NFL Schedule 2021: 5 bold predictions for the upcoming season

With the NFL schedule for the 2021 season now revealed, it's time for some predictions.

While predictions like Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes will battle for the MVP award are timid, the predictions below are much more intrepid, with some teethering on the edge of impossible.

5 Bold Predictions for 2021 NFL season

Here are some audacious predictions for the upcoming NFL season.

#1 - Washington Football Team will make the playoffs

At first glance, this seems like a conservative prediction, considering the Washington Football Team made the playoffs last season. However, a closer look shows that it won't be that easy this time around.

The Dallas Cowboys were marred by injuries last season, none more significant than Dak Prescott's gruesome leg injury. Had the quarterback's season not succumbed to an injury, the Washington Football Team would not have made the NFL playoffs.

But despite Prescott's return this season, the Washington Football Team will definitely make it to the playoffs by winning the division or earning a Wild Card spot.

#2 - Carson Wentz will lead the Colts to the AFC Championship Game

Carson Wentz’s blindside is going to be very well protected with #Colts. pic.twitter.com/JKo44mtsTT

— Locked On Colts Podcast (@LockedOnColts) May 10, 2021

Carson Wentz will revive his career under Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich and take the league by storm this upcoming season.

He'll put together an MVP-caliber season and succeed Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck as the Colts' new franchise quarterback.

The Philadelphia Eagles had it right with Reich and Wentz and will be enviously looking on from home in January.

#3 - New England Patriots will finish fourth in the AFC East

Average ticket price for the the Buccaneers-Patriots’ game in New England on Oct. 3 is $1,370, with prices as high as $12,000 on Ticketmaster, according to Vivid Seats. pic.twitter.com/KiF5LjEQxv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 14, 2021

With a roster in a state of flux, even the biggest dump of cash for NFL free-agent talent will be unable to save this once-great NFL franchise.

The New England Patriots will fall on their faces for a second consecutive season and will finish behind everyone else in the division. The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills will finish with six or more wins and the Patriots will finish with fewer than five.

Cam Newton will be benched by early October and Mac Jones will have a rough NFL rookie season. If the Patriots have another poor season, will head coach Bill Belichick stick around for the rebuild or take his talents elsewhere?

#4 - Green Bay Packers make it to Super Bowl... with Jordan Love

At face value, this is a ridiculously bold prediction. However, it isn't too big of a stretch. This prediction assumes that Aaron Rodgers either sits out or gets traded.

In Rodgers' absence, Jordan Love will take over the reins in Green Bay. Typically, the Packers like to sit their quarterbacks for a couple of seasons, which is why they drafted Love even though Rodgers went deep in the playoffs.

If Love is as good as the Packers' last two franchise quarterbacks, he can step into the role and lead a fresh, new offense deep in the playoffs. The new scheme that comes with him could catch defenses off guard and lead him to an NFL Super Bowl.

#5 - Kansas City Chiefs' offense falls off a cliff

Patrick Mahomes

Odd events tend to follow explosive offenses at the end of their reign of terror in the NFL. Whether it is an aging roster, an exposed scheme or a new weakness, every offense slows down eventually.

The Los Angeles Rams are the latest instance of a top-tier offense hitting a brick wall. Not too long ago, they were the NFL's unstoppable offensive juggernaut. Now they have a new quarterback and are trying to salvage their dominance.

The Rams first ran into issues after facing Tom Brady in one of the lowest-scoring Super Bowls ever. The Kansas City Chiefs are also coming off an ugly Super Bowl defeat against Tom Brady, where their offense mysteriously vanished.

The Chiefs' offense has gone as far as it could in its current incarnation and will need to get worse before it gets better.