With the start of the 2017 NFL season right around the corner — thank you, football gods! — the clear favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy come February are the New England Patriots. This, of course, comes as no surprise. The Pats will continue to be one of the best teams in football until Tom Brady retires. Despite recently turning 40, Brady is as sharp as he's ever been. On top of that, Bill Belichick has some new toys to play with on both sides of the ball — wide receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive back Stephon Gilmore come to mind.
But this is football we're talking about, and anyone can win on any given Sunday. History has proved that not even the most dominant team of the last 20 years is exempt from this law of nature. Despite the fact that the Patriots have arguably gotten better since winning Super Bowl LI, the league is stacked with teams that could prevent them from becoming repeat champions. Here are the ten teams most likely to dethrone Brady, Belichick and Co.
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