After what has felt like an eternity, but has in fact only been seven months, the NFL season is finally about to return. The last season was incredibly exciting, which ended with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
The seasoned pro Tom Brady, considered by pretty much everyone to be the greatest quarterback ever, was a key figure in Tampa’s success. Many thought that at 43 he was too old and past his best, that Tampa were getting a player who couldn’t contribute anything anymore, that he was done being a top player. However, as he has done throughout his career, Brady proved the doubters wrong, as he won his well-earned seventh Super Bowl ring, more than any other player in history.
While last season was great, it is now essentially ancient history. Instead, we need to look forward to the next campaign, to see who be the best NFL franchise this time out. Will Tampa be able to retain the Super Bowl, something no team has managed since the New England Patriots (Brady’s old team) in 2004/2005? Will Kansas and their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes be able to regroup and come again, and make it three Super Bowl appearances in three seasons? Or will another team prove their worth and come good in the offseason? No one really knows right now, but we can’t wait to find out!
Two sides who will be hoping to still be in the picture come January and February are the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants. Some of the best Betonline Sportsbooks feel both sides could be contenders, but let’s have a look to see if either team has what they need to get to Super Bowl LVI at the SoFi Stadium next February.
Can Denver turn their 2020 woes around?
The Denver Broncos are one of the NFL all-time greats. They have 15 AFC West championships, 8 AFC Conference championships, and 3 Super Bowl championships, the most recent of them coming in 2015. Fans at Empower Field are used to success, having witnessed many great teams down the years. However, it hasn’t been all going to plan of late. Ever since Peyton Manning retired after their 2015 Super Bowl victory, they haven’t made it to the post-season. Last year was probably one of their lowest points, as they finished rock bottom of the AFC West, with a 5-11 record, finishing with a three-game losing streak. It is safe to say confidence is low, but for Head Coach Vic Fangio, the only way is up.
Do the Giants have what it takes to push on?
On the other side of this equation, the New York Giants are also in a bit of a slump. They are also one of the NFL’s biggest franchises, with 16 Division championships, 11 Conference championships and 4 Super Bowl victories, with the last of these titles coming in 2011. The years since then have been pretty abysmal on all accounts, as they have only made it to the playoffs once, in 2016. There, they fell at the first hurdle, as they lost to the Green Bay Packers 38-13. Last season wasn’t a complete disaster, as they finished second in the NFC East division, but their record of 6-11 was not enough to get them into the post-season.
All eyes on September 12th
The two sides will face off against each other in the opening round of the new NFL season, with the Gitans welcoming the Broncos at the Met Life Stadium. The two sides have met frequently in the past, with possibly the most famous match being the 1986 Super Bowl. Here, it was the Giants who came out on top, running out 39-20 victors.
There was also the infamous 2013 meeting, which saw a family divided, as Peyton Manning lined up for the Broncos, with his younger brother Eli the star Quarterback for the Giants. On this occasion, it was the elder brother who came out on top, as the Broncos won 41-23.
This latest match up to begin the 2021 Campaign will certainly be intriguing. Many pundits feel the Giants struggled with their offensive game last year, and so far have done little to rectify this problem. At the same time, Denver would appear to have a stronger defence, which could prove vital in shutting out Giant’s QB Daniel Jones.
Both Fangio and Giants boss Joe Judge are old school, no-nonsense head coaches, who will be desperate to get off to a winning start. Is it likely that either side will go all the way this campaign? Right now it appears unlikely; both sides have issues, and there are certainly stronger teams out there. But the NFL has been known to throw up some surprises, so we will just have to sit back and watch the excitement unfold.
