The 2021 NFL agenda was once launched on Wednesday.
Can quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers repeat as champs?
Brady will kick off the NFL season Thursday, Sept. 9, with the Dallas Cowboys on the Buccaneers. ESPN’s Monday Night Football opener is Sept. 13 and can characteristic the Las Vegas Raiders webhosting the Baltimore Ravens (8:15 p.m. ET).
Based on energy of agenda — which is decided by way of warring parties’ data in 2020 — the Philadelphia Eagles, Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons have the perfect schedules of the 2021 season, whilst the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ravens and Chicago Bears have the hardest.
The NFL will alternate its agenda for the primary time in 44 years, increasing to 17 regular-season video games. The ultimate regular-season video games shall be performed Jan. 9, 2022. The playoffs will start Jan. 15, 2022, and proceed via Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022, at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.
Here’s a daring prediction for each crew following the agenda free up. Click at the hyperlinks to peer the overall agenda and extra research.
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC EAST
Is it nonetheless daring to mention the Bills will win their 2d immediately AFC East identify? Probably no longer, so let’s pass bolder. I mentioned they might sweep the department closing season and so they did so, regardless of a nail-biter or two. How about this: Buffalo does so once more in 2021. That’s proper, two years with out shedding a department game. You heard it right here first. Read extra from Marcel Louis-Jacques
Despite the wish to get started robust, the Dolphins shall be 1-3 after 4 video games. That get started shall be an excessive amount of to triumph over, and the Dolphins will omit the playoffs. Read extra from Kevin Seifert
The Patriots shall be 3-0 getting into their Week 4 matchup towards Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, who can also be 3-0 getting into the game — additional heightening the hype and pleasure for what guarantees to be probably the most memorable nights in Gillette Stadium historical past. Read extra from Mike Reiss
New trainer, new quarterback, new offensive scheme, new defensive scheme, just about new the whole lot — and that’s the reason a excellent factor since the previous manner stunk. But there shall be rising pains, various rising pains, so the Jets are headed to a 6-11 season. Vegas has it proper. Read extra from Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
The Ravens will sweep their December department highway journeys to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati. How daring is that this? The Ravens have long gone undefeated at the highway within the AFC North most effective two times (2011 and 2019). But Lamar Jackson has proven that he performs his absolute best on the finish of the steady season. He has gained his previous 11 begins in December, generating a league-high Total QBR (78.5) and scoring probably the most overall touchdowns (31). Read extra from Jamison Hensley
Cincinnati will win no less than two video games towards the NFC North and the AFC North. That aggregate will have to be sufficient to stay the Bengals’ playoff hopes afloat as they input December. Read extra from Ben Baby
In a rematch from closing 12 months’s divisional playoffs, the Browns will knock off Kansas City for simply their 2d season-opening victory since returning to the NFL in 1999 (Cleveland defeated Baltimore to start the 2004 season). The Browns have no longer gained a game in Week 1 since, falling to the Ravens 38-6 closing 12 months within the opener. Read extra from Jake Trotter
The Steelers will pass 0-4 to finish the season and omit the playoffs in 2021. The crew suffered a late-season stoop a 12 months in the past, shedding 4 in their ultimate 5 video games, together with to a woeful Bengals squad. This time round, the Steelers might be going through 4 juggernauts in Tennessee, Cleveland, Kansas City and Baltimore — and two of the ones video games are at the highway. Read extra from Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
The Texans gets swept within the AFC South. Half of the Texans’ 4 wins in 2020 got here towards the Jaguars, who completed closing within the department and ended up with the No. 1 pick out. Jacksonville used that pick out to take quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and his addition could be sufficient to go away the Texans in closing position and 0-6 within the AFC South in 2021. Read extra from Sarah Barshop
The Colts will beat Tom Brady in a game for the primary time since Peyton Manning was once the franchise quarterback. The Colts have misplaced 9 immediately conferences — together with two within the playoffs — to Brady, with every loss happening when he performed with the New England Patriots. Indianapolis hasn’t overwhelmed Brady since Nov. 15, 2009. Read extra from Mike Wells
The Jaguars will finish their eight-year shedding streak in Nashville towards the Titans. (They have not gained there since 2013, which was once Gus Bradley’s first season as trainer.) Why? Because trainer Urban Meyer is incredible in contention video games. He went 16-2 at Florida towards Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State and 7-0 at Ohio State towards Michigan. The Titans are the Jaguars’ greatest rival. Read extra from Michael DiRocco
The Titans will sweep their AFC East warring parties. Going towards the made over Patriots and an progressed Dolphins roster shall be a problem. The greatest danger to the sweep would be the Bills, however they’ve to go back and forth to Nissan Stadium to stand the Titans at domestic. Read extra from Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
Who will line up underneath heart in Week 1? Will Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater compete or will the Green Bay Packers relent and industry Aaron Rodgers? No topic who’s throwing the ball, the Broncos can have two 70-catch broad receivers — Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy — for the primary time since 2016, when Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders completed that season with 90 and 79 catches, respectively. Read extra from Jeff Legwold
The Chiefs would possibly not get off to their standard rapid get started. They have too many robust warring parties within the early season. Five in their first seven video games are towards 2020 playoff groups. Read extra from Adam Teicher
The offense will hum early, the protection is not going to fold past due and the Raiders will win greater than they lose in December and January and, subsidized by way of a raucous home-field merit in a fan-filled Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas will in spite of everything (mercifully?) satisfy trainer Jon Gruden’s imaginative and prescient and qualify for the playoffs. You sought after daring, proper? Read extra from Paul Gutierrez
