1) The battle for the first choice of the 2021 draft between the Jets and the Jaguars
The New York Jets recorded their first victory of the season this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, resetting the counters in the race for the first choice of the 2021 draft. Indeed, the Jets now have the same record as the Jacksonville Jaguars , 1 victory for 13 losses, and there are two games left for each team to secure the worst record in the league, synonymous with the first choice of the 2021 draft. And if we talk so much about this first draft choice it is because At the key, there is Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback of Clemson, announced as the next great pitcher of the NFL, a nugget with the undeniable talent capable of changing the destiny of a team.
The Jets and the Jaguars being two teams without a reliable quarterback, Trevor Lawrence is the chosen one for these two franchises and that’s why the victory of the Jets was not well received by the fans on the social networks, them who preferred a winless season to be sure to get the first pick in the draft. To close the season, the Jets will host the Browns and then travel to Boston to face the Patriots, while the Jaguars will host the Bears and go to Indianapolis to face the Colts, four games that are easily ‘lost’ for both teams.
2) Pittsburgh-Cleveland face-to-face in the AFC North
As Pittsburgh quietly headed for a division title with 11 wins in 11 games, three straight losses saw Cleveland return to a Steelers win with two days remaining. With a record of 10 wins for 4 losses, the Browns are not officially in the play-offs but a victory would be enough to secure a place for the playoffs. Above all, the Browns face the Jets this weekend, a meeting they must win before they host … the Steelers.
The Steelers will not have an easy opponent this weekend with the reception of the Indianapolis Colts (10v. 4d.), Who remain on three consecutive victories. Thus, Cleveland can hope to win its first division title since 1989!
3) The outcome of the NFC East
The only division without a team with a positive record, the NFC East has still not found its champion, and the four teams that make it up are still in the race to win the title.
With a record of 6 wins for 8 losses, the Washington Football Team is the favorite team. First, with the best current record, two wins or one win and one loss for the New York Giants is enough to clinch the division title. Then, Washington has the most affordable schedule with the reception of the Carolina Panthers, already eliminated from the play-offs race, then a trip to Philadelphia which has the worst record in the NFC East and is almost eliminated.
Nevertheless, if Washington were to lose its two meetings, the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, 5 wins and 9 losses each, will have the possibility of finishing first but for that it will imperatively be necessary to finish on a clear round.
Finally, Philadelphia is still in the race but it would take an incredible combination of circumstances to see them in the NFC play-offs. The race promises to be tight until the end, and everything could be played out on the 17th and final day.
4) Will Lamar Jackson go to the play-offs?
Will the reigning MVP still be in outfit on January 9? Lamar Jackson has lived a hectic season: disappointing performance, absence for Covid … the Baltimore Ravens pitcher is not sure of playing the play-offs and this despite a good start to the season, where his team had won five of the first six meetings.
Except then, the Ravens chained the bad performances, and a series of three consecutive defeats during the month of November greatly complicated things. At the same time, the Ravens’ workforce was hit hard by the Covid-19, forcing some executives, including Lamar Jackson, to be unavailable during important meetings.
The storm passed, the Ravens have recovered and John Harbaugh’s team are on a three-game winning streak. Lamar Jackson is also well back and made one of the performances of the season against the Cleveland Browns: 11/17 passing for 163 yards, 1 touchdown, 9 races for 124 yards.
The Ravens end the season with the reception of the New York Giants then a trip to Cincinnati, two teams with a negative record that it will be imperative to beat if Lamar Jackson and the Ravens do not want to watch the play-offs from their sofas.
5) The distance duel between Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers for the title of MVP
This season’s MVP duel is one of the most exciting to watch in recent years. Neither Patrick Mahomes nor Aaron Rodgers have really taken off the other two days from the end of the regular season. On the one hand, one makes one of the greatest career starts in history at 25 and some even consider him to be on the groundwork to become the greatest quarterback of all time. On the other, a 37-year-old player who despite his age is playing the best football of his career and is adding a new chapter to a career that will take him straight to the Hall of Fame.
Already MVP in 2018, Patrick Mahomes is on a roll that can allow him to do even better in almost all statistical categories. This season, Mahomes threw for 4,462 yards gained, more than 450 units ahead of his runner-up, and scored 36 touchdowns. All this while conceding only 5 interceptions in 544 throws. Above all, the MVP title takes into account the collective record a lot and the Chiefs simply have the best record in the league: 13 wins for a single loss.
Aaron Rodgers, already named MVP in 2011 and 2014, never ceases to impress. At 37, Rodgers could set a new personal best for touchdowns (48) and passing yards (4,535). He is currently the one who threw the most touchdowns this season (40) and the fewest interceptions (4) while completing 3,828 yards on the pass.
Additionally, Aaron Rodgers has broken several historic records this season. He became the first quarterback to reach the 400 pass touchdown mark so quickly, setting the record in 193 games, 12 less than the record-breaking New Orleans Saints pitcher Drew Brees. Rodgers also became the first quarterback in history last Saturday to hit the 40 pass touchdown mark in three different seasons.
With the statistics box checked, Rodgers also fills in the balance sheet box. The Packers took advantage of the misstep of the Saints to seize the head of the NFC and thus perfect their collective record.
Voters will therefore have to choose between the best player of the best team in the NFC and the best player of the best team in the AFC to designate the MVP. With the statistics of the two quarterbacks almost identical, Mahomes has a small advantage over Rodgers with the better record at the moment which could be the deciding factor between the two players when it comes to voting.
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