п»ї2021 NFL Playoff Challenge Fantasy football rankings, best picks: Start Travis Kelce on Championship Weekend.
SportsLine's Mike McClure has revealed his optimal lineups for the NFL Playoff Challenge.
For two decades, Tom Brady was a force in the postseason, leading the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowls and six titles. In his first season at the helm of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady has not only led his new team to within one victory of the 2021 Super Bowl, but has also been one of the strongest 2021 NFL Playoff Challenge picks. Brady threw four touchdowns against Washington on Wild Card Weekend and then had three total TDs against the Saints in the Divisional Round.
As one of the most prolific quarterback-sneak rushers in NFL history and with a potential 3x multiplier on his side, is Brady a must-start in your 2021 NFL Playoff Challenge lineups on Sunday? Who else can you trust with your 2021 NFL Playoff Challenge picks? Before setting any 2021 NFL Playoff Challenge lineups, be sure to see the picks and advice from SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS pro who has won almost $2 million.
McClure uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action in every game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best values that he shares only with members at SportsLine.
He absolutely crushed his DFS picks during the the 2019 NFL regular season, finishing as high as the top 1 percent of tournaments on DraftKings and returning as much as 40x return in some higher-stakes tournaments. He then continued his roll in the postseason, cashing on every single lineup he posted for the divisional round. Anyone who has been following him has seen some huge returns.
Now he's turned his attention to the 2021 NFL Playoff Challenge. Go here to see his full Championship Weekend lineups.
Top NFL Playoff Challenge picks for Championship Weekend 2021.
One of McClure's top NFL Playoff Challenge picks for Championship Weekend 2021: Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The league's top tight end finished the regular season with 1,416 receiving yards on 105 catches with 11 touchdowns. After a rest in Week 17 and a first-round bye, Kelce starred in the Chiefs' Divisional Round game against Cleveland with eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Kelce's output against the Browns was status quo, as he has caught at least seven passes and a touchdown in five straight games and averaged 109.4 yards per outing during that span.
Kelce's Championship Weekend matchup against the Bills is a favorable one, as the former Cincinnati star caught five of seven targets for 65 yards and two touchdowns against Buffalo in Week 6.
How to build 2021 NFL Playoff Challenge lineups.
McClure is also targeting a pick that could go off for big numbers during Championship Weekend because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your NFL Playoff Challenge or going home with nothing. You can see who it is here.
Pro football picks for 2021.
Bill Belichick has selected a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft only once since taking over as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000.
That pick hasn't turned out well.
The Patriots took Arizona State wideout N'Keal Harry with the 32nd overall selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Harry has battled injury throughout his first two pro seasons, and even when he's been on the field, the production has been lacking. He tallied 33 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games during the 2020 campaign.
Curran: Should Harry be part of Pats' WR plans in 2021?
It's no secret the Patriots desperately need an upgrade at wide receiver before next season. The 2021 NFL Draft includes a strong wide receiver class, so it would make perfect sense for New England to target one or two of these players with their 10 picks.
Should they select one of the top wide receivers with their No. 15 pick in the first round? Pro Football Focus' latest 2021 mock draft published earlier this week has the Patriots taking Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in Round 1.
Here's what PFF's Ben Linsey wrote about the Waddle selection for the Patriots:
"If there is one thing that the Patriots offense desperately needs, it is game-changing speed. Waddle provides that. It’s not just the speed that makes him so intriguing as a prospect, though. His biggest strength in the PFF Draft Guide is his 'twitch,' making him all the more difficult to get a hand on in the open field.
"We likely wouldn’t even be talking about Waddle at this portion of the draft if he hadn’t gotten injured last year. In the four games he and Devonta Smith played together this season before the national championship game, Waddle actually outgained Smith, 557 yards to 483, all while averaging 4.7 yards per route run. He’s the kind of dynamic receiving threat the Patriots have been without for the past several seasons."
