up and make plays whenever they have to get a stop. For this season, I do not see their defense doing much better than in 2020, so I have them performing almost identically to their 2020 campaign.
#24 Los Angeles Chargers
2020 record: 7-9-0
2021 record prediction: 10-7-0 The Los Angeles Chargers ended the 2020 season with four wins in a row, and almost all of their losses were by a single possession. Coming into the 2021 season, I expect a few of those close games to go their way because Justin Herbert will have a full season of experience under his belt. Their strength of schedule is certainly manageable, and I believe they are going to continue the momentum they had at the end of last year. Herbert looked like a franchise quarterback as he threw 31 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions in his rookie season, and I believe he will have similar numbers this year as well. He also has the same targets to throw to as he did last season: Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and they even added Jared Cook for the upcoming season. Cook will be a great addition to the team, and make the offense one of the better one’s in the NFL. The Chargers defense was ranked 20th in the league last season, and if they can improve by just two or three spots, then I believe they can achieve a 10+ win season. I do not believe they will be quite ready to push for a playoff seed, but I think that is a definite possibility heading into the 2022 season. However, the Chargers are a team that will always be a tough outing, even for the top teams in the league. It would not even surprise me if they could steal a game from the Kansas City Chiefs and upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For this season, I believe the Chargers will just spoil playoff hopes for other teams, but 2022 will be their playoff opportunity.
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.
The Arizona Cardinals were a fringe playoff team during the 2020 football season, and their young talent has only gotten better over the past year. They acquired J.J. Watt and Malcolm Butler following their 8-8 season, which helps their already young and talented defense. Watt and Butler are going to be veteran leaders in the locker room for young, core players on the Cardinals defense. Buddha Baker, Isaiah Simmons, and the rookie Zaven Collins will be key pieces for the Cardinals defense and need to show improvement in order for them to reach the playoffs this season. However, I think they will be able to show growth as Baker and Simmons both showed flashes of greatness during the 2020 campaign. Not only do they have young talent, they also have Chandler Jones returning from an injury that made him miss a majority of last year’s season. In addition to their promising defense, the Arizona offense is looking frightening as they have Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk returning for another season. I expect Murray to have a fantastic season, especially since he is coming in fully healthy and the team added A.J. Green to the roster to bolster their receiving core. I expect the Cardinals to make the playoffs as an NFC Wild Card because their division is one of the most competitive in the NFC.
#2 Atlanta Falcons:
2020 record = 4-12-0
2021 record prediction = 4-13-0
The Atlanta Falcons are in complete rebuilding mode, which was evident when they decided to trade star wide receiver Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans for one 2nd round and one fourth round draft pick. Although they added notable tight end, Kyle Pitts, to their roster from the 2021 NFL Draft, they made no other moves to help improve upon their 4-12 season. Outside of the draft, the only notable acquisition would be running back Mike Davis who ran for 642 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Carolina Panthers last season. Apart from that, they acquired wide receiver Tajae Sharpe from the Tennessee Titans, but he did not even have a catch last year in the four games he played. Matt Ryan is 36 years old and is likely nearing the end of his career, and there is not a noteworthy backup on the Falcons roster. He will not be able to perform much better than last year due to the absence of Julio Jones, and it will likely take Kyle Pitts a couple years to truly become a notable tight end in the NFL. Ultimately, it will take the Falcons at least a few years to get back to the Super Bowl team they were just 4 to 5 years ago, so do not expect them to win more than five games this season.
#3 Baltimore Ravens
2020 record:11-5-0
2021 record prediction: 12-5-0
The Baltimore Ravens was a 5 seed wild card team from the AFC last season because the AFC North had three teams with 11+ wins. That division is likely to be the most competitive in the AFC again this season because the Baltimore Ravens will likely only improve alongside the Cleveland Browns. With Lamar Jackson getting another year of experience, including his first career playoff win, I think Jackson will play with much more confidence than in recent memory. Not only will Jackson improve, but he has numerous weapons around him that will continue to develop a rapport with the quarterback: Mark Andrews (TE), Marquis Brown (WR), (Sammy Watkins (WR), J.K. Dobbins (RB). All of the aforementioned players showed that they were quality players over the past year or two, and they will only improve upon what they accomplished last season. The last half of the schedule is definitely more difficult for the Ravens, so I expect them to get out to an 8-2 or 9-1 start, depending on the result of their game against the Indianapolis Colts. Although I think the Cleveland Browns will win the division due to discrepancy in schedule difficulty, the Ravens will be a frightening team to play in the Wild Card Round of the AFC Playoffs. I see them landing a top wild card seed, much like last year and possibly going on a legendary playoff run.
