Ranking the NFL divisions from best to worst heading into 2021
Apart from having good rosters, the hopes of NFL teams winning the Super Bowl usually depends on the competitiveness of the division they play in. Some NFL divisions are generally perceived to be tougher than the others.
On that note, let's have a look at the competitiveness of each NFL division heading into the 2021 campaign. Without further ado, let's get started:
Top four NFL divisions
#1 AFC North
The AFC North is stacked with talent and successful teams over the last few years. The Steelers are as good an NFL team as ever. Ben Roethlisberger is coming off an NFL season in which he threw for 33 touchdowns and ten interceptions. The Steelers have made the playoffs in five of the last seven NFL seasons.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens are right behind them in terms of talent. They've made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Ever since John Harbaugh made the switch from Joe Flacco, this team has been one of the best in the NFL.
The Cleveland Browns finished third in the division, with an 11-5 record. They made the NFL playoffs in 2020 and could do an encore this season as well. The Browns have Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., so they should be able to put up points when needed.
The Cincinnati Bengals are in the midst of a rebuild. Joe Burrow's rookie NFL season was cut short due to injury, but he should be healthy for the 2021 campaign. This is Burrow's make-or-break NFL season. Will he be able to resurrect the Cincinnati Bengals and return them to the early days of Andy Dalton or better? If not, NFL head coach Zac Taylor could be on the hot seat quickly.
#2 NFC West
The Seattle Seahawks still have Russell Wilson. He has practically willed the Seahawks to the NFL playoffs each season since 2012, except one. Moreover, the Seahawks have DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams returning.
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a down year with another injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. They will be transitioning to Trey Lance this season. However, they were in the Super Bowl in 2019 and cannot be discounted.
The Arizona Cardinals finished their 2020 NFL campaign with an 8-8 record. While it was an improvement for a team that was 3-13 in 2018, the Cardinals are still stuck in second gear. Hopefully, for the Cardinals, Kyler Murray will turn it up a notch in 2021.
The Los Angeles Rams shipped Jared Goff to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford. While many are annoiting this NFL team as Super Bowl winners this season, they are not considering how well Stafford would fit in. In other words, it is not clear how well an NFL quarterback coming from a losing team would fare in a winning culture.
#3 AFC West
The Kansas City Chiefs are in shape to take control of the NFL in 2021. They will be bringing back almost everyone from their Super Bowl squad over the last couple of years. Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and others could set the NFL on fire in 2021.
Anyone who has watched football in the last couple of years can say that the Chiefs are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 NFL season.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a 7-9 season that saw an amazing performance by Justin Herbert. He threw for 31 touchdowns and ten interceptions in his rookie year. The sky is the limit for him as an NFL quarterback.
The Denver Broncos are in trouble at quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater will take on Drew Lock for the starting job in a competition that could go until the end of the NFL preseason. Either option at quarterback doesn't inspire much confidence, though. Nevertheless, this team has a great roster surrounding the position, with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Noah Fant, Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Justin Simmons returning.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in NFL purgatory but improving. Last season saw them go 8-8. In 2018, Jon Gruden's first season with the team, they went 4-12. If the trend continues, the Raiders could make a push for the NFL playoffs in 2021.
#4 NFC South
The New Orleans Saints have lost quarterback Drew Brees and could be in trouble, with Jameis Winston expected to start at quarterback. If the Saints finish over 0.500, they should be happy. Michael Thomas will be back, as will Alvin Kamara. However, Sean Payton could be the key to this team during their search for their next franchise NFL quarterback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the Super Bowl champions. Tom Brady will be back, as will Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Ronald Jones and others. Tom Brady might be pushing 44, but he is still playing as if he were 24. He threw for 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2020.
The Atlanta Falcons need to rebuild their defense. Ever since their Super Bowl quest ended with a defeat, this NFL team has not been the same. Their defense ranked 28th overall in 2020. Granted, quarterback Matt Ryan is still playing well, but that is not enough to overcome their weak secondary.
The Carolina Panthers peaked with Cam Newton's run to Super Bowl 50. Ever since Von Miller strip-sacked him early in that game, the Panthers have been sliding. In 2021, they will start ex-Jets quarterback Sam Darnold after a 5-11 NFL campaign with Teddy Bridgewater.
Bottom four NFL divisions
#5 AFC East
The Buffalo Bills are finally turning it around with Josh Allen after decades of underwhelming seasons. The Bills could be in position to have the best offense in the NFL, with Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley. Josh Allen has roughly seen his touchdowns double year on year, so he could be even better this season.
