The 2021 NFL season has been one for the ages.
Its spectacle unfolds on a weekly basis, with each week proving to be unpredictable and laden with enough drama to rival the greatest binge-worthy television series, particularly as we enter the final four weeks of the regular season.
While teams have emerged as frontrunners, there have been no real contenders or dominant teams breaking out at any stage of the year, allowing for one of the most open seasons in league history. According to Sky Sports NFL analyst and Hamilton Tiger-Cats special teams coordinator Jeff Reinebold, such parity is a quality of the NFL that is highly coveted by officials and fans alike.
“The league is built structurally for this; this is exactly what the owners, the commissioner and the competition committee wants,” Reinebold exclusively told The Mirror . “They want every team in the playoff picture as deep into the year as possible because it continues interest in the game and the games get bigger as you get down to the business end of the season.
“With no elite side, there's hope to be shared amongst 32 teams and I think that's really one of the things that the league badly wants.
“I think it's the most wide open year that I can remember in the National Football League.”
Reinebold used the Miami Dolphins, who played in London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a crushing defeat to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, as the example of the league’s open nature in 2021.
Led by sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa - who, like Reinebold, has Hawaiian roots - the Dolphins have won five straight matches to stay alive in the postseason hunt.
“We’re almost at Christmas and you can’t look at a team and say they’re going to coast to the playoffs,” the 64-year-old added. “Even the Dolphins are edging closer to .500 and not out of the playoff picture yet.
“Four weeks ago, there’s no way you’d think those guys are making the playoffs - but all of a sudden Tua gets hot, they start to play a little defence and next thing you know, they win five straight.”
While Miami are back in the hunt for the postseason against all odds after they sat at 1-7 on Halloween, several other teams have caught the eye of Reinebold.
Tom Brady threw for four touchdowns in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ win over Buffalo, highlighting how some things never change even in this unpredictable campaign - although the Sky Sports analyst gave a list of franchises that have caught his eye.
“Brady just blows me away. The guy’s amazing, he defies all the adages about declining with age,” Reinebold commented. “Green Bay is a team that's impressed me this year, because [Aaron] Rodgers is his normal, tremendous self while dealing with a broken toe - but they play better defence than they have in the past.
“The Patriots play great defence, and they've upgraded that with Matt Judon and getting some guys back that had left. The Rams go out and get Matthew Stafford and everybody was ready to anoint them champions - well, it's not that easy. Nobody is consistent; there's no great football team.
“I like the Chargers, I like the Rams, and I think the Cowboys are going to win their division. I think they're going to be a tough out in the playoffs, so you look around and there are a lot of teams that have a chance.”
Ultimately, sport is about winning and the NFL is no different.
The Super Bowl is one of sport’s largest and most renowned events, with Super Bowl LVI set to crown the kings of the 2021 season when the winner of the AFC meets the NFC champion at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
While Reinebold offered some potential names for February’s showpiece game, he re-iterated his belief that teams will be pushing right until the last week of the regular season to book their spot in the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl.
Who do you think will win Super Bowl LVI? Let us know in the comments section.
“When you talk about the top teams in either conference - the NFC and AFC - there are enough blemishes that you could see the teams not getting there,” Reinebold said. “The [Kansas City] Chiefs are outstanding, but their defence struggled for so long and they were turning the ball over although they seem to be hitting their stride.
“The Patriots obviously have won seven straight and they're starting to play really well - but again, these aren't perfect teams. The Patriots haven't played played great competition and if you look at Mac Jones' completion profile, he does not push the ball down the field. If they get in a game where they can't run the ball, is he good enough? Are the receivers talented enough to beat defenders?
“The [Arizona] Cardinals started out on fire and then they stumbled a bit when the quarterback got a little nicked. Just when we thought Cincinnati was ready to become a legitimate contender, they get whacked.
“It's just the craziest year. It’s going to go right down to the last week.”
You can watch this weekend's NFL action on NFL RedZone this Sunday from 6pm. Also available on Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Mix.
