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With a new football season soon to be upon us, all eyes will be on the heavyweight title contenders heading into the 2021 NFL season. Now that it is widely expected for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers to make a deep playoff run, there will be plenty of sleeper teams next season with the potential to make a surprise run to the Super Bowl.
If there's one thing that's certain in this league, it's that success in the regular season means absolutely nothing come playoff time. It's win or go home and you only get one game to prove yourself, otherwise it's better luck next year.
Having said all this, let's take a look at three dark-horse Super Bowl contenders nobody is talking about heading into the 2021 NFL season.
Los Angeles Chargers
After witnessing a record-setting season from rookie sensation Justin Herbert, the Chargers are ready to take the next step and make their way to the NFL Playoffs. With deep threats in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, a reliable dual-threat running back in Austin Ekeler, and savvy veteran tight end Jared Cook, the Chargers have the depth and firepower to catapult their way into the elite of the NFL next season.
Plus, the addition of Rashawn Slater gives the Chargers' offensive line a huge boost and will be able to provide Herbert with better protection. Their defensive front and elite secondary also should not be taken lightly, especially with talents like Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Chris Harris Jr., and Asante Samuel Jr. making a huge impact for them on that end of the field.
In a deep and talented AFC, the Chargers could make a ton of noise next season and shock the entire football world. The biggest challenge for them will be overcoming the current kings of the AFC West in the Kansas City Chiefs. With that in mind, the Los Angeles Chargers could be one of the fun surprises of the 2021 NFL season.
Arizona Cardinals
With Kyler Murray continually making strides and improvements each season, it won't be long before he finds himself in the conversation for league MVP. This is especially true after he formed one of the best quarterback/wide receiver combos in the league with DeAndre Hopkins last season. Now with A.J. Green coming on board and Christian Kirk continually developing his game, the Cardinals will boast one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.
On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals added J.J. Watt to an already deep and dynamic defensive unit that features Chandler Jones, Budda Baker, and Jordan Phillips. Given the explosive talent they have on both sides of the field, this up-and-coming Cardinals squad could put the entire league on notice and possibly make a run to the Super Bowl.
Washington Football Team
After winning the NFC East last season and going toe-to-toe with the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, the Washington Football Team will be primed to make a Super Bowl run next season. Aiming to build off last season's success, Washington is hoping to get their quarterback situation sorted out between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinecke.
With Logan Thomas making his case for one of the best tight ends in the league, and Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin both set to have big seasons, the Washington Football Team is slowly inching their way into the status of dark-horse Super Bowl contender. Not to mention the additions of Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries will only add to their depth at wide receiver.
Plus with 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young, Ryan Kerrigan, Jon Bostic, and Landon Collins leading the charge for them on defense, Washington has tons of talent on both sides of the ball and will be a nightmare matchup for anybody they cross paths with. Currently boasting one of the league's most dominant defensive units, this team is for real. Iif they can figure out their starting quarterback and run a consistently good offense throughout the regular season, the sky is the limit for this upstart Washington Football Team.
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Now that so many teams are in the spotlight or have a target on their backs heading into the 2021 NFL season, it allows for these three dark-horse Super Bowl contenders to fly under the radar all year long. In what's set to be another exciting football season, these teams could be three fun surprises that no one will see coming.
Given how unpredictable this sport can be, it would come as no surprise if one or two of these teams came up in the playoffs next year and shocked the world. That's the excitement of the NFL that makes the games so joyous, and the element of surprise is what keeps people coming back for more.
