With the most notable free agents already signed, and the NFL Draft next week, breaking news of the offseason will soon dwindle. Taking that into account, let's focus our attention on the regular season by looking at the projected win totals for all NFL teams.
Here is a list of every team's projected win totals for the 2021 NFL season according to Williams Hill Sportsbook:
Williams Hill has released its projected win totals for the 2021 NFL season.
Top totals:
1. Chiefs: 12
2. Bucs: 11.5
T-3. Packers/Ravens: 11
T-5. Bills/Rams: 10.5Lowest totals:
T-1. Lions/Texans: 5
T-3. Jets/Jaguars: 6
5. Bengals: 6.5 pic.twitter.com/8OT1YGoz1d— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 16, 2021
Of course, some of these win totals come as no surprise. Like the Kansas City Chiefs who have the highest projected win total of 12 games. Or the Houston Texans who are tied for the lowest win total of five games.
Nonetheless, there are some teams that have been underestimated by these projected win totals. So, here are three teams that will go over their 2021 projected win total.
Arizona Cardinals
The first team on the list is the Arizona Cardinals. Currently, the Cardinals are projected to win eight out of 17 games. There is a multitude of reasons why the Cardinals won't finish the 2021 season with a record 8-9.
Reason number one is that through free agency the Cardinals got better. Arizona started free agency by signing one of the biggest names on the market in J.J. Watt. Now, Watt is paired with a premier pass rusher in Chandler Jones, who is returning from a biceps injury this season. Bolstering the defensive line should only help a team that was top ten against the pass last season.
On the offensive side of things, quarterback Kyler Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury are in their third year together. Since coming in together, the quarterback and play-caller have improved the Cardinals' offense each season. Arizona leaped from 21st in yards per game in 2019, to sixth in 2020.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 5-2 record last season before winning just three of their last nine games. After that experience, expect Arizona to value every game. Especially considering that they play in the NFC West where every game is important in order to win the division.
Cleveland Browns
Second on the list is the Cleveland Browns who had a breakout season last year. Cleveland made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The Browns projected win total is 10 games, which is the same amount of wins they had last season. However, they're a better team than they were last season.
In free agency, Cleveland added to their secondary by acquiring two defensive backs in Troy Hill and John Johnson III. Both were a part of the highly touted Los Angeles Rams secondary last season. The Browns' talent is unquestioned, as they now have 10 first-round picks on the roster.
With all this talent, how far the Browns go falls upon the shoulders of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Fortunately, Mayfield didn't have to weather any coaching changes this offseason. This will be the first time in his career that Mayfield will have the same offensive system for consecutive seasons.
In addition to continuity, Mayfield will benefit from the return of Odell Beckham Jr, who is still one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. Beckham Jr is the big-play receiver Cleveland needs in order to open up everything else on offense.
The Browns trail the Baltimore Ravens in terms of betting odds to win the AFC North. Well, don't be surprised if Cleveland not only surpasses their projected win total but win the AFC North in the process.
New England Patriots
The third and final team is the New England Patriots who have a projected win total of nine games. Following last season the Patriots should've been expected to be on this list for many reasons. First, New England is one of the best-run organizations in the NFL so it's only a matter of time before they return to their winning ways.
Secondly, the Patriots were surprisingly the biggest spender in free agency this year. New England spent an NFL record $159.6 million to improve their roster. This must be noted because the Patriots won seven games last year with a roster they clearer believed was lacking in a lot of areas.
Most of the free agency money was spent on offensive weapons. Additions like Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and others should improve the production of quarterback Cam Newton. The former MVP had one of his worst seasons statically last year due to his surroundings. But now with a full array of offensive weapons and being in his second year with the team, Newton should be more impressive this season.
On top of the free agent acquisitions, the Patriots are getting back seven players who opted out to play in the 2020 season. Most notably starters Dont'a Hightower and Marcus Cannon are returning to play in 2021. No coach is better equipped to handle this new influx of talent than Bill Belichick. His coaching will be the main reason New England goes over their projected win total.
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