#4 Buffalo Bills
2020 record: 13-3-0
2021 record prediction: 14-3-0
The Buffalo Bills surprised the entire NFL with their breakout season last year. They seemingly came out of nowhere, and Josh Allen performed well above expectations. He nearly doubled his passing touchdown total from 2019 to 2020, and I do not see him regressing going into his fourth year in the league, especially with the major acquisition of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Allen already had a great relationship with wide receiver Stefon Diggs , but adding another lethal weapon to their wide receiving corp will bolster the prominent passing game from last season. Although their division contains the improving Miami Dolphins and renowned New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills looked unstoppable last year… until they ran into the Kansas City Chiefs. I see them handily winning the AFC East for the second straight season and making a deep run into the playoffs.
#5 Carolina Panthers:
2020 record: 5-11-0
2021 record prediction: 6-11-0
The Carolina Panthers are in the same boat as the Atlanta Falcons, and they have been this way since their 2017-2018 playoff appearance. Since that season, the organization has been in complete disarray and have yet to win half of their games in any of the past three seasons. Cam Newton departed to New England, and the Panthers have still not found a definite franchise quarterback to replace him. For now, they have acquired Sam Darnold to see if a change of scenery will help him emerge into a good starting quarterback in the NFL. However, if the Darnold experiment does not work, the Panthers will be back to square one and in need of a capable quarterback to head their offense. The return of Christian McCaffrey is some of the only good news for the Panthers upcoming season, as he missed all but three of their games in the 2020 campaign. He was a major reason the Panthers have been able to win any games over the past few seasons, and he is a much needed weapon for Darnold due to the lack of firepower in the wide receiving corps. If McCaffrey can stay healthy all season, I can see the Panthers winning an extra game or two, but they need to acquire some notable players in the next couple of drafts and free agency windows to cement themselves as a good team in the NFL.
#6 Chicago Bears:
2020 record: 8-8-0
2021 record prediction: 6-11-0
After looking at the Chicago Bears schedule, it was difficult to find six games where they had a decent chance of coming away with a victory. However, they do have a few games where they should be favorites to win, and they have a relatively bad division excluding the Green Bay Packers. The Bears defense is capable of being a playoff team with names like Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Robert Quinn, and Eddie Jackson. Upon looking at the offense the Bears are putting onto the field, you have to wonder how they are going to consistently score points. Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback is already a question mark, but then you look at the weapons he is throwing to, and the only proven receiver is Allen Robinson II. In all fairness, the Bears have drafted Justin Fields, who looked really good in his first preseason action. However, we have to remember that it is a preseason game against most, if not all, backups in the game. Fields definitely has a promising career ahead of him, but the Bears are likely going to stick with Dalton for the first five or six games of the year. Additionally, if Fields sees decent playing time this year, I think he will have a lot of areas to improve, much like Lamar Jackson. After his first two the three years, I think the Bears will be back on track to playoff conversations.
#7 Cincinnati Bengals
2020 record: 4-11-1
2021 record prediction: 5-12-0
Joe Burrow looked like a franchise quarterback for the Bengals last year, but he did get injured at the halfway mark of the season. If the offensive line can protect Burrow for the entire season, then I can see the Bengals improving by a couple of wins this season. However, that is asking a lot from their offensive line because Burrow was taking big hits every other time he dropped back to pass. With the addition of rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase from LSU, I expect Joe Burrow to have a great season and put up top 10 quarterback numbers. In addition to the talented rookie, Burrow has a few other weapons in C.J. Uzomah, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon. All of these weapons have showed why they deserve to be in the starting lineup and can all reach a pro bowl level this year. One major issue with the Bengals is their lackluster defense, they finished in the bottom ⅓ of team defense during the 2020 season. If their defense is able to finish just a few spots better than last year, then I can see the Bengals taking a step forward and getting closer to a respectable record sooner rather than later.
