2021 NFL Predictions From Sports Illustrated's Team Site Publishers

The 2021 NFL season is set to kick off on Thursday night, with a full slate of games this weekend that starts the 17-game journey to the playoffs. Can the Vikings follow their traditional pattern under Mike Zimmer and bounce back from a disappointing 2020 campaign by reaching the postseason?

Starting on Sunday in Cincinnati, we'll find out. Optimism among the fanbase appears to be higher than the team's national perception, which isn't an unusual preseason phenomenon for teams in the middle of the pack in the NFL.

28 of Sports Illustrated and Fan Nation's team site publishers were asked this week to submit their predictions for order of finish in each division, wild card teams, conference finalists, and the Super Bowl.

Every single one had the Vikings finishing second or third in the NFC North, with the Packers unanimously picked to win the division and the Lions unanimously picked to come in last. 22 of the 28 predictors had the Vikings finishing second, with the other six taking the Bears to finish as division runners-up. Only eight of the 28 ballots included the Vikings as a wild-card playoff team.

For the record, I think the Vikings go 10-7 and make the postseason as the No. 6 or 7 seed, but I wouldn't count them out of the division race entirely.

Here are the picks I submitted, followed by the publisher consensus.

My picks

AFC EAST

1. Buffalo

2. New England

3. Miami

4. N.Y. Jets

AFC NORTH

1. Baltimore

2. Cleveland

3. Pittsburgh

4. Cincinnati

AFC SOUTH

1. Tennessee

2. Indianapolis

3. Jacksonville

4. Houston

AFC WEST

1. Kansas City

2. Denver

3. L.A. Chargers

4. Las Vegas

AFC wild cards: Cleveland, Denver, New England

AFC Championship Game: Buffalo over Kansas City

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. L.A. Rams

2. Seattle

3. San Francisco

4. Arizona

NFC wild cards: Seattle, San Francisco, Minnesota

NFC Championship Game: Seattle over Tampa Bay

Super Bowl: Buffalo over Seattle

Consensus picks

(* 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

SUPER BOWL WINNER

KC — 8

BUF — 7

TB — 7

GB — 4

CLE — 1

NO — 1

SUPER BOWL LOSERS

GB — 6

TB — 5

CLE — 4

KC — 4

BUF — 4

LAR — 3

ARI — 1

SEA — 1

AFC CHAMP APPEARANCES

BUF — 22

KC — 22

CLE — 8

TEN — 2

BALT — 1

PIT — 1

NFC CHAMP APPEARANCES

TB — 25

GB — 18

LAR — 9

SEA — 2

NO — 1

ARI — 1

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