Hello readers! Another NFL season is soon upon us. The days of summer are ending and the boys of fall are starting. The year 2020 has been not a kind one and the hope of a NFL season will surely bring some joy to at least most if not all of its fans. In this post I'll break down my predictions on how each team will do this season as well as my playoff and awards picks. Let's get to it!
Season Predictions
AFC
AFC East:
Buffalo Bills: Your old bully in the New England Patriots are going away like the Dodo. You have some help on offense with the addition of Stephon Diggs to give Josh Allen some weapons. Your defense is still good with with a very dangerous secondary with Micah Hyde. We shall see how well the Bills do with high expectations to take this division. Or they'll fuck it up.
(1st in AFC East)
New York Jets: Honestly its a toss-up whoever finishes 2nd in this division. The Jets decided to let its star Jamal Adams go to Seattle via trade, possibly creating tension in the locker room. Honestly, your season will depend on how well the mono-prone Sam Darnold will play. If he can mature and provide some offense to this team, they can go far. Their defense is legit.
(2nd in AFC East)
New England Patriots : The big story up in New England is that Cam Newton is the heir to Tom Brady, the GOAT. New England's offense should do fine depending on which version of Cam Newton they'll get out of it, 2015 Cam Newton or Post-2015 Cam Newton. Hopefully the former.
(3rd in AFC East)
Miami Dolphins : The Tank For Tua campaign is complete and you got a few pieces that will help in the rebuild. I can't see Tua playing a majority of the season but he should learn as much as he can from Ryan "Beard-Man" Fitzpatrick. RIP Josh Rosen.
(4th in AFC East)
AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens: So you've had your best season in your franchise's history and you shit the bed by not winning a playoff game. Regardless, Lamar Jackson will still do Lamar Jackson things and your defense should still play well.
(1st in AFC North)
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers intrigue me as a possible playoff team. They finished last year at 8-8 with Ben Roethlisberger out for most of the season. If Popeye can stay upright and go back to his old self, this team could be a real dark horse candidate in the AFC. That defense is quite good too.
(2nd in AFC North)
Cleveland Browns: So you shit the bed with moderately high expectations last season. Honestly this team needs to stay under the radar to have a chance at doing anything noteworthy. The Browns could do some nice things this season but honestly, they haven't proved to me that they can do anything nice.
(3rd in AFC North)
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals got their new franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow. With Joe Mixon and AJ Green to help him, they could do some good things but their defense was just as bad as their offense. The basement calls!
(4th in AFC North)
AFC South:
Indianapolis Colts: To be honest, the AFC South could be the worst division in football by year's end. The Colts would be the team to represent this division come January. Phillip Rivers still has something left in the tank and your defense is quite underrated with Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner lining up the front seven.
(1st in AFC South)
Tennessee Titans: You guys made quite the run last season beating the Patriots and Ravens in the playoffs. Despite an AFC Championship Game appearance you guys re-signed Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry should still play up to potential. Along with a good defense, this team could definitely make a run for the money. This division is pretty much up for grabs.
(2nd in AFC South)
Houston Texans: One of the bigger questions is why Bill O'Brien is still your head coach? You trade DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona for David Johnson. Did I miss something here? You trade your best pass catcher for a guy who has averaged less than 4 yards per carry in the last two seasons. Sure Brandin Cooks is a decent choice but its like replacing a Lamborghini with a 4-door sedan. Injuries plague this team as JJ Watt hasn't stayed healthy for the last few seasons with 2018 being the exception. This team could do good things but it feels like a lost year for DeShaun Watson.
(3rd in AFC South)
Jacksonville Jaguars: Oh Jacksonville, you were one win away from a Super Bowl appearance not that long ago. You basically told your stars to fuck off with not much else for Gardner Minshew to work with. At least you get a 2nd round pick for Yannick Ngakoue via trade to Minnesota. You'll need it for that rebuild.
