If the rest of 2020 has been any indication, this season is going to be harder to predict than any other NFL season… that’s really saying something. With that said, I still used an ungodly amount of my August and September to make some predictions!
Like last year, I made a spreadsheet and picked the winners and losers of every single game in 2020. I think this is the best exercise to fully understand your complete thoughts on a team. For example, I thought I really liked the Giants coming into this season; after doing this, it turns out I think they’re a three-win team.
That said, if I went through a team’s schedule and I thought their win total was way off, I adjusted it accordingly. Once I went through all the Vikings games, they had five wins; as you’ll later read, I don’t like the Vikings much this year, but I still think they’re much better than a 5-11 record. This just means that I didn’t necessarily play the odds to get the maximum number of games right, rather a team’s win total should be accurate at the end of the season.
If you want to see my selections for every game, click here.
AFC
East
11-5 Buffalo Bills: In most other divisions, the Bills’ record would be closer to a mediocre 9-7, not in the AFC East though. From just looking at their record, you may think that I project Josh Allen for a huge step up, that is definitely not the case. I’m not that optimistic about their offense: Devin Singletary and Stefon Diggs are great, but Allen has the bust potential to ruin the fun for everyone. They’ll score some points, but this record is definitely more of a testament to their elite defense and weak schedule.
7-9 New England Patriots: Once they signed Cam Newton, I was ready to give the Pats a winning record… but then their entire defense opted out. Even before the opt-outs, there was no way this team could compare to a Patriots team with Tom Brady. Newton is a great quarterback and will definitely fit in this system as long as he’s healthy, it’s just that the supporting pieces are horrible. Julian Edelman was a product of his chemistry with Brady, a bet on N’Keal Harry being good can only be supported by draft capital and their offensive line was horrible in 2019. With a defense of backups everywhere and bad supporting pieces on offense, even if Cam returns close to MVP form, he can’t carry a team that’s this bad. That said, if any coaching staff can fix the Patriots’ problems, it’s the Patriots’ coaching staff.
6-10 Miami Dolphins: In the next few years, the Dolphins will be one of the best teams, they just aren’t there quite yet. When reading this defensive depth chart, it’s easy to think they’ll be one of the best units in the league, but until I see them play together, I can’t make the assumption. If, after week 3, the defense looks legit, I could see them being a playoff contender. As for the offense, their receiving options are intriguing but I’m hesitant on how good their quarterback will be. I love Tua Tagovailoa long term, but if Fitzpatrick turns into a pumpkin this year, I’m concerned about how Tua will hold up in his rookie season. If everything goes right, even though it’s still in the early stages of their rebuild, this team could be one that no one wants to face in the playoffs.
1-15 New York Jets: I want to like the Jets, I just can’t do it after last season. Before going through their schedule, I thought they would be a 6-10 team, but after going through their schedule, I couldn’t bring myself to give them hardly any wins. I was excited about their defense last year, but now they’ve traded Jamal Adams and C.J. Mosley has opted out. The offense isn’t much prettier, I like Sam Darnold’s long-term potential, but in a year with Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman as his top two options; I don’t see how this could go well. I also want it on record that I think Le'Veon Bell and Denzel Mims are great, but like the rest of the Jets, they’ll be held back by Adam Gase.
North
14-2 Baltimore Ravens: The 14-2 record poorly reflects my thoughts on the Ravens, I think they should significantly negatively regress, but the schedule formula has failed: one of the best teams has one of the easiest schedules. Lamar Jackson is great, he did overperform in 2019, but that was one of the best seasons of all time. Now, what Lamar loses in touchdown efficiency should be made up for in yardage volume. Marquise Brown and J.K. Dobbins seem poised to breakout but where this team really shines is on defense. Now that Earl Thomas is gone, there’s a small hole at safety, but at every other position, they’re among the best in the league.
10-6 Pittsburgh Steelers: If you take the 2018 Steelers offense and the 2019 defense, you suddenly have a valid argument to be the best team in the league. I don’t think this year’s Steelers can return to their peaks on either side of the ball, but I do think they can be close. Unless Ben Roethlisberger is completely washed, there’s no way that this offense is outside of the top 10 at the end of the year. The 2020 duo of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Dionte Johnson is a major downgrade from the tandem Antonio Brown and JuJu in 2018, but if JuJu and Johnson perform to their full potential, it shouldn’t affect the offense as a whole that much. On defense, with the addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick, they looked unbeatable in 2019 and, other than natural regression, 2020 shouldn’t be much different. If everything goes right, and they can return to their 2018 form on offense and their 2019 form on defense, the Steelers could be favored in the Super Bowl.
9-7 Cleveland Browns: The only reason the Browns were so atrocious in 2019 was coaching. I don’t usually like or use the “coaching narrative” but Freddie Kitchens sucked so much that he’s an exception to my rule. The Browns are still loaded with talent and now they’ve presumably fixed their coaching and offensive line issues. Their new coach, Kevin Stefanski, is expected to heavily utilize the run game and I think this fits the Browns’ players really well. Chubb and Hunt are two of the most skilled running backs in the league, Baker’s at his best off of play-action and their offensive line should be much improved.
5-11 Cincinnati Bengals: Though I don’t think the Bengals will get many wins, I think they’ll do enough to be very exciting coming into next season, similar to the Cardinals this year. Having just gotten a big extension, I think Joe Mixon will have his best year yet. He’s one of the best running backs in the league but has always been stuck in undesirable situations, that should change this year with Joe Burrow in and Andy Dalton out. For the first time in a while, Bengals fans will like watching their team play.