Curran's RB reset: Key decisions loom at Pats' deepest position.
Waddle tallied 28 receptions for 591 yards with four touchdowns in five games for the Crimson Tide last season. He had ankle surgery in late October and didn't return to the field until the College Football Playoff National Championship Game win over Ohio State last month.
The Patriots have a lot of roster weaknesses to address in the draft. Those needs include wide receiver, left tackle, tight end, defensive tackle, cornerback and, of course, quarterback. The Patriots' skill position group on offense last season arguably was the worst in the league. It won't matter who's playing quarterback in 2021 if there's no top-tier playmaking talent around him.
So, while wide receiver might not be everyone's first choice for the Patriots' first-round pick, it's a position the team must address early in the draft.
PFT’s Super Bowl LV picks.
With one game left, we’re both 9-3 in the playoffs. Someone will claim the postseason crown, because MDS and I disagree on the outcome of Super Bowl LV.
Against the spread, the best I can hope for is a tie. MDS is 7-5, and I’m 6-6.
For our Super Bowl selections, keep read. (Or not; the page view already has registered.)
MDS’s take : Never in NFL history has there been a quarterback matchup better than this one: Tom Brady is polishing off the greatest résumé any NFL player has ever put together, while Patrick Mahomes is the one young quarterback who might plausibly surpass Brady one day. We’re lucky to get to see these two great players, one young and one old, face each other in the Super Bowl.
But it is, of course, about much more than just the quarterbacks. The Chiefs have Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce going up against a Buccaneers secondary that’s young and may not be 100 percent healthy. Kansas City has the ability to create so many mismatches that I just can’t see the Bucs’ defense holding the Chiefs’ offense in check. The Buccaneers do have a good defensive line going up against a banged-up Chiefs offensive line, and that could put a lot of pressure on Mahomes. Bucs defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, in particular, is a player I could see having a big game. But Mahomes is comfortable enough throwing on the run that even if he does face a lot of pressure, I think he’s due for another Super Bowl MVP performance.
Can Brady match that with another Super Bowl MVP performance of his own? I see him falling short. The Chiefs will bring pressure with Chris Jones and Frank Clark, and I see Tyrann Mathieu making some impact plays in the secondary. In the fourth quarter, the Chiefs’ offense will pull away while the Chiefs’ defense shuts down Brady’s final comeback attempt.
MDS’s pick : Chiefs 31, Buccaneers 21.
Florio’s take: I have a dilemma. Before the season began, I picked the Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl. As the Buccaneers prepare to play in the Super Bowl, I’m not so sure the Bucs will win. I predicted a Bucs-Pats matchup in Tampa, and I envisioned Tom Brady’s new team getting the better of his old team. Tampa Bay versus Kansas City presents a different analysis.
The Chiefs have played extremely well as the hunted. They play even better when they are also hunting. That’s why the postseason version of the Chiefs seems to be even better than the regular-season edition.
This year, the regular-season Chiefs were good enough to run up a 17-0 lead in Tampa and then hold on. While the Chiefs may not have similar luck right out of the gates, a more focused and locked-in Chiefs team easily could blow out the Buccaneers. From a pick-your-poison-and-then-be-fed-both-anyway offense featuring Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce catching passing from Patrick Mahomes to a defense with the firepower up front to put maximum pressure on Tom Brady (especially with 2007 Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo drawing up the K.C. defense) and the skill on the back end (led by Tyrann Mathieu) to slow down the Tampa receivers, the Chiefs seem loaded.
But the Buccaneers have Brady a great array of pass-catchers, a couple of very good ballcarriers, and an offensive line that has gotten better and better. The defense has, too, with high-end talent at every level.
Without the defense, the Bucs wouldn’t have gotten past the Saints. Without the defense, the Bucs wouldn’t have survived Brady’s three interceptions in three possessions in Green Bay. Without the defense, the Bucs would have no chance to outscore the Chiefs.
