The 2020-21 NFL season is almost at the halfway point, and lots of questions that needed answers nine weeks ago are still mysteries. For instance, who is the best wide receiver in the league? Answers on a postcard, please! Of course, some things never change, such as the Kansas City Chiefs cruising to the AFL title and (potentially) another fairytale ending at the Superbowl. And, the New York Jets continuing their horrific form, becoming the first franchise to begin a season 0-9 with a loss to the Patriots on Monday night. But there’s still a lot of football to be played, so anything can happen, but heading into the second half of the season run-in here’s what we know.
Betting Companies Are Unsure of the NFL Favorites
Prior to the campaign officially starting, the usual suspects were at the top of the betting markets. They included the Chiefs, San Fransisco 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints. With thirteen fixtures to play in week nine, and with eight weeks left until the end of the regular season, the lines moved this week and left only the Chiefs as the remaining pre-season favorites to make it into the Super Bowl odds category. After poor and inconsistent starts, respectively, you can now get +3300 for the 49ers and +1400 for the Saints. Not many fans or experts would have predicted this, which goes to show the unpredictability of the season so far.
The Old Timers Still Have It
To look at the three of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time this season in Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger, you might not have given any of them a chance. Brady, of course, was supposed to be out of his comfort zone in Tampa without help from Belichick, while Roethlisberger and Wilson have had unproductive seasons in their last couple of campaigns. However, the veterans of the National Football League are proving that the old dogs have life left in them as they propel their franchises to the top of their respective tables. They have lost three games between them all year – the Steelers are 7-0 – and Wilson is on course to score the most touchdowns in a season in NFL history. If that wasn’t enough, Brady regained the all-time touchdown record from Drew Brees against the New York Giants last week.
The NFC East Is a Mess
From a success story to the exact opposite! There’s no other way to describe the NFC East than as a mess. Currently, the Eagles lead with a record of 3-4-1, with Washington, the Cowboys and the Giants all trailing behind. In week seven, the East was the first division without a team that had won three games, and Dallas, who are third in the division, still have a 35% chance of making it to the play-offs. Unfortunately, the dumpster fire that is the NFC East isn’t an anomaly in 2020. Sadly, it’s been this way for the past couple of seasons, which has led to the unfortunate stat of having the worse record through the first five games of every franchise’s season since the 1984 AFC Central. What is the AFC Central, you ask? Exactly.
Whatever happens by week seventeen, there’s no arguing that this season has been one of the most unpredictable and watchable in a while. Long may that continue.
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