2020 NFL Season Preview

The time of the year has arrived. The National Football League is set to kick off its 2020 season, one in which could be different from past seasons. Everything has been done virtually in the offseason, as far as the draft and stuff like that is concerned. And because of everything going on with the health crisis around the world, there was no preseason football this year. Losing out on exhibition games this year could make things look a little different at the beginning of the year. 

There have been a few changes made thanks to the new CBA this year, the biggest ones being slightly expanded rosters and oh yeah expanded playoffs. We will now have 14 playoff teams instead of 12, so Wild Card Weekend has grown, and getting top seed in each conference has grown in importance. We have had some changes at head coach this offseason. Carolina (Matt Rhule), Cleveland (Kevin Stefanski), Dallas (Mike McCarthy), New York Giants (Joe Judge), and Washington (Ron Rivera) all have new head coaches. They aren't the only faces in new places.

Players have switched teams in the offseason, leading to some big changes around the league. We start with the trades. DeAndre Hopkins went to Arizona for David Johnson. Calais Campbell went from Jacksonville to Baltimore, and then the Jags sent Nick Foles to Chicago and AJ Bouye to Denver. The Jets traded Jamal Adams to Seattle for Bradley McDougald and picks. Stefon Diggs got traded from Minnesota to Buffalo, while Brandin Cooks was shipped from the Rams to Houston.

That was just trades. We had other guys move via free agency. Tom Brady (Tampa Bay), Teddy Bridgewater (Carolina), Andy Dalton (Dallas), Cam Newton (New England), Melvin Gordon (Denver), Frank Gore (Jets), Todd Gurley (Atlanta), Nelson Agholor (Las Vegas), Robby Anderson (Carolina), Randall Cobb (Houston), have all moved on the offensive side of things. Vic Beasley (Tennessee), Jamie Collins (Detroit), Leonard Floyd (Rams), Dante Fowler (Atlanta), Vonn Bell (Cincinnati), James Bradberry (Giants), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Dallas) have moved on the defensive side of things.

So with that being said, here's our predictions for the 2020 NFL Season

NFC

NFC East:

1. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)*

There is plenty of talent to be able to build things around with Dallas. You have your modern big three with Dak, Zek and Amari Cooper. Now throw in two more weapons at receiver with Michael Gallup and rookie CeeDee Lamb, you got plenty to be able to spread the ball around. And, of course, you have what is considered by many to be the best offensive line in the game. Byron Jones isn't there on the defense which hurt them a little but they still have a solid enough defense to be able to keep somewhat pace with the offense. They got the tools to be able to hang around at the top for most of the year.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

A lot of this season for the Eagles depends on the health of Carson Wentz. If he can stay healthy, then I could see the Eagles hanging around a while. But if Wentz gets hurt, do you really trust Jalen Hurts? Zach Ertz and DeSean Jackson can still be impact players and they have young talent to go with them. All depends on health in Philly. Plus the defense might not be as close to what they have in Dallas so it might be hard to match the boys. Should be interesting to see if they can keep up, but if everybody is healthy why not.

3. New York Giants (7-9)

This could be generous giving the Giants seven wins, if they're luck. Its a transition year for Big Blue, with a new head coach in Joe Judge and quite a few new players to work with around Daniel Jones. The kid has plenty of room to grow under center and will take another step in developing as a pro. Sequan Barkley is steeping up as one of the best backs in the league and Sterling Sheppard is becoming one of Jones best targets. But what has me concerned is how the line is going to hold up with new faces there and some have opted out for this season. On the defensive side of things, adding guys like James Bradberry, Nate Ebner, Kyler Fackrell, Blake Martinez and David Mayo will make this team that much stronger. Might not translate into a great year, but if all falls into place, should be a vast improvement over last year.

4. Washington Football Team (3-13)

Facts are this, Washington is still going to be a bad team. Sure they drafted Chase Young 2nd overall, which will be a help on defense, but that's not saying much. New coach Ron Rivera has his hands full in DC and hasn't even named a starter yet between Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen. Andwho knows, they could be in the running to be in a good spot to possibly draft Trevor Lawrence next year. It's going to be a long season down in Washington.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4)*
Who's to say, or really stop, the Packers aren't going to be the team to beat in the North again this season. When you have Aaron Rogers on the team, you got a pretty good shot at a deep run at things. Sure not having Jimmy Graham at tight end adds a bit of a new wrinkle to things, but the Packers are still a very good team. The Pack run game needs to improve but they still have weapons in Devante Adams and Darius Sheppard. And with that defense, the Pack can still take the division. Only thing that worries me is what the Pack are going to do if Rogers goes down. Jordan Love was drafted in the 1st round and looks like he could be the heir to the thrown, but who knows how close to ready he is to take over if anything happens to Rogers.