The Chargers will make the playoffs for the 3rd time since 2009 and beat the two-time protecting AFC champion Chiefs once or more. They will even beat the Raiders and Broncos of their department, environment them up for the postseason. Read extra from Shelley Smith
NFC EAST
The Cowboys will ranking a landing at Gillette Stadium in Week 6. Oh, you do not suppose that is daring sufficient? In their 3 journeys to that stadium since 2003, Dallas has scored one landing in 35 possessions, together with a 13-9 loss there in 2019. In their closing game at Foxboro Stadium, in 1999, the Cowboys failed to attain a landing as smartly, shedding 13-6. So they are due. Read extra from Todd Archer
The Giants will get started 3-0. Yep, you heard it right here first. As lengthy as Denver does not get Aaron Rodgers, its offense is questionable, the Giants have Washington’s quantity and Atlanta is a long way from a world-beater. This shall be large. Getting it going early with a majority of these new guns will do wonders for quarterback Daniel Jones. Read extra from Jordan Raanan
Philadelphia shall be in rivalry for the department identify heading into Week 18. When you play within the NFC East, you are nearly by no means out of it. After all of the turmoil over this previous 12 months, the Eagles can have a possibility to climb again into the postseason with a house win towards Dallas. Read extra from Tim McManus
Washington will give the NFC East its first repeat winner since 2004 — and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will play in his first playoff game. Washington will make the playoffs in consecutive years for the primary time since 1992. Read extra from John Keim
NFC NORTH
Justin Fields would be the beginning quarterback by way of Week 10 — at the most recent. The complete Alex Smith blueprint from Kansas City is superb, however Andy Dalton isn’t Smith, who posted a passer score of 104.7 the 12 months Patrick Mahomes sat at the bench. Do no longer be expecting the Bears to experience the similar luxurious from their veteran quarterback, who stays first rate however is not likely to play on the degree Smith did in 2017. Read extra from Jeff Dickerson
D’Andre Swift would be the one to damage the curse and rush for 1,000 yards this season. The Lions have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Reggie Bush in 2013, the longest energetic drought within the NFL. Detroit’s run game thrived all the way through Barry Sanders’ time with the crew, because it led the NFL in 1,000-yard dashing seasons and 100-yard dashing video games by way of particular person gamers from 1989 to 1998. Since 1998, the Lions had been arguably the worst working crew within the league, however Swift will have to alternate that. Read extra from Eric Woodyard
If quarterback Aaron Rodgers does not play for the Packers, their prime-time video games towards the Bears and Vikings shall be flexed to the afternoon. Read extra from Rob Demovsky
Just like in 2020, the Vikings will beat all 3 in their NFC North warring parties at the highway, however this time they’re going to in finding their long ago into the playoffs as a wild-card crew. Read extra from Courtney Cronin
NFC SOUTH
Tight ends most often wouldn’t have large manufacturing as newbies. It’s a troublesome place to transition to from school to the NFL. But Kyle Pitts is a unprecedented prospect, and since he can be utilized in such a lot of alternative ways, he’ll are compatible in seamlessly, hitting with regards to 800 yards and 9 touchdowns, making him a powerful contender for Rookie of the Year. Read extra from Michael Rothstein
Quarterback Sam Darnold will cross for greater than 4,000 yards with 30 touchdowns and notice his profession resurrected underneath offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He has had not more than 3,024 yards or 19 touchdowns in any of his first 3 seasons, even if in equity he has additionally by no means performed greater than 13 video games. Read extra from David Newton
In a opposite of closing 12 months, this time New Orleans gets swept by way of Tampa Bay within the steady season — then get revenge within the playoffs. The agenda will assist the Bucs in Week 8 and Week 15 (high time in Tampa). But the Saints nonetheless fit up smartly towards the reigning champs. Read extra from Mike Triplett
It is not very daring to are expecting {that a} Super Bowl champion returning all 22 starters on offense and protection — the primary within the salary-cap generation — can if truth be told “go for two,” as trainer Bruce Arians put it. Every Super Bowl champion thinks it will possibly. The Kansas City Chiefs just about “ran it back” closing 12 months. But few have performed it (8 groups, to be actual). One of them occurs to be a crew Tom Brady performed on, regardless that. This crew can — it will be laborious to depend Brady out. Read extra from Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
The Cardinals will have to win no less than seven video games, however that would turn out to be 10 or extra if the offense is stable and the protection performs adore it will have to with all of the skill it has on paper. Optimism could be laborious to come back by way of when they misplaced six in their ultimate 9 regular-season video games closing season. Read extra from Josh Weinfuss
A 12 months when they performed a whole season of their new domestic with out lovers, the Rams will play in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. The Rams went all-in — once more — to make a Super Bowl run once they finished a blockbuster industry for quarterback Matthew Stafford, then spent their first draft pick out on every other fast receiver in Tutu Atwell after signing receiver DeSean Jackson in unfastened company. The Rams’ manner of establishing is apparent: Win now and cope with long run roster wishes later. Read extra from Lindsey Thiry
The 49ers will win the NFC West. San Francisco’s report the previous 4 seasons signifies 2019 was once an aberration, however that ignores essential context round why the ones shedding seasons took place. The damage state of affairs will support — it could nearly need to — and the 49ers will pass from worst to first within the department. Read extra from Nick Wagoner
The Seahawks will pass no less than 7-1 at domestic — and possibly 8-0 for the primary time since 2012. They’re 22-3 at domestic in prime-time video games underneath trainer Pete Carroll, so you need to like their possibilities of their 3 this 12 months at Lumen Field (Rams, Saints, 49ers) — particularly if lovers are allowed again. They host two groups in full-on rebuild mode (Jaguars, Lions) and there is a excellent likelihood they’re going to be preferred of their different 3 (Titans, Cardinals, Bears). Read extra from Brady Henderson
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