Ty Ranks the 2021 NFL Teams - The Playoffs and Award Winners

Today wraps up my 2021 NFL preview. I will pick division winners, the seven playoff teams from each conference, award winners and my Super Bowl matchup and winner. Also fyi, I like the addition of an extra playoff team from each conference also. That is a good move.

I'll start with the AFC.

The AFC South is a two team division. Really only one, the Titans, but the Colts are a solid team too. The Jags and Texans are going to be bottom feeders. I'll go with the Titans because no one is hurt, they have a better defense and Derrick Henry is an MVP candidate.

The AFC East is a better division, but there is another clear cut winner. The Jets are still in a rebuild, but the Dolphins and Patriots should be better than .500. But this is the Bills division. The Bills will win going away, but the East could have three playoff teams.

The AFC North may be the best division in the NFL. There are three teams all vying to make the playoffs and make deep runs. The Bengals will have an okay offense, but their defense and head coach are not great. The Ravens, Steelers and Browns are all good. I'm going with Baltimore. I have a ton of faith in that team this year.

The AFC West is also good, but the Chiefs are the best team in the NFL. The other three teams, the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos will all be average to okay, but the Chiefs are the cream of the crop.

That means I have the Titans, Bills, Ravens and Chiefs as the division winners and locks for the playoffs. My three wild card teams are going to be the Browns, Dolphins and Colts. In the AFC title game I believe we will see the Ravens facing off against the Chiefs. Again, I really believe in the Ravens this season, but the Chiefs are just too good to beat. They are at their peak right now, Mahomes is awesome, their defense is better, they have it all. The Chiefs will be on their third straight Super Bowl.

On to the NFC.

The NFC West is the best division in the NFL. I know I gave a few AFC divisions that possible distinction, but the NFC West is the cream of the crop. All four of these teams, if things break right, could be in the playoffs. I actually think three of them have a legit shot to be in the playoffs. I am less high on the 49ers than others. I want them to start Trey Lance, but who knows. Their defense is older too. The Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals all have a legit shot at the division title. The Seahawks have Russell Wilson, the Cardinals have a lethal offense and the Rams have a very stout defense. In the end I am going with the Seahawks. I wrote that this felt like a last shot for them, so I am picking them to win the best division in football.

The NFC South was very potent at one time, but the Buccaneers are going to walk to a division title. They are, hands down, the best team in this division. The Falcons are retooling, the Saints need a new QB and the Panthers are way too odd to figure out. The Bucs will easily return to the playoffs.

The NFC East is the worst division in football. When the NFC made divisions they really made some wild picks. I have all these teams in the deep teens or 20's in my countdown. I could see a six win team winning the division. Washington is a mess. The Giants are still letting Daniel Jones play QB. The Cowboys are the most overrated team in sports. And the Eagles have a lot to figure out. I would really love to pick the Eagles because I really like Jalen Hurts and Devonta Smith, but I am going to go with the Giants. Not because of Jones, but because of Saquon Barkley. I think they will only win seven games, but that will be enough.

The NFC North is the last division in the NFC, and the Green Bay Packers, depending on how invested Aaron Rodgers is this season, should win it with ease. They have the best team on paper in the division. The Bears are totally rebuilding, and hopefully Justin Fields starts soon, the Lions are going to be as mediocre as they were last season, even with a new QB and the Vikings have a bunch of dummies on their team that do not believe in science. I actually think the Vikings will be one of the few, maybe the only, that has to forfeit a game due to COVID. The Packers are the best team in the division and much like the Seahawks, this is their last ride.

So that means I have the Seahawks, Bucs, Giants and Packers as playoff locks. The three wild card teams are the Cardinals, Rams and 49ers. That is right, I have the entire NFC South in the playoffs. The rest of the teams in the NFC, outside the division winners, are just not very good. As far as my NFC title game, I am going with the two teams on their "last ride" as I keep putting it, the Seahawks and Packers. And I think the Packers will win. Maybe I just want them to, so I am trying to will it into existence.

I'll get to my Super Bowl winner in a moment, but obviously I have the Packers and Chiefs, a rematch of Super Bowl 1. Let's do the award winners now. Coach of the Year will be Brian Flores. He has more than earned it. Offensive Rookie of the Year will be Najee Harris. That kid is an amazing football player and person. Defensive Rookie of the Year will be Kwity Paye. He is going to be productive and reliable and this will be the start to a long and illustrious career. Offensive Player of the Year is Derrick Henry. He is the best. Defensive Player of the Year should be Aaron Donald, but since he wins it all the time, I am going to go with his teammate Jalen Ramsey this year. And my MVP is Derrick Henry. I have said that he is a candidate every time I have talked about him these past nine days, so why not pick him to win it.

Now for the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are going to roll. They are a better team than Green Bay, they have a bad taste in their mouth from last season, they are hungry and they want this dynasty to continue.

There you all have it, my full 2021 NFL preview. Tomorrow I will wrap up 10 days of football with my massive college football preview and predictions.

Ty

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

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