Good Sports: Five Hail Marys for 2021

It’s that time again! We’re back with some wild predictions for the NFL season, which starts tonight with the reigning champ Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys for the first Thursday Night Football of the year.

As I’ve progressed with this blog, my favorite aspect to relate to sports is to make some wild predictions and hope one of them sticks by the end of the year. So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at some things that are certainly possible, but less likely to happen:

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1) Cleveland Bakes

The hot pick right now is to go with fourth-year quarterback Josh Allen for MVP this year – he did come in second last year with an improved offense and the line guarding him stabilized better in Buffalo than had been seen for two decades. With the team remaining virtually the same, it’s the no-brainer pick to win the award. However, it just feels so easy. While regression isn’t terribly likely to drop Allen off a cliff, I think the entire league anticipates him winning it. This, in turn, gives defenses incentive to knock the prize from his hands. I’m looking at a fellow 2018 draftee to snag the MVP from him, from a team who also broke their massive playoff drought last season. Perhaps because of the extensive history of flaming out at the top position in Cleveland, Baker Mayfield has had an unfair handicap placed at his feet since entering the league in 2018. I think he’s due to finally break through the naysaying and emerge victorious as league MVP.

Good Sports: NFC South

So, I lied to you. Sure, I said I’d try to double up, but the way work was yesterday I never even got a chance to sit down. In fact, I’m standing to type this in the same job the next day. I digress, but I was also so exhausted and sick when I got home last night I couldn’t even get one of the divisions through. Let’s try to get through as many as we can today, shall we? I start with the NFC South, as the Falcons play tonight:

Atlanta Falcons

It’ll be a shame if Matt Ryan and his merry band of compatriots manage to knock off the defending champions in their homecoming game, no? I’d be happy, as a Giants fan, but it’s honestly going to be a tough battle. With one of the toughest defenses, the Eagles are going to have a fine time stopping the likes of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The rest of the season? Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu would love to show that they made the right choice in coming to Atlanta to play alongside one of the best catchers in the sport, Julio Jones. If everyone can stay healthy, they’ll hold their own against the incredible Saints and upstart Panthers. It’s going to be a hell of a year.