NFL Playoffs 2021: Contenders and pretenders with all 14 teams
2021 NFL Playoffs Contender: Buffalo Bills
No team is hotter right now than the Bills and many people think they’re the best team in the AFC heading into the playoffs despite not being the No. 1 seed. In years past, the Bills would have had a bye week this weekend and that would have made them even more dangerous, but now they have to host the Colts in their first home playoff game in over two decades.
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Josh Allen is a huge reason why the Bills are contenders. He’s playing at an MVP level and the Bills are really looking like a complete team at the best possible time. If the Bills do have to travel to Arrowhead to play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, they’ll likely be feeling pretty good about their chances. No team is hotter than the Bills and this is the best time for a team to be getting red hot.
2021 NFL Playoffs Pretender: Cleveland Browns
What the Browns accomplished this year is incredible and the fans have every reason to be psyched. Unfortunately, the Browns aren’t poised to make a deep run in their first playoff appearance in nearly two decades. They’ll have to play division rival Pittsburgh this week, who rested their key starters last week, and that defense is going to eat against this Browns offense.
Throw in that head coach Kevin Stefanski won’t be able to coach the game due to testing positive for COVID-19 and the Browns could have an early exit from the playoffs. Somehow, I doubt the fans mind all that much, though, as simply getting there was an accomplishment in itself.