2. Minnesota Vikings (9-7) (WC)*

Hey look Minnesota is coming off a playoff appearance and a 10-6 mark last year, but they took a few steps back this offseason. They got rid of secondary mainstays Xavier Rhodes, Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes, and they also traded wideout Stefon Diggs to the Bills. They drafted Justin Jeffery in the first round, so that has the potential to take some of the pressure off not having Diggs in the lineup. Plus you still have Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph to throw to and a pretty good run game with Dalvin Cook coming off his pro bowl year. But a tough start to the season with the schedule and still behind a little with some of the talent from last year, its going to be tough on Minnesota.

3. Chicago Bears (8-8)

With the mess the team had last year, Matt Nagy has his hands full trying to bring the Bears back to a respectable level. One question still remains, who the hell is the starting QB on this team? Have they really lost that much faith in Mitch Trubisky? Can Nick Foles really be the guy to take over and do something? Adding Jimmy Graham did help things a little on the offensive side of things and they have a good defense that can keep them in a lot of games. But Nagy's on the hot seat, they aren't sure what's going on under center and they play in a top heavy division with the Vikings and Packers

4. Detroit Lions (5-11)

Detroit has the same problem that the Bears do, in that this is a very top heavy division. Matt Patricia's job could very well be on the line this season. Drafting Jeff Okudah 3rd overall helps the secondary quite a bit and may show some signs of life for that secondary and defense as a whole. Matt Stafford has almost no run game to work with and Danny Amendola is his top target. There is still plenty to be desired in Detroit and they may be able to string together a win or two during the season, but it doesn't really look good for the Lions this year.

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4)*

This was a team who finished a game under .500 last year and was one of the best defensive teams in the game (had the best defense in the league). Now they may have the offensive punch to match it. They already had two of the games premier wide receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Now add Rob Gronkowski to it, even though Gronk isn't a spring chicken anymore. Oh yeah, and you now have added one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Tom Brady. You also have LeSean McCoy running stuff out of the backfield, and this offense could very well be able to keep up with that top rated defense.

2. New Orleans Saints (10-6)(WC)*

In what very well might be Drew Brees last year under center in New Orleans, the Saints are too good a team not to make the playoffs. Might not be a division title, but will be damn good enough for a playoff spot. Teddy Bridgewater leaving hurts a little bit, now with Jamis Winston set up as the backup to Brees. Bridgewater was great last year in filling in for the injured Brees, but if that happens again this year, there's no promise that Winston can do the same thing. Still, this is a talented Saints club. The offense will be more dynamic with Emmanuel Sanders as another weapon with Michael Thomas. Plus throw in a healthy Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook at tight end, you got something going. The defense remains sturdy with Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis and a strong secondary.

3. Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

There's still plenty of offensive talent in Atlanta to try and make noise. We all know the Falcons are a pass happy offense. Matt Ryan has plenty to work with between Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in the air attack. But having a run game can help take some of the pressure off the pass attack, and the Falcons are hoping to do that by adding Todd Gurley to the mix. The only thing you could possibly knock in Atlanta, and the thing that may hold them back a little bit, is their defense. It seems, at least on paper, to be a middle of the pack defense. They have the offense, no doubt there, but with the Saints and Bucs being as good as they are, Atlanta will come short of a division title.

4. Carolina Panthers (6-10)

Life without Cam Newton in Carolina looks different than anybody expected. Teddy Brodgewater comes in and has some big shoes to fill. He did a very good job filling in for Drew Brees last year in New Orleans when Brees got hurt. it proved that Teddy could still run an offense. They still have all world running back Christian McCaffery and a stud wideout in DJ Moore. Not having Luke Kuechly on defense, due to his retirement, is a pretty big blow to that defense. The Panthers have talent that could start taking steps in the right direction, but won't be happening much this year.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)*

San Francisco came off a huge 13-3 year last year, heading all the way to the Big Game, before losing to KC. They are taking a bit of a slide backwards by having Emmanual Sanders no longer on the team, but Jimmy G has plenty of talent to still work with on the offensive side of things. Brandon Aiyuk was drafted to replace Sanders, and should be able to fit nicely with George Kittle and Dante Pittis in catching passes. The defense is still solid, but I think the 49ers take a bit of a step backwards this year. There's no doubt that the Niners are going to once again be a good team, but I won't see them as the threat they were last year.

