NFL Power Rankings and the KC Chiefs schedule
The Playoffs Are As Far As These Teams Are Going
These six teams will battle it out for the final few playoff spots, but even the ones that make the playoffs probably don’t have a real chance to go much further.
The Patriots spent a ton of money this offseason to bolster their roster. While you usually can’t just buy yourself a playoff team, the Patriots now have a much better roster to go with one of the best head coaches in NFL history.
The only thing holding the Patriots back at this point is a total question mark at quarterback. Not only was Cam Newton not his former MVP self last season, he was flat out bad. If he’s healthy, more comfortable in the offense, and has improved weapons, can he be better? Maybe, but I have my doubts.
Mac Jones could get a shot this season in Newton’s struggles continue, but he’s just a rookie and I don’t know if we can expect him to lead the Pats to the playoffs just yet. I think the Pats and the Miami Dolphins may be fighting it out for the final AFC playoff spot and the team with better quarterback play could be the winner.
13. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are in a very similar spot to the Patriots. They have a roster that looks like it could be a playoff team, but the quarterback could hold them back. Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t very impressive last season as a rookie. That doesn’t mean he won’t develop into a great starter, but there is plenty of reason to question if he’s ready to lead a team to the playoffs in 2021. If my rankings are right, the Dolphins and Patriots may be in a battle for the last playoff spot in the AFC. I’ll give a slight edge to the Patriots based on experience, but the Dolphins are definitely in the running.
14. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas vs Kansas City: Week 11 – 11/21/21
This one is pretty simple for me. With Dak Prescott back the Cowboys have a Super Bowl-caliber offense. The problem is they have a bad defense and a bad coaching staff. That’s why the Cowboys are just a fringe playoff team and not a Super Bowl contender. The Cowboys will need to hold off the Washington Football Team to win the division if they want to stay out of a dogfight for the last wildcard spot with a couple of the other teams in this tier.
The good news for the Cowboys is they have one of the few offenses that might be able to keep pace with the Chiefs if everyone is healthy. The bad news is that I like the Chiefs defense and coaching staff much better than those of the Cowboys and the game is in Kansas City. I think this could be a shootout, but my money is definitely on the Chiefs.
This season will be a test for Sean Payton. With Drew Brees retired, he’s going to have to prove he can get a lesser quarterback to play well enough to make them a playoff team. If Payton can get either Jameis Winston or Tayson Hill to play well. they still won’t be able to keep pace with the Bucs in their division, but it should allow them to compete with Washington and the Minnesota Vikings for the final NFC playoff spot.
Kansas City at Washington: Week 6 – 10/17/21
The Washington Football Team has a playoff-caliber defense, but the offense is a big question mark. Ryan Fitzpatrick is good for a couple great performances per season, but he’s just not a consistent and reliable option. Still, Washington was in playoff contention with even worse quarterback play last season, so Fitzpatrick should be an upgrade. I’m also a big fan of Antonio Gibson who should be able to take a little of the pressure off of Fitzpatrick.
Here’s my bottom line for the Washington vs K.C. game. If Ryan Fitzpatrick has one of his games where he plays out of his mind, the Chiefs could lose, but if he plays like average Fitzpatrick, the Chiefs should win. The Washington defense is legit, so the Chiefs won’t pile up points in this one, but if they can force Fitzpatrick into a couple of turnovers, they should be okay.
The Minnesota Vikings are a very average team. They are in that quarterback purgatory where Kirk Cousins is good enough to keep them competitive and fighting for a playoff spot, but not good enough to make them a true Super Bowl contender. Vikings fans have to be hoping that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play for Green Bay, because if that happens, they may be able to win what would then become a very weak division. Otherwise, the Vikings will be hoping that their mediocrity is enough to slip into the playoffs, but they’ll have to beat out the Saints and Washington just to do that.
The next tier is made up of competitive teams that may still be out of the playoffs this season.