2021 NFL season in review

The 2021 NFL regular season — the first with each team playing 17 regular-season games — comes to a close Sunday. All 16 playoff spots will be locked in with the Green Bay Packers as the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the Tennessee Titans the No. 1 seed in the AFC after Sunday night football.

To say it was an unusual year is an understatement. The league worked through a second consecutive year disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Several teams experienced COVID-19 outbreaks that affected more than 20 players on their roster.

On the field, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady are favorites for the MVP after helping their teams reach the playoffs again. Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt tied the NFL single-season sacks record and is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year.

What’s next for the teams that did not make the playoffs this season? NFL Nation digs in.

AFC EAST | AFC NORTH | AFC SOUTH | AFC WEST
NFC EAST | NFC NORTH | NFC SOUTH | NFC WEST

AFC EAST

What went wrong: It all started with the shot quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took from Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa in Week 2. The hit left Tagovailoa with fractured ribs and landed him on injured reserve for the next three weeks. Miami failed to get off the ground without Tagovailoa and struggled upon his return, losing seven straight after winning its season opener. The Dolphins then won seven straight before a loss to Tennessee knocked them out of playoff contention. Coach Brian Flores’ defense was elite over the second half of the season, but the offense has a long way to go, ranking in the bottom third of the league in most major categories. Until they improve on that side of the ball, the Dolphins’ ceiling appears to be on the cusp of playoff contention.

Biggest offseason question: What will Miami do at quarterback in 2022? Tagovailoa showed improvement from his rookie season but enters this offseason with…