The NFL season is upon us once again, and, of course, that means predictions. Here’s a look at how I believe the 2021 NFL season will play out.

The Best Team in the NFL

This title belongs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who bring every starter of their 2020 Super Bowl team back. Isn’t Tom Brady old, though? It simply does not matter: until I see him regress from being an MVP-candidate-level QB, there is no reason not to believe this is the best roster in the NFL.

The Best QB in the NFL

As much as people love to gush over Patrick Mahomes, as they should, the best QB in the NFL going into 2021 is Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has shown no signs of falling off and will be even better in his third year with head coach Matt LaFleur’s system. The reigning MVP will be hard to dethrone and there’s no reason to believe he will be defeated.

The Team With the Most To Prove

It’s the Cleveland Browns. This is arguably the best roster the Browns have ever had. There is a legitimate case to be made that, with stars like Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, the Browns have the best defense in the league. They also return an offense that really began to find its identity as a run-first play-action passing attack at the end of the 2020 season.

While Baker Mayfield is a major question mark, if he can continue to play like a near-top-ten passer, the hopes of the Browns being AFC contenders are very much alive.

The MVP

No player has been more disrespected throughout the past five years of his career than Matthew Stafford. Two injury-riddled seasons have caused the general NFL public to forget that Stafford is a borderline top-five QB.

He is now being paired with offensive genius Sean McVay and weapons like Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. The Rams’ offense is set to explode onto the scene this year and Stafford is set to have a season for the ages.

The MVP race will be tight though. Also in the mix: Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, Rodgers, Russell Wilson and even Ryan Tannehill. We are living in the golden age of quarterbacking in the NFL and the result will be an all-time MVP race.

My prediction: One of these QBs shatters Peyton Manning’s single season passing TD record, which currently sits at 55. The contenders will get the added benefit of the NFL adding a game to the schedule this year as the NFL season will now last 17 games per team.

Teams of Local Interest

The following is a list of the five teams I find NFL fans care the most about here in Utah and a quick outlook on their seasons.

• Broncos: A great defense, with the potential to be one of the best the league has ever seen. The QB is a major issue.
• Raiders: A great offense, an underrated QB, but will struggle in the run game. However, the biggest question is “Can the defense finally not be terrible under Jon Gruden?”
• Cowboys: Dak Prescott’s sudden mystery shoulder injury is a real concern. If he’s healthy, this should hands down be the best team in the NFL. If decent linebackers emerge, the defense can be good enough to make the Cowboys legitimate contenders.
• Niners: The question around this season is, when will Trey Lance play? How good will Lance be? Can Lance take this team to the next level? The next level: the Super Bowl in San Fran.
• Jets: Zach Wilson lands on an objectively terrible roster. If the Jets only win four games this year, don’t panic. Gang Green will be bad early but get it together down the stretch. The key to this season is growth.

The Super Bowl Champions

The smart answer? The Chiefs or Packers. The fun answer? The Tennessee Titans or Cleveland Browns. The dark horse answer and my answer? The Rams. Sean McVay is due. The Rams’ defense is still good and they have the MVP, according to me, so it only makes sense that I believe they will win the Super Bowl this year.

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@EricJensenSport