Piece By: Adam Van Oort
I, like most Americans, love the NFL. If it’s Sunday, Monday night, or Thursday night in the fall, there’s a good chance you’re going to find me on the couch, preferably with some sort of food and/or beverage by my side.
My point being, if NFL football is on, I’m tuning in. Every season, however, there’s a handful of teams that intrigue me even more than others, and it’s usually caused by one or more of the following factors: new QB, new coaching staff, new-look roster. Obviously, generational talents like Mahomes, Rodgers, Brady, and Wilson are always must-watch television, but I’m talking about teams that may be up and coming, may be flying under the radar, or may have some question marks heading into the season. So, I’m not going to bore you with teams that we already know will get the most viewers (Kansas City, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, etc.). Instead, these are teams that may not win 12 or 13 games, but are certainly worth keeping an eye on in 2021. That being said, there are a couple teams on this list that I feel are legitimate Super Bowl contenders at this point in time.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Before we get into the new, exciting pieces to this team, let me first say I will dearly miss the “Minshew Mania” era in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, it looks like his days as a starter are coming to an end, but don’t worry Jags fans, because there’s a guy named Trevor that’s supposed to be pretty good. While there are still major holes on the defense and offensive line, it’s going to be fun to see what Trevor Lawrence can do with weapons like D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, James Robinson, and his Clemson buddy Travis Etienne. This, along with the hiring of Urban Meyer, has given the city of Jacksonville plenty to get excited about. Just remember to thank the Jets when Trevor Lawrence takes you to the Super Bowl in 2025.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are in a very similar spot as the Jaguars right now. Both teams have found their long term QB, have some dangerous weapons around them, but still have major holes elsewhere on the roster. Many argued the Bengals should’ve picked up Penei Sewell in the first round of the draft, but considering how deep the offensive line class was, I thought they played it perfectly by reuniting Burrow with Ja’Marr Chase, then going O-line in the 2nd round. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals will look a lot different from a year ago, losing Geno Atkins, Carl Lawson, and William Jackson and replacing them with Larry Ogunjobi, Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, and Mike Hilton. In a tough division, Zac Taylor’s squad is still at least a couple years away from contending, but, similar to the Jags, this is an offense that I’m really looking forward to watching.
Los Angeles Rams
This is one of the few teams on this list that can absolutely compete for a championship this year, but it all depends on how Stafford is able to fit in McVay’s system. As a Packers fan, I’ve been watching Stafford in Detroit for years now, and I’m excited to finally see him in a different uniform, one that he may actually be able to take to the postseason. Not only is he stepping into an offense loaded with weapons (Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Tyler Higbee, Cam Akers), but he’ll also be able to rely on his defense, something he was never able to do in Detroit. The only downside of this is the fact that the NFC West is the best division in football and it’s not close. If Aaron Rodgers ends up leaving Green Bay, Stafford may very well end up regretting leaving Detroit and the NFC North.
Carolina Panthers
This is what we’ve all been waiting for, right? We finally get the chance to see Sam Darnold in a competent organization with a coaching staff that knows what they’re doing. Our questions about the former #3 overall pick will finally be answered. Is he a top-10 caliber QB who has been held back in New York his whole career? Or were the critics right, is he just a below average QB with incredible talent but poor decision making skills? One thing’s for sure: he’s going to enjoy giving the ball to Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson, and D.J. Moore instead of Frank Gore and Braxton Berrios. The defense is young but is getting better, and adding Jaycee Horn should help clean up some of those holes in the secondary. The Panthers lost 8 games by one possession last year. Flip some of those scores around, and we’re talking about a team that’s right there in the playoff mix.
New Orleans Saints
Having the Saints on this list is purely due to my curiosity of the Sean Payton and Jameis Winston collaboration. Keep in mind, Drew Brees was 27 when he left San Diego and didn’t become elite until after he met up with Sean Payton in New Orleans. How old is Jameis Winston right now? You guessed it, 27. Coincidence? Probably. In all seriousness though, Winston was the number 1 overall pick for a reason. The dude can sling it, and I can’t wait to see if Sean Payton can fully unlock his true potential as a starting QB. But with a very thin receiving core, I’m surprised the Saints didn’t grab a guy like Elijah Moore or Terrace Marshall Jr. in the draft to help their new signal caller out.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are one of just two teams on here that aren’t bringing in a new quarterback in 2021. They have their guy in Justin Herbert, who’s coming off arguably the best rookie season that we’ve seen at the position. Not only am I intrigued by what he can do in year two, but I’m also impressed with what the Chargers did with their roster this offseason. Adding Corey Linsley and Rashawn Slater should give Herbert all day to throw. On defense, they get Derwin James back and healthy (knock on wood) as well as a potential steal in the 2nd round with corner Asante Samuel Jr. This team could very well be ready to win now, but Patrick Mahomes may have something to say about that.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are one of a couple teams on here, along with the Rams, that are in complete win-now mode. Carson Wentz has the opportunity to reunite with Frank Reich while taking over one of the best rosters in the league. Even after losing Anthony Castonzo to retirement, the Colts offensive line is still a massive upgrade from what Wentz had in Philly. The only thing the defense was missing was a pass rusher after losing Denico Autry and Justin Houston, but they addressed that right away in the draft, snatching Kwity Paye out of Michigan. The Colts should be the clear favorites to win the AFC South, and if we see glimpses of 2017 Carson Wentz, this team could challenge the Chiefs and Bills come playoff time.