Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - Out of Contention By Thanksgiving Division

Welcome to day three of my NFL countdown.

Coming in at number 24 I have the Carolina Panthers. This team is in what should be a rebuild. They need to start over. After they let Cam Newton walk they should have torn down the whole thing. Instead they gave Christian McCaffery a humongous salary and he proceeded to tear his ACL. Then they let Teddy Bridgewater leave and opted to sign Sam Darnold. They have no real number 1 or number 2 receiver. The O line is very bland. I thought Darnold was going to figure things out, but ever since the "I'm seeing ghosts" thing was plastered all over TV and the internet, he never recovered. He hasn't had a great camp by all accounts. I'm not a big proponent of giving running backs big money, and the Panthers are dealing with that problem as we speak. McCaffery is coming off a big injury, and while I really enjoyed Chubba Hubbard in college, he missed time last season and he needs to develop. DJ Moore is not the dude at receiver, and he is their best option. The defense is not so great either. Luke Keuchly retired, rightfully so, and some of the dudes they have taken a chance on haven't panned out. I still think Brian Burns has the potential to be a very good edge rusher, but he is about it. Shap Thompson and Jeremy Chinn could be good, but they haven't shown much of anything yet. Hasson Redick is getting a second chance after not doing much in Arizona, but I just do not see it with him. The Panthers will not win much until they get a decent QB.

At number 23 I have the Detroit Lions. The Lions traded oft injured, much maligned Matthew Satfford for a clone in Jared Goff. Goff has been the QB of a team that made it to the Super Bowl, but that was based on the running game and the defense. I do like that Goff is younger, but he doesn't have the arm that Stafford has. He is also less mobile, and Stafford isn't very mobile. I did not like this trade at all. I do not think Lions fans are stoked about it either. I will miss Jamal Williams in Green Bay, but the fact that he isn't starting in Detroit is crazy to me. Deandre Swift is fine, but Williams is better, and more deserving of the starting role. Breshad Perriman had moments in Baltimore, and I do really like Amon-Ra St Brown, but they do not have the good, not yet, to be number one wideouts, especially with a QB like Goff throwing to them. The O line is fine, but it doesn't matter. The defense is not awful but not good. Jeff Okudah had a rough rookie year. Jamie Collins has already played his best football. Trey Flowers could be solid. I like Da'Shawn Hand but he cannot stay healthy. The team has some dudes, but they are past their prime or not ready yet. This is a five or six win team at best.

My number 22 team is the New Orleans Saints. That may seem low, but Drew Brees retiring and Michael Thomas not talking to the team has made a big impact on me. This team is going to find it tough to get back to contention. The fact that they did not go after a QB in free agency and decided to pay Taysom Hill and keep Jameis Winston was a big mistake. They will regret it for sure. Hill is no more than a gimmick and Winston has shown minimal flashes but also has shown that he does not have what it takes to win important games. I'd be frustrated as hell if I were Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. They chose to stay and now they have no real QB to get them the ball. Kamara will still do what he does, but it will be tough because he will be the focal point of every defense they face. Thomas may not play this year, we do not know, and that is a bummer for the Saints. The O line is good, which is a luxury, but they have a whole new QB to break in. As for the defense, they have gotten better, and with the uncertainty at QB, I think the defense will be their best unit. Cam Jordan is elite. Marshon Lattimore is a shutdown corner. Kwon Alexander is a good linebacker. And I really like Marcus Davenport. I kind of look at them like a little better version of the Jets. The defense is good, they will keep them in games, but the offense will not be as potent as they have been in the past. That will be their undoing. I think six wins is the ceiling.

The final team for today, coming in at number 21, I have the New York Giants. This is the year to see if Daniel Jones is the guy. I thought they drafted him way too early, he has not been that good yet and he has weapons that should benefit him. I do not think much of him though, and that is why I have them so low on my list. They'd be lower if they weren't in such a bad division. Saquon Barkley is back, and that is awesome. I hope he stays healthy because he is a joy to watch. He is not only a great running back, but he is a good pass catcher, a solid and willing blocker and an electric return man. He just has to stay healthy. I like the Kenny Golladay pick up, Sterling Shepard is a fantasy stud and Evan Engram is a great modern tight end. The O line is also sufficient. Again, my only problem with the offense is Jones. I have zero faith in him. The Giants defense is quietly solid. Jabrill Peppers is decent. Leonard Williams is an upper tier D lineman. Logan Ryan is a nice secondary piece. Blake Martinez is an okay linebacker. They have guys that can play. The defense should be in the top fifteen of the league. This team could win their division or they could win five games. I like to split down the middle and say they will win six or seven games. I have that little trust in Daniel Jones. He is not good and that is why they will once again miss the playoffs.

That is it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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