Way too Early NFL Playoff Predictions

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Credit: NFL.com

Brandon McEwen, Sports

As the 2020-2021 NFL season comes to a close with the Bucs humiliating the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, everyone can predict that next season will be quite entertaining. We got a stacked group of young quarterbacks coming out of the AFC, with most of the old, great veteran quarterbacks still in the NFC, with no sight of retirement, except for Brees. This past season, a collection of young and old players missed almost the entire season, such as Saquon, Dak, and young star, Joe Burrow. These are just a few of the players that can make or break a team, and they will be looking for a comeback season like no other. As for the playoffs, the league still has seven teams in each conference making it, with only the first seed getting a first-round bye, which I am not a fan of, but I digress. 

    Starting off with the AFC East, I am taking the Bills with zero hesitation. Josh Allen is a top five quarterback with a cannon of an arm, while still being able to run over defenders. Even though Josh Norman is washed up, their defense was and is still going to be top three in the league. For the AFC West, picking anyone but the Chiefs sounds idiotic, but I am going to. I got the Justin Herbert led Chargers stealing the division. The Chiefs o-line is a mess, the honey badger is overrated, and Kelce and Tyreek are simply just going to decrease in production. In the AFC North, coming off a year as one of the most competitive divisions of all time, I am finally going to believe in the Browns hype. Chubb is a behemoth of a man, Baker can somewhat throw on target now, their secondary is finally on the same page, and they have a great, young coach, who I presume will be there for the next decade. Regardless of what Pittsburgh will do in the offseason with Ben “can’t run without getting hurt” Roethlisberger, they’ll still be around ten wins. The Ravens, led by their middle-of-the-road quarterback (running back) Lamar Jackson, will also be around ten wins. Cinci may get to .500, but in all honesty, they probably won’t. In the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts with Carson Wentz and Johnathon Taylor will lead them to 12+ wins. Tennessee is still going to be up there in wins, Houston is going to be straight garbage without Deshaun Watson, and the Trevor Lawrence led Jags may be able to compete for a wild card spot.

    In the NFC East, nothing will drastically change. I see Washington’s defense and legend in the making, Taylor Heinicke, leading them to secure the division again with about nine wins, but I can’t envision the Giants, Cowboys, or Eagles changing enough to get over .500. As for the NFC West, I believe all four teams will be over .500. Russel Wilson is a silent murderer. He isn’t as amusing as Patty or consistent as Rodgers, yet he still led his mediocre team to twelve wins last season. Arizona is dangerous. With the top receiver in the league, a top ten quarterback, and a top ten defense, they can go far. San Fran is a threatening team with their defense and above average offense, but the team that stands out the most to me is the LA Rams. Stafford is going to have an MVP season with a dangerous receiving core, and their defense is still going to be top three, with the best corner in the league, Jalen Ramsey. My hot take of this article is that the LA Rams will have the best record in the league. Continuing on with the NFC North, the Packers aren’t going anywhere. Yes, they’ll probably lose Aaron Jones, but they still are going to have the best quarterback-receiver duo in the league. Vikings, Lions, and Bears are all going to sub-par seasons. In the NFC South, there will be no competition for Brady and the Bucs. Saints are still like 100 mil in the hole, Teddy Bridgewater is not taking the Panthers anywhere near the playoffs, and the once explosive Atlanta offense is over.