If you search around in some of the leading NFL stats websites, you’ll see that this 2021 NFL season has been one with surprises and shocks coming from left, right, up, and down. While at first there was sort of a clear path as to which teams everyone should keep an eye on, especially taking into account that they were being considered as the cream of the crop when it came to squads with the most potential to put on a dominating season, leading to a strong postseason and even Super Bowl run, now that we’re this deep into the season, the scripts have flipped. Teams that were considered heavy betting favorites, such as with the best sportsbook software, have struggled and others who were seen as weak links have managed to thrive.
But which teams have caused the biggest surprises this season? Here we break down our picks for three teams in the AFC and NFC conferences that have managed to go from perennial sleeping duds to becoming true potential threats in the league for the remainder of the season and the upcoming postseason.
New England Patriots
It seems as if Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots were not fans of seeing the Buffalo Bills take control of the AFC East division once Tom Brady packed his bags and moved to Tampa Bay to play for the Buccaneers. So what did the Pats do? They quietly but in the most Belichick way decided to regain control of the division, marching as leaders and with constancy on the field that reads like they are nowhere ready to give up their spot atop the AFC East to Buffalo because let’s face it, neither can the Dolphins or Jets do anything here. Be a part of the NFL game’s environment, and feel like you’re part of something greater than yourself; as a member of a noisy crowd, you might feel like you’re part of the action and helping your side. Purchase Tampa Bay Bucs tickets to experience this for yourself.
But what is it about this Patriots team that has made them such a surprising squad this season? For one, it’s been the way they battled against the odds to go from being pitted as a team that could achieve a maximum of five wins this season, to becoming an actual contender for postseason greatness. Bill Belichick and his staff have once again made New England a team that plays some of the most consistently good football in the league. With the Pats you are not getting flashy football, you’re getting good and exact football and it has worked wonders thus far for Belichick and company. Their offense looks like they know exactly where they need to be in each play without losing a beat and their defense is as solid as ever. But going back to the offense for a second, if we had to pinpoint one player as a true testament of the success this team has been having, look no further than rookie QB Mac Jones. Jones has stepped up and taken over the starting position at New England and he looks more than prepared to lead this team in the foreseeable future. All is great in New England once again.
Dallas Cowboys
It’s no secret to anybody that the success of this season for the Dallas Cowboys was dependent on how Dak Prescott would play once he returned to the team after missing almost all of last season to a devastating injury. Well, don’t look now, but Prescott and the Cowboys have managed to become one of the strongest all-around teams in not only the NFC but the NFL in general. Prescott has played as if he came back with a gigantic chip on his shoulder that he wished to get off his back. That chip of course being, silencing all of the doubters that thought he wasn’t an elite QB and did not deserve the massive contract he signed with Dallas before being sidelined last season. Well, be it because of a personal vendetta, or because he’s that good, Prescott has lifted the Cowboys’ offense to new heights, making it one of the strongest units around, one that not many opposing defenses around want to face neither now nor in the postseason.
Asides from that though, Dallas’ defense could be the pivotal breaking point to truly understand this team’s value. Between rookie LB Micah Parsons and star CB Trevon Diggs, Dallas has managed to come up with a defensive line that has one mission in mind at all times, destroying opposing defenses left and right. Between the combination of Prescott’s led offense, this defense, and the work put in by coach McCarthy and DC Dan Quinn, Dallas could easily be looking at becoming the biggest threat in the NFC once the playoffs roll around.
Cincinnati Bengals
I was one of the biggest fans of the LSU Tigers back when Joe Burrow led them to the college football championship in 2019. But not just because of how dominant Burrow played, but because of how good his connections with WR Ja’Marr Chase were. While Burrow took his talents to Cincinnati last season, only to find out that playing in the pros is a whole new world in comparison to college ball, this season, with the Bengals selecting Burrow’s favorite weapon back at LSU, Ja’Marr Chase in the draft, it automatically put the Bengals in a whole new world, one where they’re one of the most entertaining teams around.
The Bengals, led by a young core of players, with a young coach and a spirit that is almost unmatched around the league, have become one of the most effective and powerful offenses in the NFL. Burrow, Chase, RB Joe Mixon, and company have almost made it a point to make scoring points by the buckets look incredibly easy. But not just that, the Bengals have managed to become one of the strongest teams in the AFC, all while playing in what definitely could be considered the strongest division in that conference, the AFC North, with the Steelers, Browns, and Ravens all there as well. The mix of Cincinnati’s explosive offense and their dynamic and strong defensive core make them the perfect underdog team to root for if they end up making the playoffs, which right now, seems more likely than ever.
