[Sport] NFL 2021 predictions: who is capable of stopping Mahomes and the Chiefs this season?

[Drosel]

 

Aaron Donald, Patrick Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins, Tom Brady, Derrick Henry and Aaron Rodgers are just some of the players who will make a splash this season. Composite: Getty Images
The NFL kicks off on Thursday. Will Kansas City steamroller the league? Which of the rookies will shine? And who will win MVP?

Oliver Connolly, Andrew Lawrence, Graham Searles, Melissa Jacobs and Hunter Felt
Thu 9 Sep 2021 09.00 BST

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This will be the year of ...
The rookie quarterback. The five first-rounders have already dominated the preseason discourse and that is likely carry over into the regular one. Mac Jones and Justin Fields will both start for playoff-caliber teams, while Kyle Shanahan has plans to get all sorts of funky with the Niners’ use of Trey Lance, utilizing a two-quarterback system. Chuck in Zach Wilson as the Jets’ latest savior and Trevor Lawrence, who just so happens to be the most gifted of the bunch, and it sets up for a historic year. OC

The 17-game schedule. For a long time, the NFL has made the math easy with even-number schedules that cleanly separate the wheat from the chaff. But with an extra game in the mix now, there will be no more taking Jeff Fisher-like satisfaction in .500 ball. Now teams will record either winning or losing seasons (barring unlikely scenarios involving ties) – a shift that will heap more pressure on coaches and front office types when their rosters don’t make the grade. AL

Comeback kings. A raft of key players are returning from serious injury. Nothing new there, but the sheer volume of talent teams were denied felt unique in 2020. The impact of having them back in the league will be huge as we embark on the longest season ever. GS

Will the extra game this season allow a team with a new/rookie quarterback to make a late run as he gets extra time to get acclimated? How will a team that clinches home field advantage in Week 14 or 15 handle the final few games? And how many more players will the extra week leave injured? MJ

The NFL becomes a proxy culture war as vaccination status starts to become a legitimate factor in every team’s roster decisions. HF

The most underrated team this year is ...
The Patriots. I know, I know: How is it fair that this generation’s dynasty is now able to drop the ‘nobody believes in us’ card? But here they are. The Patriots return a whole bunch of crucial opt-outs on defense. They have the most talented offensive line in the league. And Bill Belichick has already seen enough to feel like Mac Jones is the quarterback capable of executing the precision passing structure that he craves. OC

The Los Angeles Chargers. With a reinforced offensive line and a healthy Mike Williams, quarterback Justin Herbert should take a Pro Bowl step under new coordinator Joe Lombardi, who worked with the Saints’ Drew Brees. But the defense gets the bigger boost with the return of do-it-all defensive back Derwin James. AL

Hate on Teddy Bridgewater all you like, but he is better than Drew Lock. The Denver Broncos have a chance of easing the strain on their mighty defense with Bridgewater moving the sticks. Denver have also quietly assembled an improved roster across the board. Receiver Jerry Jeudy is set to explode after a solid rookie year, too. GS

Seattle Seahawks. It’s weird to think of the NFC West champs as underrated but many don’t see Seattle repeating. Sure, others in the division improved but Seattle should have an upgraded defense, a receiving corps that rivals that of any other team, and most importantly, Russell Wilson. MJ

Indianapolis Colts. It’s hard to look at how things ended with Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles and not be skeptical about how he fares in Indiana. Here’s the thing though: if there’s ever an ideal “change of scenery recharges an athlete” scenario it’s probably “away from Philadelphia.” HF

One bold prediction …