(4th in AFC South)
AFC West:
Kansas City Chiefs: You finally overcame 50 years of title drought with a victory in Super Bowl LIV. You still have the pieces in place that won that Super Bowl with you. I can't see this team coming down with a hangover. Unless the football gods decide to injure Patrick Mahomes. By the way, Mahomes got paid, big time!
(1st in AFC West)
Denver Broncos: The inclusion of Jerry Jeudy (yeah I had to look it up for spelling) from the draft will give 2nd year man Drew Lock some help along with Noah Fant. Bradley Chubb returning to the defense will help out as well. This team could make some noise with some luck on their side. Melvin Gordon III could help out as well.
(2nd in AFC West)
Las Vegas Raiders: Over/Under 3 times I fuck up thinking this team is still in Oakland. I'd take the over. Joking aside, this team will do fine on offense with Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller at the helm. Carr's future is still in question but perhaps with a great year, Jon Gruden will see things eye-to-eye with his quarterback. Defense is still a work in progress.
(3rd in AFC West)
Los Angeles Chargers: At least you guys won't have to deal with road team fans at your stadium with the pandemic going on. Your quarterback Phillip Rivers is gone and in with the former Oregon product Justin Herbert. The defense should do fine with Joey Bosa helping out. I just don't see this team doing a lot in a fairly stacked division.
(4th in AFC West)
NFC
NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys: This team frustrated me last season. They laid an egg against the Jets last year. Highly underachieving team. With Mike McCarthy at the helm, the Cowboys offense should do well. Everson Griffin is a decent replacement to the loss of Robert Quin but sack production could be a problem. Their window might be closing a bit depending on how well the NFC is stacked this season.
(1st in NFC East)
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles lucked out with a division title last season, let's be honest. Injuries have plagued this team for quite a while on both sides of the ball. I can't see them having an explosive offense with Alshon Jeffery's health and the inexperienced secondary could be a problem too. Who knows, Carson Wentz could make a miracle out of this team again.
(2nd in NFC East)
New York Giants: Big Blue should get an improved Daniel Jones going into his 1st full season at quarterback. Saquon Barkley once again is going have to carry the load of the offense. Jones and Barkley will have some issues with an O-line that isn't very good and a defense that is still developing.
(3rd in NFC East)
Washington Football Team: The Redskins era is over in Washington and the "Football Team" era has begun. Jokes aside, this team is still going to be a headache to watch, especially on offense. Chase Young will help fill some holes on defense but this team will likely be an "automatic W" for teams that play them.
(4th in NFC East)
NFC North
Minnesota Vikings: The Vikes still have the pieces that helped them win a playoff game last season. They traded Stephon Diggs to Buffalo and replaced him with a potential star in Justin Jefferson. The acquisition of Yannick Ngakoue will bolster the defense. This team will have a good case to be a division winner.
(1st in NFC North)
Green Bay Packers: Classic "Meet the new boss, just the same as the old boss" kind of team. This team made no impactful acquisitions in the offseason, let alone the draft. The defense should be better with Kingsley Keke at linebacker. Honestly, I don't think Aaron Rodgers will stay on once his contract is done. Don't get me started with Jordan Love. Rodgers will pull this team out of a losing season but not much farther. Seriously, fuck this team.
(2nd in NFC North)
Chicago Bears: Mitchell Trubisky's time in the Windy City could be over as the Bears acquired Nick Foles in the offseason. The loss of David Montgomery won't help the offense much as he could miss 2-4 weeks. The defensive anchor in Khalil Mack will help the Bears win some games against weaker opponents but this team will hinge on how well Nick Foles can get this offense to work.
(3rd in NFC North)
Detroit Lions: Detroit could make some strides this year if Matthew Stafford can stay upright. They will also need consistency as Stafford has had quite a many offensive coordinators and head coaches. If Matt Patricia doesn't make some noise this year, it could a hot seat this season for him.
(4th in NFC North)
NFC South:
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is coming back for another shot to try and get another ring. With Tom Brady in Tamps, the Saints will need to hold off the Bucs on top of the division. I feel safer with the Saint's as Brees is capable of winning games well into the double digits. The signing of Emmanuel Sanders will help out that case nicely. If their defense can improve this team can go beyond playing into January.