The Miami Dolphins went 10-6 in 2020. Their quarterback position was a mix of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa. This season, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be unavailable to bail out Tagovailoa if he runs into trouble.
With the NFL's version of training wheels coming off for Tagovailoa, the season could go off the rails easily. Nevertheless, he could emerge as the franchise quarterback for the next 15 seasons and is their wild card for 2021.
The New England Patriots are starting Cam Newton for the first part of their 2021 NFL campaign. However, Mac Jones could make his debut, depending on how the season goes. Either way, the Patriots appear poised to miss the NFL playoffs for a second straight season, considering the quarterback options they have. Newton led the Patriots to a 7-9 campaign last year, and Mac Jones will be learning his first NFL lessons.
The New York Jets have had two winning seasons since their 2010 NFL campaign. Based on those odds alone, it would be safe to say that the Jets are in for a rough NFL season in 2021. Nevertheless, there is a ray of hope for quarterback Zach Wilson. As a rookie starting fresh with few other pieces on the roster, he could be in store for a season of rough lessons and losing games in the process.
#6 AFC South
The Tennessee Titans are perennial NFL playoff contenders. They went 11-5 in 2020 and could easily have a repeat campaign in 2021. Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and AJ Brown are back as well. Tannehill's winning record in three of the last four seasons also gives fans hope that the Titans could win the division in 2021.
The Indianapolis Colts have high hopes for Carson Wentz. They will hope that pairing him with his old offensive coordinator in Frank Reich will re-unlock the potential of Wentz. That would be a big roll of the dice, but if that pays off, the Colts could have a franchise quarterback for the next ten years. At his peak, Carson Wentz is good for around a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and about 3500 yards, based on past stats.
The Houston Texans are in serious trouble at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson is practically gone, Tyrod Taylor will likely be starting, and the Texans reached on a quarterback in the NFL Draft this year.
Taylor has not been a starting quarterback since 2017. Backup quarterback, Davis Mills' last campaign in college saw him throw for seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Basically, the Texans could be in the running for a top pick in December.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of a rebuild. They have a new coach in Urban Meyer and a new quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. As amazing as Lawrence was in college, he is unlikely to save an NFL franchise on his own in his rookie season.
The team is also creating their own issues by signing Tim Tebow as a tight end. As long as they keep beating themselves, they will not win in the NFL.
#7 NFC North
Assuming Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be out of Green Bay by the time the season starts, the surrounding roster will be exposed and Jordan Love could be in for a rough de facto rookie campaign. However, if Rodgers returns, this division would be ranked a few spots higher.
The Chicago Bears are rebuilding at the quarterback position. After the failed Mitchell Trubisky experiment, the Bears will be going with Andy Dalton to buy time for Justin Fields. Most of the time, when teams use this tactic, they find themselves out of the playoffs in that season. However, after Fields eventually gets on the field and takes his lumps, the quarterback will be in a great position to break out in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings are in a tough position. They paid an arm and a leg to Kirk Cousins, but the team has been lukewarm, at best. They've failed to win the division and have only won over nine games once since 2018. It feels like a do-or-die year for Cousins, as the Green Bay Packers might be at their weakest in decades.
The Detroit Lions have been almost guaranteed to miss the NFL playoffs each season over the last three decades. Since 1992, the Lions have not won a single NFL playoff game. In a desperate move, the Lions shipped Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff. Whether Goff turns out to be a catalyst to save two NFL franchises remains to be seen, though.
#8 NFC East
The Washington Football Team is rolling with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting quarterback in 2021. It has been five years since Fitzpatrick was the unchallenged starter. The last season when he started was with the New York Jets, where he ended up throwing 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Would history repeat itself, or would Ryan Fitzpatrick be able to put together one more season like in 2015? As a starter for the Jets in 2015, Fitzpatrick threw 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
The New York Giants are coming off a 6-10 campaign that was supposed to be Daniel Jones' year to prove the doubters wrong. Instead, he threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The 2021 NFL season looks equally bleak for the young quarterback. Since 2012, the New York Giants have made the NFL playoffs, and that drought looks set to continue this year as well.
The Dallas Cowboys will be the likely winners of this NFL division this season. That's because Dak Prescott will be healthy and return to his elements. In 2019, he threw 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Before his injury in 2020, Dak Prescott tallied nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles appear to be a shadow of their former selves. They finished 4-11-1 in their 2020 campaign and openly tanked on prime time in Week 17. Will Jalen Hurts surprise the NFL world in 2021? The addition of DeVonta Smith in the NFL draft may not impact the team going into 2021, though.