2021 Preseason Team Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Don’t expect much of a drop-off in Kansas City. Even though they got crushed in the Super Bowl, this is still a very talented team. Until Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes leave, this team will be a yearly contender.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They return everyone from last year’s Super Bowl team. Expect them to have an even better regular season this year since everyone will be more experienced.
3. Baltimore Ravens: I’m sure you weren’t expecting them to be this high but they finished very strong last year and I think Lamar Jackson will be closer to his 2019 form. It also helps that most of their big games are at home this season. Expect a big season in Baltimore. Before J.K. Dobbins got hurt, I actually had them at number 1.
4. Buffalo Bills: I do not believe last year’s team was a fluke. I think that it was only the beginning. I’m a big fan of Josh Allen and I think he’ll continue to do big things this season.
5. Green Bay Packers: While Aaron Rodgers is unhappy, he’ll suck it up and play another year in Green Bay. This team is still very talented and they are coming off of two consecutive 13-win seasons.
6. Los Angeles Rams: With an upgrade at QB, expect the Rams offense to be even better this year. Although the loss of Cam Akers will hurt a bit. If they beat the teams they are supposed to beat, they should be on their way to a high seed in the playoffs. Luckily, they don’t face the Jets this year so they should have no problem.
7. Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers are my sleeper team this year. I was impressed by how well Justin Herbert played in his rookie season. They also have a very talented roster. With a new coach, an easy schedule, and an up and coming QB, expect a big season for the Chargers.
8. Seattle Seahawks: Not sure why everyone is down on Seattle this season. Since Russell Wilson has been with Seahawks, they have only won fewer than 10 games once. What makes you think that’s going to change this season?
9. New Orleans Saints: I don’t the Saints will drop off as much as expected. Even without Drew Brees, their offense is still solid. Their defense is good as well.
10. Tennessee Titans: There’s no reason why the Titans can’t win the AFC South. The Jaguars could be scary in a year or two so the Titans need to take advantage now while the division is still weak.
11. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are too talented to finish with a losing record this season. They have arguably the best running back in football and wide receiver, Justin Jefferson should only get better in his second year.
12. San Francisco 49ers: I’m not as high on the 49ers as most. They should be a lot more healthy this year but I also think the 2019 season may have been a bit of a fluke. They unfortunately play in the toughest division in football so if they win the division this year, it will be well deserved.
13. Arizona Cardinals: While they disappointed at the end of last season, they weren’t supposed to be great anyway last year. If they were in another division, it wouldn’t be that far-fetched for them to win 11 or 12 games.
14. Cleveland Browns: I understand why the Browns are receiving a lot of hype but I don’t think they will live up to it. They really had no business in going 11-5 last year as they actually had a negative point differential. In addition, they also have a much tougher schedule this year. I think they will lose a few more games this year.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers: I think this will probably be Big Ben’s final season so the future isn’t all that great for them. They still could be solid this year as they have a very good defense.
16. Indianapolis Colts: With Carson Wentz a little injured and a tough early schedule, things could get off to a rough start. Expect them to take a bit of a step back.
17. Chicago Bears: Not sure why everyone thinks the Bears are going to be terrible this year, other than that they have a tough schedule. I think they got a steal in the draft with Justin Fields and I think in a year or two, they could be contenders. Don’t forget, they were 8-8 last year, despite terrible QB play.
18. Dallas Cowboys: I have them winning the NFC East this season but I’m still not that high on them. Last year, even before the Dak Prescott injury, they weren’t very good. I’m also not a fan of their coach, Mike McCarthy.
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Maybe I’m crazy but I really do believe that last year’s Eagles team was a fluke. They have a lot of young talent on their roster and I think that Jalen Hurts has a solid career ahead of him. If this team somehow lands DeShaun Watson, they may not be far off from getting back into Super Bowl contention.
20. New England Patriots: Their off-season moves aren’t enough to convince me that they will be better than last year. I think there will be pressure on Bill Belichick this season with Tom Brady winning a super bowl in his first season in Tampa. Belichick is still a good coach but he may want to consider retiring.
21. Carolina Panthers: I think Sam Darnold will be mediocre at the best but they do have a lot of relatively young talent so don’t be surprised if they make a push at the playoffs this year.
22. Miami Dolphins: Sorry, but I think Tua is a bust. Perhaps, he could prove me wrong but I don’t see any reason to think he’s going to be much better this year.
23. Cincinnati Bengals: I think the Bengals are going to be much improved this season but unfortunately the schedule is very difficult. I do think they are probably better off with a different coach so this should be Zac Taylor’s final shot to turn things around.
24. Denver Broncos: Ever since there were rumors that Aaron Rodgers could be heading to Denver, everyone’s been hyping up on this team. However, him starting there this year is now out of the window. I don’t really understand the reason why people are hyping them up as they may have the worst starting QB in the NFL, regardless of who it is. Their schedule is on the easier side but I still don’t think there will be much improvement.
25. Las Vegas Raiders: I’m not a fan of Jon Gruden as I think he’s past his prime in coaching. The second-half collapses the past two seasons are not encouraging so expect another mediocre season in Las Vegas.
26. New York Giants: I’m a Giants fan and unlike many other fans, I don’t see much improvement coming this season. Daniel Jones hasn’t proven to me that he is the long-term answer for the Giants so I think they will have another bad year.
27. Washington Football Team: I think that last season was a fluke. Last year’s NFC East was probably the worst division of all time, they probably would have been 5-11 if they were in another division. Although their defense is still solid, they still don’t have a good QB, and there’s no way the division will be that bad again so I think they will take a step back this year.
28. Atlanta Falcons: I do believe that this will be Matt Ryan’s final season in Atlanta as he may force a trade and the Julio Jones trade makes me think this is just the beginning of a rebuild.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars: They are still going to be bad this year but expect them to be .500 or better next season and potentially be a Super Bowl contender by 2023. For the first time in a long time the future is bright in Jacksonville.
30. New York Jets: I’m not the biggest fan of Zach Wilson and I think there’s a good chance he becomes a bust. He only had one good year at BYU and he was playing against some terrible schools last year as COVID-19 caused their schedule to be weird. I think the Jets will be better than in 2020 but not much.
31. Detroit Lions: The Lions are rebuilding once again. It seems likely that they may tank a bit this season but knowing that they are the Lions, they’ll win a couple of meaningless games and screw it up, like the Jets did last season.
32. Houston Texans: Not a fan of their new head coach, David Culley, as I don’t think he’s the right guy to turn this team around. They stunk even with DeShaun Watson last season and with it being very unlikely he’ll ever play for them again, expect the next few seasons to be rough.