(1st in NFC South)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: You got an upgrade at quarterback in Tom Brady which says something about Jameis Winston. Your offense will be better in terms of lesser interceptions. Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquill Barrett on defense will help out. Will it get you over the Saints in the division? I don't think so.
(2nd in NFC South)
Atlanta Falcons: With the Saints and Buccaneers getting better, Atlanta looks to be on the outside looking in. Their offense will do fine with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones at the helm. On defense, its a bit of a head scratch. The Falcons won't have to play both teams until later in the season so it should be a bit more of a smooth ride before then.
(3rd in NFC South)
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers had a rough offseason. Cam Newton is gone, Eric Reid is gone, Ron Rivera is gone. Teddy Bridgewater seems to be a safer bet in quarterback compared to Kyle Allen or Will Grier. Both sides of the ball will be rough for the Panthers, especially for Christian McCaffrey who will have to carry the majority of the offensive load.
(4th in NFC South)
NFC West:
Seattle Seahawks: The team made improvements on defense with Bruce Irvin and Jamal Adams. Their offense is still good with Russell Wilson and a plethora of weapons like Greg Olson and DK Metcalf, as well as a running tandem with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. Offensive line will still be a problem.
(1st in NFC West)
San Francisco 49ers: You guys made a huge leap with a Super Bowl appearance. Hard to say that this team will have a hangover going into this season but injuries before the season starts will not help change that case. The offense will have to rely on their running game that helped them get to a Super Bowl. Matt Breida is gone so the workload will have to rely on Jerrick McKinnon and Raheem Mostert.
(2nd in NFC West)
Los Angeles Rams: Expectations should be low for this team to do things. The offensive line will be a problem as they have injuries to their center and tackles. Defense will have to carry this team with Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will still help out with pass catching. At least that new stadium will be nice, too bad fans won't be able to go in it, at least for a while.
(3rd in NFC West)
Arizona Cardinals: You picked up a great wide out in DeAndre Hopkins in exchange of David Johnson via trade from the Texans. The offense is starting to look up along with Kenyan Drake and sophomore quarterback Kyler Murray. The defense will be the major question for the Cardinals this season as they've been in the bottom of defensive categories for the last few seasons. Definitely trending upwards but the NFC West is pretty stacked.
(4th in NFC West)
Playoff Picks
This season will include a 3rd wild card team into the mix this season. Personally I like the two-wild card system that has been around since 1990. Not every team needs to get in. This isn't the NHL or NBA for god's sake.
AFC:
1st: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd: Baltimore Ravens
3rd: Indianapolis Colts
4th: Buffalo Bills
5th: Pittsburgh Steelers
6th: Denver Broncos
7th: Cleveland Browns
Wild Card:
Baltimore over Cleveland
Denver over Indianapolis
Pittsburgh over Buffalo
Divisional:
Kansas City over Denver
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
Championship:
Kansas City over Pittsburgh
NFC:
1st: New Orleans Saints
2nd: Dallas Cowboys
3rd: Seattle Seahawks
4th: Minnesota Vikings
5th: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6th: San Francisco 49ers
7th: Green Bay Packers
Wild Card:
Dallas over Green Bay
Seattle over San Francisco
Tampa Bay over Minnesota
Divisional:
New Orleans over San Francisco
Dallas over Tampa Bay
Championship:
New Orleans over Dallas
SUPER BOWL LV:
New Orleans over Kansas City
Awards Picks:
MVP: Patrick Mahomes
OPOY: Dalvin Cook
DPOY: TJ Watt
OROY: Joe Burrow
DROY: Chase Young
Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith
Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians
Whether these predictions will come true or not, its somewhat fun to figure out what could happen. I'm pretty sure I got less than 25% of the predictions right last year. Expect the Week 1 predictions post to happen before Thursday. Back to the regular schedule for this blog with the NFL season coming up. See you guys before Thursday.
-Tom
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