With the defense, the Bucs have a chance. With the defense, someone like Shaq Barrett, Devin White, or Antoine Winfield Jr. can provide the spark that flips the field and/or breaks serve, keeping the Chiefs from scoring and giving the Bucs more points.
In nine prior Super Bowls, Brady has always kept things close. Eight games ended within one score. Two years ago, the Patriots beat the Rams by 10, but the score remained 3-3 with fewer than eight minutes to play.
Although I can see the Chiefs winning, and winning easily, I can’t abandon the Bucs now. Brady, I believe, will keep it close. Brady, I believe, will make a big throw in a big spot. The defense, I believe, will make a big play in a big moment. The Buccaneers, I believe, will manage to look up at the scoreboard when the game is over and see, through the confetti, that they scored more points than the Buccaneers.
Florio’s pick : Buccaneers 30, Chiefs 27.
Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists: My picks for Class of 2021.
Congratulations to the 15 men selected as modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2021. It's an incredible honor, and each of them is among the greatest players in NFL history. Which makes the task of selecting five modern-era candidates for enshrinement seemingly impossible. Especially when you consider two spots have already been spoken for (yes, we'll get to them soon, but you know who they are).
(To learn more about senior finalists Drew Pearson and Tom Flores, click here; to learn more about contributor finalist Bill Nunn, click here.)
Before we dissect my picks for the Hall of Fame's Class of 2021, I'd like to note that this isn't a prediction piece. Because it appears Hall of Fame voters and I have very different definitions when it comes to who should be in the Hall of Fame.
Let's get into it.
THE MORTALEST OF MORTAL LOCKS: Peyton Manning (QB, Colts 1998-2011; Broncos 2012-15) and Charles Woodson (CB/S, Raiders, 1998-2005, 2013-15; Packers, 2006-2012) are both getting in. Manning is considered by some to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and he retired with numerous passing records after winning Super Bowl championships with two different franchises. There is no need to even discuss his candidacy further. Same goes for Woodson, who will add a gold jacket to a personal checklist that already includes a college national championship, a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl title. The only man on this planet who can even try to top that collection of accolades is Roger Staubach, who has a Super Bowl MVP over Woodson but whose Navy team lost to Texas in the national championship. (These two can argue about this after Woodson gets his automatic bid. Oh, and I guess Marcus Allen can jump into this convo, too.)
GUYS WHO SHOULD BE LOCKS: I slotted Calvin Johnson (WR, Lions, 2007-2015) over Charles Woodson when I was ranking the Hall of Fame semifinalists in November, but while I still am confident in Woodson's chances as a great player who went into television (which never hurts), I'm starting to wonder about Megatron's standing in the eyes of voters who get weird about shorter careers. Johnson played nine seasons, choosing to retire on top rather than sticking around longer to pad his stats. But he was a dominant player, a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who holds the single-season receiving-yards record (1,964). Plus, he played for the Lions, which should give him extra consideration. I mean, imagine him catching passes on a Manning-led team throughout his career. We might still be talking about Megatron as the best receiver in NFL history.
Jared Allen (DE, Chiefs, 2004-07; Vikings, 2008-2013; Bears, 2014-15; Panthers, 2015) should be a lock, too. But again, we have to account for the weirdness of those voters who seem to love to make these guys earn it. All that aside, let's not pretend that Allen wasn't one of the best to ever do it. He was a four-time All-Pro who led the NFL in sacks twice. I mean, unless you really don't like mullets, it's tough to think of a real reason to deny him a spot in Canton.
MY FIFTH VOTE WOULD GO TO: I'm still kind of surprised Alan Faneca (G, Steelers, 1998-2007; Jets, 2008-09; Cardinals, 2010) didn't get in last year, given that he was a great player who also played for the Steelers. No disrespect to the Steelers, but playing for that organization seems to help pave the way to Canton. (And if you think I'm talking about Jerome Bettis, you would be absolutely correct.) The voters love their Steelers. So they should do the right thing and get Faneca into the Hall. The Steelers had enough great running backs over the years to merit rewarding the guys up front.
