SI NFL Team-by-Team Predictions: Can Cowboys Win Super Bowl?
If you're a fan of things staying the same, and against league parity, you'll enjoy the 2021 version of the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City, and Buffalo Bills made up the NFL's final four last season, so it makes sense that they would enter 2021 as favorites to win their division and maybe make another deep run in the playoffs.
Yes, it appears it's almost inevitable that the 2021 playoffs will look an awful lot like the 2020 version.
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We sought out predictions from other SI Fan Nation journalists and seven have the exact same final four for the 2021 season; 15 have a Buffalo-Kansas City rematch in the AFC Championship Game; 15 have a Green Bay-Tampa Bay rematch in the NFC Championship Game.
In terms of the Super Bowl, the predictions produced only three different AFC teams appearing in the big game: of course, Buffalo and Kansas City, with Cleveland as the third team. The NFC has six different representatives, with the Rams, Cardinals, Saints, and the Seahawks joining the Buccaneers and Packers.
Three divisions produced a unanimous projected winner — Kansas City, Green Bay, and Tampa Bay — and Buffalo came within one vote of making it four.
Conversely, every SI Fan Nation journalist involved had the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Detroit Lions coming in last in the AFC East, AFC North, and NFC North, respectively. Only one SI Fan Nation journalist kept Houston from being a unanimous last-place choice in the AFC South.
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The most contested race, based on the predictions of the team publishers/editors, will be in the NFC West, where each team got at least one first-place and only one point separated the 49ers and Rams based on a formula of one point for a first-place finish, two for second place, etc., and the lowest point total being the highest predicted finish.
With regards to the NFC East, the Cowboys received nine first-place votes, 15 second-place votes, five third-place votes but no last-place votes. Washington Football Team received more first-place votes with 20, eight second-place votes, one third-place vote, and no last-place votes. The Giants were voted third in the division with no first-place votes, five second-place votes, 11 third-place votes, and 13 last-place votes, with Philadelphia bringing up the rear with no first-place votes, three second-place votes, 10 third-place votes, and 16 last-place votes.
Using our points system mentioned above, using the predictions from our other SI Fan Nation publishers, the NFC East breaks down this way:
Washington Football Team: 41 Points
Dallas Cowboys: 53 Points
New York Giants: 97 Points
Philadelphia Eagles: 100 Points
Here are our CowboysSI NFL division predictions, followed by the SI Fan Nation consensus:
AFC EAST
1. Buffalo
2. Miami
3. New England
4. N.Y. Jets
AFC NORTH
1. Cleveland
2. Baltimore
3. Pittsburgh
4. Cincinnati
AFC SOUTH
1. Tennessee
2. Indianapolis
3. Jacksonville
4. Houston
AFC WEST
1. Kansas City
2. Las Vegas
3. L.A. Chargers
4. Denver
AFC wild cards: Baltimore, Indianapolis, Miami
AFC Championship Game: Kansas City over Buffalo
NFC EAST
1. Washington
2. Dallas
3. N.Y. Giants
4. Philadelphia
NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay
2. Chicago
3. Minnesota
4. Detroit
NFC SOUTH
1. Tampa Bay
2. New Orleans
3. Atlanta
4. Carolina
NFC WEST
1. L.A. Rams
2. San Francisco
3. Seattle
4. Arizona
NFC wild cards: Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago
NFC Championship Game: Tampa Bay over L.A. Rams
Super Bowl: Tampa Bay over Kansas City
SI FAN NATION PUBLISHER DIVISION RACES CONSENSUS (*-indicates unanimous)
AFC EAST
1. Buffalo
2. New England
3. Miami
4. N.Y. Jets*
AFC NORTH
1. Cleveland
2. Baltimore
3. Pittsburgh
4. Cincinnati*
AFC SOUTH
1. Tennessee
2. Indianapolis
3. Jacksonville
4. Houston
AFC WEST
1. Kansas City*
2. L.A. Chargers
3. Denver
4. Las Vegas
NFC EAST
1. Washington
2. Dallas
3. N.Y. Giants
4. Philadelphia
NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay*
2. Minnesota
3. Chicago
4. Detroit*
NFC SOUTH
1. Tampa Bay*
2. New Orleans
3. Atlanta
4. Carolina
NFC WEST
1. San Francisco
2. L.A. Rams
3. Seattle
4. Arizona
CONTINUE READING: Can The Cowboys Make History Tonight vs. Tom Brady?
