Every NFL season keeps us guessing with its fair share of occasional upsets and surprises, but the NFL 2021 is special in that regard. It has managed to provide us with enough surprises to keep the season memorable in our minds for years to come. Although there are likely more shocks waiting for us down the line, here are some of the biggest ones so far in 2021.
Arizona Cardinals’ Unbelievable Comeback in 2021
The Cardinals ended up in the 14th position last season with a .500 PCT. In 2021, they went on a 7 – 0 win streak from the very first week. As of late November, they are standing on top of the League Table with a .818 PCT, thanks to winning 9 out of 11 games so far! Nobody expected the Cardinals to lead the NFL 2021 League Table, and yet that’s where they likely will stay for the rest of the season as well. If they manage to win the Super Bowl this year, it would be a massive upset for so many reasons.
Carolina Panthers Breaks Cardinal’s Win Streak
The Carolina Panthers ended up 5 – 11 (.313 PCT) last season and they are not doing that great in 2021 either. At the end of Week 11, they are 5 – 6 (0.455 PCT). However, all that did not stop the Panthers from halting Arizona’s unprecedented win streak by giving them the taste of their first loss. The same team that lost 3 – 25 to the Giants (0.300 PCT) in Week 7, somehow managed to stop the undefeated, League topping Arizona Cardinals in Week 10, convincingly beating them 34 – 10!
Consider the fact that the Panthers had lost 6 – 24 to the Patriots (0.636 PCT) in Week 9 and even lost 21 – 27 against the Washington Football Team (0.400 PCT) in Week 11. It is as if they rose to the occasion for one match just to surprise us all with a highly unlikely result. As fans found it out the hard way, it is of absolute importance to stay updated with the week by week predictions, instead of simply relying on past results or even present rankings in 2021. It’s been a volatile season and that is not likely to change anytime soon.
Tom Brady is Getting Even Better at 44!
To say that Tom Brady is an excellent quarterback would be a huge understatement. The man won his 5th Super Bowl MVP just last year at 43, in what was his first-ever season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Surprisingly wonderful as that was, very few people expected that Brady would be doing even better a year later.
Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase about age being just a number. At the end of Week 11, the veteran QB is leading with 29 touchdowns, and 26-year-old Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) is in 2nd position so far with 25 touchdowns. Mahomes has more pass yards (3,200 yds) than Brady (3,177), but the difference between them is only 23 yards now.
Rise of the Rams
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After the 2020 season was over, the Los Angeles Rams ended up at the 12th position with 10 wins and 6 losses (0.625). This year, the Rams are ahead of the defending champions (Tampa Buccaneers) already. With a 0.700 PCT, the Rams are also ahead of the Chiefs and the Patriots in November 2021. So, what is making the Los Angeles Rams perform so well this year? The answer is their new QB Matthew Stafford, who is only behind Brady and Mahomes in terms of performance during the season so far. Had it not been for two consecutive losses against the Tennessee Titans (16 – 28) and the San Francisco 49ers (10 – 31) during Weeks 9 and 10 respectively, the Rams would be even higher up on the league table.
The 2021 – 22 NFL Season was going to be an unusual one anyway with 17 games being scheduled for each team, instead of the usual 16 games per team. Thanks to unexpected outcomes and upsets, many are calling it the most interesting season in recent NFL history already.
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