#8 Cleveland Browns:
2020 record: 11-5-0
2021 record prediction: 13-4-0
The Cleveland Browns clinched their first playoff appearance since 2002, while simultaneously winning their first playoff game since 1994 during the 2020 postseason. Looking ahead to the 2021 regular season, I am picking the Cleveland Browns to win the AFC North by a game or two ahead of the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns are a phenomenal team with the best running back tandem in the entire NFL. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt complement each other extremely well because Chubb brings power and strength, while Hunt brings the breakaway speed most defenses struggle to contain. If one of those running backs is having a bad game, the team can always rely on the other back to get the job done and then some. Not only do they have a great running game, but Baker Mayfield has just gotten more and more confidence over the course of his young NFL career, and that will only continue after leading the team to a playoff win. With weapons like Odell Beckham Jr., Rashard Higgins, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and even Donovan Peoples-Jones. They have major depth at the wide receiver position, which will help Mayfield immensely. Not only is their offense great, but they have great players on defense to help make plays and keep them in games when needed. Myles Garrett is the most notable of these players, but they also added a struggling Jadaveon Clowney to try and resurrect career that was once full of promise. They also have Denzel Ward in the secondary to try and lead the unit behind Garret and Clowney. The Browns have a chance to win six or more in a row after possibly losing the season opener to the Kansas City Chiefs, which will be needed as the Ravens can go on a similar run.
This season has been an unpredictable rollercoaster with the numerous COVID-19 outbreaks, but the NFL playoffs have finally arrived.
The layout of the playoffs is a little bit different because they added an extra wild card team and only the #1 seed from each conference attains a bye week. So, the Chiefs and the Packers are the only playoff teams bypassing the first round of the playoffs.
It seems like there are multiple teams that could make a run to the Super Bowl this year, especially with four 11-5 teams making the playoffs in the AFC. The AFC playoffs are so deep this year that the 10-6 Miami Dolphins couldn’t make it.
All in all, these playoffs should be entertaining and fun to watch. As the NFL Wild Card games begin this afternoon, and there are some great matchups to watch this weekend. With three games occurring today and three more games tomorrow, here are my betting picks and predictions for the games:
Game: #7 Indianapolis Colts vs #2 Buffalo Bills
Prediction: Bills win and cover the 6.5 points. Also, I’ll take the over on the 51 points. (This game will be close, but the Bills’ hot streak looks too good to be stopped in the first round of the playoffs.)
Game: #6 Los Angeles Rams vs #3 Seattle Seahawks
Prediction: Seahawks win and cover the 3 points. Also, I’ll take the under on the 42 points (Both matchups in the regular season were under 42 total points.)
Game: #5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs #4 Washington Football Team
Prediction: Buccaneers win and cover the 8 points. Also, I’ll take the over on the 44.5 points (I expect the game to be close in the first half, then the Buccaneers pull away in the second half.)
Game: #5 Baltimore Ravens vs #4 Tennessee Titans
Prediction: PIcking my first upset so far, Titans get the win against the Ravens at home. Also, I’ll take the over on the 54.5 points because of the porous Titans defense, although the over/under will be very close. (Their regular season matchup scored a total of 54 points.)
Game: #2 New Orleans Saints vs #7 Chicago Bears
Prediction: I’ll take the Saints to win, but the Bears will cover the 10 points. Also, I’ll take the under on the 47.5 points. (Neither offense looks effective on a weekly basis, but the Saints defense is one of the best in the playoffs. Bears should be able to keep it somewhat close throughout the game though.)
Game: #3 Pittsburgh Steelers vs #6 Cleveland Browns
Prediction: I’ll take the Browns to upset the Steelers on the road, and I’ll take the under on the 47.5 points. (The Steelers have looked awful the past month, except for the second half against the Colts in week 15. For some reason, they rested in week 16, so I expect them to come out slow against the Browns which will punish them in the end.
