Patrick Mahomes will be in the top three in interceptions thrown, but also have the most passing yards in the league
Some are shocked by Patrick Mahomes’ high interceptions total, but I’m not one of them. In 2020, the former MVP had nineteen intercept-able passes dropped, easily the most in the league. Mahomes is a wildly talented player, but he gets too cute sometimes and tries to make the big splash play. He’s continued this habit in 2021, but all those interceptions that were dropped in the past are being caught. All that being said, the Chiefs run game is a disaster. This means he’s going to throw the ball more than anyone else in the league and should comfortably lead the NFL in passing yards.
The Cowboys will get the #1 seed in the NFC, but not win a playoff game
Of the Cowboys’ final eleven games, I would only expect them to be underdogs in just one or two of them. Meaning it’s very likely they’ll finish with a record of 13-4 at least. This should be good enough to get them the top seed or at worst, the second. It won’t end with sunshine and rainbows for America’s team though as they will have to face a tough challenge early in the playoffs. Either the Rams or Cardinals will be a wild card team and the Packers or Buccaneers are battle-tested in the playoffs. Do the Cowboys have the pass rush required to stop those teams? I’m not convinced.
CeeDee Lamb finishes the year in the top five for receiving yards
Not many offenses are as exciting right now as the Cowboys. Dak has this unit clicking on all cylinders and Kellen Moore has been one of the best play-callers this season. Maybe the most exciting player on the team has been CeeDee Lamb, who’s tenth in receiving yards in the NFL with 497. With Amari Cooper banged up and Michael Gallup missing a few games, Lamb has been Dak’s favorite target. Don’t expect his production to decrease. I believe he’s going to get more targets as the Cowboys face plenty of bad defenses down the stretch.
The Lions will not finish the season with the worst record in the league
The Detroit Lions are a truly terrible team with very little talent. Of course, anyone who follows the sport knows that. Tey are the last winless team in the league. Despite this, they do play hard and have been relatively competitive in most of their games this year. They don’t have the easiest schedule down the stretch, but I think they’ll be able to eke out two or three wins. That’s still not a good season, but they will win more games than the Texans and Jets.
Trevor Lawrence figures it out… Justin Fields doesn’t
Lawrence has eight interceptions through the first six games, but only one in the last three. If you watch the Jaguars this year, you’ll see that Lawrence isn’t the problem on offense. He’s had some inconsistent receiver play to go along with the occasional rookie mistake. As he settles in, expect a much better second half of the year. On the other hand, it’s going to be a long year for Fields. His offensive line and play-calling do him no favors, but he just seems unsure and indecisive. He’s thrown for over 200 yards only once in his four starts this season and isn’t making big plays down the field. Over the next few games, he faces tough defenses in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Arizona in addition to star pass rushers in Nick Bosa and Danielle Hunter. Fields could still be great in the future, but 2021 won’t be one to remember.
Glance RPO
Joe Judge doesn’t finish the season as the Giants coach
Jon Gruden was surprisingly the first coach to be relinquished of his duties in 2021, but he won’t be the only coach to be let go during the season. The popular preseason choices for this pick, Matt Nagy and Vic Fangio, have their teams at least in playoff contention, but Joe Judge has the Giants falling fast. By far the worst team in one of the worst divisions in football, the Giants are likely to fire Dave Gettlemen and therefore I believe Judge gets fired once the Giants are out of contention. However, I think he’s a good fit for a college program and will get some interest at that level.
Injuries keep the Browns out of the playoffs
The Browns are giving me some 2020 49ers vibes. Everybody is getting hurt and they are barely being held together at this point. Baker Mayfield’s injury likely won’t heal this year and both of their star running backs are injured. They are a Myles Garrett injury away from this season being a total disaster. The AFC North is also as strong as it has been the last few years, so it’s just bad luck all around in Cleveland.