Five NFL Teams That Will Breakout in 2021
Training camp is just around the corner, which means that actual football is as well. Teams like the Buccaneers and Chiefs are projected to be among the best of the best in 2021, a year after going head to head in the Super Bowl. But what about the teams who operate behind the radar? Who are the possible candidates who aren’t receiving nearly enough attention?
We’ve selected five of the most undervalued teams heading into the 2021 season in the list below. Not all of them should be regarded as serious contenders for the Lombardi. However, we’d be shocked if these five didn’t catch a lot of people off guard this year:
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are closer to making a deep postseason run than most people believe. However, everyone, including Derek Carr’s own brother, enjoys tearing him down.
I understand everyone’s dissatisfaction with Carr, who has a 47–63 record as the team’s starting quarterback. What people need to realize is that W-L records are a team metric, not a quarterback stat.
With RB Josh Jacobs, WR Henry Ruggs, and TE Darren Waller, the Raiders have finally given this offense some weapons. The main problem is that the defense can’t stop a nose bleed, despite playing in the same division as the Chiefs and Chargers. Both of those teams can score a ton of points, and the Raiders are unable to stop them right now.
However, the Raiders are starting to score some points of their own. They scored more than 30 points in all but one of their wins, and 20 or more points in all but one of their defeats. Because the team’s offensive output has improved, there’s no reason to assume it’s Derek Carr’s responsibility.
Yannick Ngakou might be the key to unlocking the Raiders’ defensive line’s potential. Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby are excellent players, and the defensive line will improve dramatically under new defensive coach Gus Bradley. Trevon Moehrig, in particular, I feel will have a fantastic rookie season and might win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Carolina Panthers
I love what the Carolina Panthers are building with HC Matt Rhule at the helm. It started with their exceptional 2020 draft. DL Derrick Brown was the anchor of that line and was a run stuffer and pass rusher that could have been in the conversation for DROY. OLB Jeremy Chinn was almost the DROY with an incredible debut with 117 tackles, 2 TFL, 5 QB Hits, 1 Sack, 2 Forced Fumbles, 5 Passes Defended, 6 Pressures, and 2 TDs. DE Yetur Gross-Matos has his moments and will only be better in year 2.
The offense is not something you can forget either. Newly acquired Sam Darnold and a healthy Christian McCaffery can hold up against anyone. The Panthers like to throw it deep and want to allow WRs DJ Moore and Robby Anderson to run their long routes. They have to be one of the most underrated WR duos in the league. Once CMC is back and healthy, teams won’t be able to stop all 3 of them.
The reason the Panthers are slept on is because of the Division they are in, just like the Raiders. Small personnel adjustments, good quarterback play, and sticking with who you are can result in some playoff games.
Philadelphia Eagles
How can a team that just won the Super Bowl a few years ago already be one of the NFL’s most underrated teams?
Feast your eyes on the Eagles’ 2020 season, when organizational dysfunction and a historic regression from a former MVP candidate resulted in a total overhaul of both the team’s staff and QB spot. It’s back to square one in Philadelphia, where first-time head coach Nick Sirianni has been tasked with injecting creative energy into a plan that quickly went stale under Doug Pederson.
Almost no one, from a national perspective, seems to be buying the possibility of the ex-Colts coordinator surprising out of the gate, with young Jalen Hurts under center. But couple the fresh staff with Hurts’ mobility, a healthier offensive line, a new #1 wideout in DeVonta Smith, and some decent veterans on “D,” and a late challenge for the always-open NFC East title isn’t nearly as crazy as it sounds.
Denver Broncos
Despite going 12–20 under Vic Fangio and 32–48 since winning the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning, the Broncos are considered top-11 favorites to win it all this year.
That has almost everything to do with Aaron Rodgers, who’s drawn their interest even though the Packers refuse to deal the star quarterback. If/when Rodgers rumors are put to rest (and assuming he doesn’t leave Green Bay), Denver will be widely projected to either challenge the Chargers for a wild card or miss the playoffs altogether. But there’s a reason Rodgers would seemingly put them over the top; unlike, say, the Jaguars or Jets or even Raiders, they’re built well enough to compete with A-Rod.
Neither Drew Lock nor Teddy Bridgewater is a surefire top-15 starter, but between Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, Bradley Chubb, Kyle Fuller, and a healthier Von Miller, they’ve got playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Minnesota Vikings
Both their coach and quarterback have built a reputation as predictable mid-tier performers: never bad enough to bottom out, but rarely elite enough to get over the hump. How else do you explain the Vikings literally going in, then out, then back into the playoffs every year since Mike Zimmer took over, or Kirk Cousins posting Pro Bowl numbers without also posting a signature postseason run?
And yet, even if Aaron Rodgers stays in Green Bay, they’re poised to bounce back. Not only because Zimmer’s due for his biannual playoff ticket, but because Cousins has more motivation, the offense has bona fide play-makers (Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson) and, best of all, Zimmer’s defense is both deeper and healthier (Danielle Hunter) after an uncharacteristically porous year.
They may not win the division, but the Vikings have the makings of a sneaky contender.
