New NFL Season Brings Teams Hope

Every NFL team enters the 2021 season with a trip to Los Angeles and Super Bowl LVI in mind, and here are a few reasons why.

In 2020, both the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North) and Washington Football Team (NFC East) won their division after missing the postseason in 2019 and at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 years.

Since 1990 – a streak of 31 consecutive seasons – at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before. Seven teams that missed the postseason in 2019 – Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Washington – accomplished the feat in 2020.

The TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS won their second Super Bowl title in 2020 and begin their quest to repeat as champions as the race to Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl LVI kicks off. Only eight teams have repeated as champions since the first Super Bowl in 1967, with the 2004 Patriots (Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX) being the last team to accomplish the feat.

Seven teams enter the NFL season with a new head coach – DAN CAMPBELL in Detroit, DAVID CULLEY in Houston, URBAN MEYER in Jacksonville, ROBERT SALEH with the New York Jets, NICK SIRIANNI with Philadelphia, ARTHUR SMITH with Atlanta and BRANDON STALEY with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Seven NFL head coaches in their first year with a new club have led their teams to the NFL playoffs over the last four seasons: RON RIVERA (Washington) and KEVIN STEFANSKI (Cleveland) in 2020, MATT LAFLEUR (Green Bay) in 2019, MATT NAGY (Chicago) and FRANK REICH (Indianapolis) in 2018, and SEAN MCVAY (L.A. Rams) and SEAN MCDERMOTT (Buffalo) in 2017.

Five quarterbacks – Clemson's TREVOR LAWRENCE (No. 1 overall, Jacksonville), BYU's ZACH WILSON (No. 2, New York Jets), North Dakota State's TREY LANCE (No. 3, San Francisco), Ohio State's JUSTIN FIELDS (No. 11, Chicago) and Alabama's MAC JONES (No. 15, New England) – were selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

At least one rookie quarterback has started in Week 1 in 13 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in the NFL since at least 1950.

Several notable NFL players were on the move during the offseason, including quarterbacks JARED GOFF (Detroit) and MATTHEW STAFFORD (Los Angeles Rams); running backs JAMES CONNER (Arizona) and KENYAN DRAKE (Las Vegas); wide receivers COREY DAVIS (New York Jets) and KENNY GOLLADAY (New York Giants); tight ends HUNTER HENRY (New England) and JONNU SMITH (New England); offensive linemen ORLANDO BROWN (Kansas City), TRENT BROWN (New England), COREY LINSLEY (L.A. Chargers) and JOE THUNEY (Kansas City); defensive linemen TREY HENDRICKSON (Cincinnati), YANNICK NGAKOUE (Las Vegas) and J.J. WATT (Arizona); linebackers BUD DUPREE (Tennessee) and HAASON REDDICK (Carolina); and defensive backs MALCOLM BUTLER (Arizona), KYLE FULLER (Denver), MIKE HILTON (Cincinnati) and JOHN JOHNSON (Cleveland).

NFL Teams that Go From Worst to First

Competitive balance, one of the hallmarks of the NFL, gives fans hope entering each season. In 16 of the past 18 seasons, at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. In fact, of the 49 teams in league history to go from "worst-to-first," 26 of them have done so in the past 18 years (2003-20), including an NFL-record three such teams in 2005 and 2006.

Two teams during that span, the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, won the Super Bowl after finishing in last place in their division the season before.

Since 2003, the NFL's 26 teams to go from "worst-to-first" in their division are the most among the four major professional sports leagues in the United States.

In the NBA, only four teams since the 2003-04 season have finished first in their division after placing in last or tied for last the previous season. There have been seven such teams to accomplish the feat in the past 18 seasons in both the MLB and the NHL.

NFL Teams Division Titles are Always Up For Grabs

In the 19 seasons since realignment in 2002, 30 different teams have won division titles. In 2020, five divisions – AFC East (Buffalo), AFC North (Pittsburgh), AFC South (Tennessee), NFC East (Washington) and NFC West (Seattle) – saw a new team finish in first place.

Both the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North) and Washington Football Team (NFC East) won their division after missing the postseason in 2019 and at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 years.

Washington completed the "worst-to-first" turnaround, winning the NFC East the season after finishing in last place in the division. At least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 16 of the past 18 seasons.

A New NFL Season Always Brings Hope to Each & Every NFL Team