GUY WHO SHOUD BE A LOCK BUT ISN'T EVEN A FINALIST: I really want whomever is keeping Patrick Willis (LB, 49ers, 2007-2014) from being a finalist to explain themselves. Willis was a FIVE-TIME All-Pro during his eight years. He was also the Defensive Rookie of the Year in '07. There is no reasonable explanation for why he's not already in the Hall, let alone being snubbed here.
ONE OTHER NON-FINALIST I'M NOT GIVING UP ON: Steve Tasker (ST/WR, Oilers, 1985-86; Bills, 1986-1997). Here is the deal. Either people need to stop talking about winning all three phases of the game, or Tasker needs to get into the Hall of Fame. I mean, if special teams isn't that significant, then it's fine to just say that. Actually, it's not fine, but that would at least make Tasker's exclusion a bit more honest. Otherwise, let's honor a dude who was in the Pro Bowl seemingly every year he played.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE MAD IF THEY GET IN: Zach Thomas (LB, Dolphins, 1996-2007; Cowboys, 2008) was a five-time All-Pro during his time in the NFL. He kind of gets overlooked, considering his contemporaries are Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher. It's kind of like being the Jim Neidhart of middle linebackers when guys like Bret and Owen Hart were getting more attention. Like Neidhart, Thomas was one of the best to ever do it, and he should receive more attention.
I would love to see the late Sam Mills (LB, Saints, 1986-1994; Panthers, 1995-97) get in at some point, too. He was a great player. He went from undrafted free agent to the USFL to the Dome Patrol of the New Orleans Saints. And don't scoff at that USFL service time. I don't want to play the semantics game, but when considering entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all pro football accomplishments should be included. Hell, Hall of Fame president David Baker was the commissioner of the Arena Football League at one point. He's got to feel me on this.
I WILL HEAR ARGUMENTS FOR: My guy Reggie Wayne (WR, Colts, 2001-2014). I mean, if you wanted to do the thing where you put in Reggie with his quarterback, that would be pretty cool. It's not like Reggie isn't worthy. I know he might not have the gaudiest stats of any Hall of Fame candidate. But he was one of the most clutch receivers in the game, and he always seemed to come up with that killer, back-breaking reception. As a Bears fan, I should know.
Sections.
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2021 NFL playoff bracket and predictions: Who will win Super Bowl LV?
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Just like that, the 2021 NFL season is in the books. Seventeen weeks and 256 regular-season games later, we can (finally) look ahead to what should be an exhilarating postseason.
This year’s playoff field looks a little different than you might be used to. We’ve got an extra Wild Card team in each conference, expanding the field to 14 teams. And this year, only one team in each conference will receive a first-round bye. You know what that means? We’re getting SIX games for Wild Card weekend.
Here’s a look at the bracket…
And the TV schedule for the Wild Card games…
SATURDAY.
1:05 EST: Colts @ Bills (CBS) 4:40 EST: Rams @ Seahawks (FOX) 8:15 EST: Buccaneers @ NFC East Winner.
SUNDAY.
1:05 EST: Ravens @ Titans (ABC/ESPN) 4:40 EST: Bears @ Saints (CBS) 8:15 EST: Browns @ Steelers (NBC)
Now, what would a playoff bracket be without some predictions? To get an idea of how things might shake out this month, we’ve called on our resident NFL experts Charles McDonald and Steven Ruiz to make their picks for each and every playoff game. Let’s take a look…
WILD CARD ROUND.
Steven: The Seahawks offense has looked broken for going on two months now, and Sean McVay will have adjustments to the adjustments we saw from Seattle’s defense when these teams played in Week 16. And Jared Goff, if he’s healthy, can’t play that poorly again, right?