2. Seattle Seahawks (10-6) (WC)*

Talk about a team going for broke. That's what the Seahawks did by trying to vastly improving their defense, adding Jamal Adams in the trade with the Jets. Adams joins a budding defense that is going to cause problems for the opposition this season, lead by Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright. On the other side of the ball, Russell Wilson is well, Russell Wilson. He will have no problem leading this offensive charge the same way he always has. They have a bit of a rough stretch to open the season, but shouldn't have a problem staying the course and being able to come out of it as a playoff team

3. Los Angeles Rams (8-8)

The running game for LA has taken a bit of a hit this offseason. Todd Gurley is no longer here, so it appears as if a rookie in Cam Akers, who was the Rams 1st pick in the second round of the draft, could be counted on pretty well to be the one to control the ground game. Let's not forget that there is still plenty to get excited about with the pass attack. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are going to see a lot of work from Jared Geoff this year, and both guys will have no problem carrying that work load. Loosing Cory Littleton on the defensive side of things does put a bit of a damper on the hopes of the Rams, but they should be able to stay around the 500 mark for much of the season.

4. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

Looks like the boys in the desert are looking to start heading up in the right direction. Arizona traded David Johnson in the offseason, but the return was a pretty good one in DeAndre Hopkins. Pairing him up with Larry Fitzgerald is a pretty good move, thus giving a solid combination for Kyler Murray to throw the ball to. You also have Kenyon Drake in the backfield to take over for Johnson, so its not really a major drop off in production in that regards. Defense is decent, but Vance Joseph needs to come up with some ways to help the pass rush and get somebody other than Chandler Jones to make a play on that side of the ball.

AFC

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (11-5)*

There will be a changing of the guard in the AFC East this year. Buffalo will actually improve a little off last year's 10-6 playoff performance. Adding Stefon Diggs to an already solid offensive lineup will make the Bills that much better. Josh Allen has yet another dynamic weapon to play with, alongside Andre Roberts and Cole Beasley. They have a solid running game with TJ Yeldon handling the workload. Oh and the Bills defense was pretty good too last year, finishing in the top five in total defense, as well as pass and run defense. It will be interesting to see what happens with Brady out of the picture in New England, but with the Bills loading up at receiver, it should be enough to get them over the hump and into the division crown.

2. New England Patriots (9-7) (WC)*
This is going to be a big change year for New England. Since the turn of the century they've been dominating the AFC East, only losing out on the division title twice in the last twenty years. But now Tom Brady isn't under center anymore for the Pats. Cam newton has come into the fold to take over, and is seen by some as a temporary bridge for either Bryan Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, or somebody else. New England is still known for the run game with Sony Michel and James White, and do have old reliable in Julian Edleman. New England's defense took a bit of a hit with a lot of players opting out from this season, so expect a drop off from the Pats this season. Going to be cutting it close as to whether or not they even make the playoffs.

3. Miami Dolphins (7-9)

In theory, with all the moves that the team made this offseason, Miami should be a contending team. Tua Tagovailoa drafted by the team and will get to sit under the learning tree under Ryan Fitzpatrick. They did a lot of retooling on offense with Eric Flowers added to the line and Jordan Howard added into the backfield. Adding Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson on defense will help as well. The rebuild for the Fins was speed up over the offseason, but they won't be turning the corner just yet.

4. New York Jets (5-11)

This is going to be a step back year for the Jets and that could be putting it nicely. Maybe five wins is too generous. Sure Sam Darnold is aiming to stay healthy, but what weapons does he have on offense outside of Le'Von Bell and new back Frank Gore? Robby Andersen is now in Carolina and Quincy Enunwa was cut. They drafted receiver and line help, but it isn't going to really pan out this year. Tough schedule and not much talent could make five wins a stretch for the Jets this season.

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)*

This one was pretty easy to pick to win the division.Lamar Jackson is coming off an MVP season which he was solid in running and passing. Balance with Mark Ingram in the backfield, Willie Sneed and Mark Andrews catching passes, this offense has another chance to be very good. They lost Marshal Yanda to retirement, which might slow the offense a little, otherwise they should be fine. Defense still needs a little work, like getting pressure from their front seven. They might not be able to pull an exact repeat from last year, but shouldn't have much of a problem winning the division.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) (WC)*

Two years out of the playoffs seems like an eternity for Steelers fans, but they should be able to snap out of it this season. They have a healthy Ben Rothlesberger back under center His age maybe something to take into account, considering he is 38, but we've seen some QB's in the league now that are older and can still go. TJ Watt lead that elite pass rush last season, which was the only thing that was able to keep this team around the .500 mark a season ago. The defense has been retained, its the offense that still has slight issues to iron out. Mostly at running back and who's going to be catching passes from Ben besides Eric Ebron and JuJu Smith-Schuster. With everybody healthy, the Steelers should be good enough to get back into the playoffs.