Ravens-Titans and Steelers-Browns were the only other games that gave me pause. I chose the Ravens because their offense has finally figured things out and should be able to run at will on that struggling Titans defense. I picked the Steelers because (1) they’re the better team, and (2) they almost beat the Browns without Ben Roethlisberger or T.J. Watt.
Charles: I went with the Saints over the Bears for obvious reasons. Come on now, Mitch Trubisky ain’t getting past that defense. Same goes for Washington against Tampa Bay.
The most interesting games to me are Ravens-Titans and Steelers-Browns. I chose the Ravens because they seem to be hitting their stride. The offense is more organized, Lamar Jackson is playing beautiful football right now and the defense is still rock solid. Shutting down Derrick Henry and the Titans offense will be tough as hell, but the Ravens have the talent and coaching to slow them down. I went with the Browns over the Steelers because Ben Roethlisberger has turned into a shell of himself recently, but I’m a bit wary because the Browns let a Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs-led offense hang around until the final minute of the game. The Seahawks over the Rams was a tough pick, so I sided with the better quarterback.
DIVISIONAL ROUND.
Steven: I may have picked the Steelers, but I’m rooting for the Browns so we can get a Bills-Ravens matchup while the Steelers are sacrificed to the Chiefs. Alas. This way, we’re stuck with two rematches of blowouts we saw during the regular season on the AFC side. I don’t see any reason why those results would change.
On the NFC side, I didn’t even hesitate to take the Saints and Packers. New Orleans is just an awful matchup for Tampa Bay (on both sides of the ball) because it is one of the few teams that can match the Bucs’ talent. The Rams are just too flawed (at one position in particular) for me to trust them on the road against Aaron Rodgers.
Charles: Bills-Ravens is the potential game I’m most looking forward to this postseason. This is a much better version of Josh Allen than the one the Ravens faced last season and that’s part of the reason why I’m picking them to advance to the AFC Championship game. I think the Chiefs would buzzsaw the Browns. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt can keep the Browns in the game for the majority of it, but at some point they would need Baker Mayfield to go throw-for-throw with Patrick Mahomes. Hard pass.
On the NFC side, I think the Packers have enough firepower to beat a Buccaneers defense that’s been a bit shaky lately. Rolling with the Saints over the Seahawks because Dennis Allen will have the Saints defense ready for whatever Brian Schottenheimer and the Seahawks offense throw at them.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Steven: I’m a coward and went with chalk picks to make Championship Sunday. I’ve also been talking about how costly losing home-field advantage would be for the Saints and their 40-something quarterback, and yet here I am picking that 40-something quarterback to out-duel Rodgers on a freezing cold Lambeau Field. I do think the Saints could run at will on that Packers defense and the Saints have a defense capable of at least keeping Davante Adams in check, putting the play-making onus all on Rodgers. Anyway, if I picked Green Bay, I’d have the same Super Bowl pick as Charles and that’s boring.
Charles: I’m even more of a coward and picked both No. 1 seeds to make the Super Bowl. It’s not a very imaginative pick, but these are probably the two best teams in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have been unbelievable this season and their play combined with the structure of their offenses makes their teams safe bets to make it to the Super Bowl. Like Steven said, the Saints can make things interesting if Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, and Taysom Hill turn into monsters on the ground, but keeping up with Rodgers will still prove difficult.
SUPER BOWL LV.
Steven: I’ve spent the whole season arguing that it’s a one-team league. I’m not going to change my take now. Kansas City’s many close calls over the last two months would scare me a lot more if we hadn’t already seen this team win a Super Bowl. I’m fully convinced they’re bored and have been on cruise control all season. When these teams played last month, the Saints defense did defend the Chiefs as well as anyone could have reasonably expected and … it just didn’t matter. Mahomes was too good. I don’t know if New Orleans can replicate that performance, so this one could end up a blowout.
Charles: The Chiefs are a good football team. They have the best player in the sport. That’s all the reasoning I need.
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