3. Cleveland Browns (9-7) (WC)*

This team has the talent to be better then they are, but for some reason, can't seem to put it all together. Maybe new head coach Kevin Stefanski can get the Browns going in the right direction. On paper, Cleveland has what it takes to be a playoff team. Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper and Odell Beckham Jr. and a retooled offensive line should be able to get the offense going. On the flip side, Cleveland has a talented defensive front led by Myles Garrett, which can keep them in a lot of games. The Browns need everything to click if this is going to work right for them.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (5-11)

It's not going to be a gigantic leap from a year ago, but the Bengals will be a lot better then last years 2-12 football team. It's going to be real interesting to see how top pick Joe Burrow handles the game at the NFL level, since he had no pre season games to get used to playing with this kind of competition. Tee Higgins was also taken in the draft by the Bengals, and he joins a pretty talented group of playmakers that includes Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd and, a hopefully healthy A.J. Green. If the defense can level up and get close to what the offense can do, this team could easily compete in this division. A few more unknowns are holding the Bengals back right now.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (9-7)*

Might not quite be as good as a year ago, but the Texans are still good enough to come away with another AFC South title. Deshaun Watson is still a very solid QB, but his weapons have changed a bit from a season ago. David Johnson will now be the one running the ball out of the backfield. DeAndre Hopkins isn't an option as he was traded for Johnson. So now Watson is going to be look at Bradin Cooks and Randel Cobb to be carrying the work load in the pass catching department. Tight end needs a little work but the offense looks like its still in good shape. You do still have JJ Watt on that defensive unit, but its starting to get a little lackluster behind him. Don't get me wrong the Texans are still a good football team, and can still take the division, but they are going to be about a step or two behind what they were last year.

2. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)

Indy is going to see a step up improvement this year, but not by a whole lot. Sure, they did get better by adding Philip Rivers under center, hoping to be able to revive his career. He won't be performing at the level they had two years ago in Indy, but it is going to be a slight step up from Jacoby Bressett. What worries me about the offense is how well can the run game hold out for the Colts? Is it even really there? Should Indy be able to get a solid run attack to help out the passing game, then it is safe to say that the Colts have enough talent to be able to compete with Houston for the division title. All depends on the run game.

3. Tennessee Titans (8-8)

They finished with an above .500 record last year and made it all the way to the AFC Championship game thanks to the outstanding running of back Derek Henry. He can put up the numbers again this year, but I think its only going to get the Titans so far. Eventually teams will start to key in on Henry and that leaves the ball in the hands of Ryan Tannehill, who's a capable QB, but isn't good enough to get the Titans bacck to last years heights on his own merit. Sure Adam Humphries is a solid target to throw to, but if that's his main weapon, then the Titans could be looking at takiing a few steps back this year. i mean the Titans defense can keep them in games, but how well do you think this team can really hold out in the long run?

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

Jacksonville won't be the worst team in the NFL this year, but lets face facts, they aren't doing quarterback Gardner Minshew any favors. Leonard Fournette is no longer there, he was cut at the end of August and just signed with the Bucs. This now looks like its going to be running back by committee till the Jags can figure out what they can utalize. As for the passing game, Dede Westbrook and Tyler Eifert are going to be usable weapons for Minshew, but that's really it. Oh and the defense in Jacksonville isn't really worth writing home about. Its going to be a rough season for the Jgas this year.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)*

The champs are looking pretty good to be able to repeat this season. The major pieces from last year's championship squad are back. Patrick Mahomes got paid and looks as if he's going to be set for a while under center. Big expectations are coming for rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who joins an already loaded offense. The only thing that looks like it could use improvement from a season ago is the KC run defense, which was ranked 26th in the NFL last year. Otherwise, there's a better than even chance that the Champs could be right back at the top again this year.

2. Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)

Lot of changes have taken place for the Chargers out in LA this offseason. No Melvin Gordon, and No Philip Rivers. Tyrod Taylor looks like he's going to start this season off, but don't be surprised if rookie Justin Herbert takes over at some point this season. They still have Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry working in the pass attack, while Austin Eckler gets more of the workload in the run game. This defense lead by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram could be solid, but I think there still something missing from the Chargers before they can really turn that corner.

3. Denver Broncos (7-9)

Denver looks like they are reloading for along time and have weapons that quarterback Drew Lock can actually work with. He's got Philip Lindsey and Melvin Gordon splitting time in the backfield. He got promise with rookie receivers Jerry Judy and KJ Hamler to catch passes. Denver still has a solid defense in place, with Von Miller still leading that charge. What's going to be holding a team like Denver back a little is the Rookies trying to come of age without preseason games to help get adjusted and having teams like KC, and re building Chargers and Raiders in the same spot.

4. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)

There's going to be a major log jam behind KC in this division, that's for sure. The Radiers brought in Marcus Mariota to take over under center and maybe finally settle him down with the team. Running the ball could be a sour spot for Vegas without a proven back in the backfield. The passing game appears to be heading in the right direction. Now you added guys like Henry Ruggs (drafted) and Jason Witten to play with Nelson Agholor and Darren Waller and you got something to build off of. Start getting the defense going in the right direction and they too could be a threat in the West. A tough schedule will make it difficult to improve over last years win total.

Super Bowl Prediction: Kansas City over New Orleans