South
11-5 Houston Texans: Even though Bill O’Brien traded Deandre Hopkins away for a Mountain Dew and a bag of chips, the Texans will pick up from where they left off in 2019 (no, I don’t mean blowing a 24 point lead). Even though Hopkins is gone, at this point in his career, Deshaun Watson is a skilled enough quarterback to strategically spread the ball around and not have to lock onto one guy. Filling Hopkins’ hole in the depth chart should be a mix of Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller and as long as they’re healthy, there’s nothing stopping them from exceeding Hopkins’ production. The defense is a mess, but the Texans certainly have a case to lead the league in any offensive category.
9-7 Indianapolis Colts: Other than Philip Rivers, the Colts have a squad capable of winning the Super Bowl, unfortunately for them, Rivers is the most important part. Due to Rivers’ inadequate ability, the heart of this offense is forced to be Jonathan Taylor, but I think that will end up being a good thing. The Colts have one of the best offensive lines, similar to what Taylor had in college at Wisconsin where he consistently rushed for 2,000 yards per season. Of course, he won’t actually rush for 2,000 yards, probably not even 1,500, but if he’s able to reach 1,000 with good efficiency, this team would remind me of the 2019 Titans. With a presumably great running game, solid defense, viable passing game and one of the best coaching staffs in the league, I think the Colts will succeed in an unorthodox way.
6-10 Tennessee Titans: The Titans are the budget Colts: their offensive line isn’t as good, but more importantly, Ryan Tannehill is worse than Philip Rivers based on what they’re being asked to do. Tannehill had some of the best stats of 2019, but that was mainly an indication of A.J. Brown’s unrepeatable insanity, not Tannehill’s skill. On top of that, I also think the previously raved about Taylor could be a better version of Derrick Henry. Like Tannehill and Brown, Henry was undeniable in the latter half of 2019, I just think it was mainly due to luck, not talent. The late addition of Jadaveon Clowney also improves the Titans, but after an offseason of extensions in an attempt to immortalize the second half of 2019, I think the Titans are going to regret it at the end of 2020.
1-15 Jacksonville Jaguars: First things first, I don’t actually think the Jaguars will only get one win, I think they’ll be closer to a three-win team, I just can’t figure out who they could beat. Gardner Minshew is fine, he’s a better and more fun version of Blake Bortles, but after a failed season (possibly due to lack of supporting pieces) Minshew will return to his previously designated backup role, making room for a highly drafted rookie. There’s not much to talk about on this team now that I can’t hate on Fournette. Overall, they’re not good, but also not as bad as the 1-15 record I was forced to give them.
West
12-4 Kansas City Chiefs: I don’t see any way that the Chiefs are not a top-three team. Their defense isn’t in line with the other great teams, but this offense might just be the best ever. Until Patrick Mahomes shows any signs of being a human person, he cannot be compared to any quarterback, ever. He’s a different type of thing and anyone that watches him can vouch for that. Not only is he unbelievably great, but his offense is also unbelievably great. Tyreek Hill, alone, is capable of making virtually any quarterback in the league immediately viable, but then on top of that, they added Clyde Edwards-Helaire: it’s just not fair. In the past two years, we’ve seen our share of unreal offenses, two of which from the Chiefs, but this one has the potential to be the best one yet.
8-8 Denver Broncos: Before the Von Miller injury, I had the Broncos going 9-7 and making some noise in the playoffs, now they just miss out. Even with Miller out, this defense is very comparable to the Ravens, and if Drew Lock can make a Lamar Jackson sized leap, their offense could be too. By no means do I actually think Drew Lock can be in the conversation of talents like Lamar, but if he can become a stable quarterback, the Denver supporting cast is good enough that the Broncos could be a superpower for years to come.
8-8 Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders feel like the Colts lite: great offensive line, great running back, interesting receivers, questionable quarterback: overall a solid team. The Colts’ defense is a lot better and that’s why they’re in the playoffs and the Raiders aren’t, but if the Raiders can fix their quarterback problems, like the Colts, they’ll immediately be thrust into Super Bowl contention.
6-10 Los Angeles Chargers: I don’t think Justin Herbert is good at football… yet. In college, he resembled Mitch Trubisky and if he develops right, that could be a great thing, but if he doesn’t, he could be starring in the new hit movie “Trubisky Part Two: LA Beach Party”. Unlike Trubisky in his first year, Herbert has weapons galore and a good defense backing him. On offense, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and Austin Ekeler make up a collection of great weapons, but if Herbert can’t play, he negates the offensive core’s talent. On defense, the Derwin James injury hurts a lot, but that brings the defense down from top five to top 15. If it turns out that Herbert is capable of throwing a football, this team certainly has the makeup to make a giant leap, I just doubt that he can.
NFC
East
9-7 Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles don’t stand out at any position as being really good or really bad, and that’s why they’re 9-7. If they played every team an equal amount of times, they’d win about 50% of their games, given that they’re in the NFC East however, they’ll have a good record. Carson Wentz is good at football and there’s little reason for him to be labeled as injury-prone, furthermore, he showed in 2019 that he can lead a team, regardless of how depleted their receiving core may be. I will say, this prediction could go very wrong: their defense and offensive line are showing major signs of age or incompetence and they have injury concerns at every position, I just trust the coaching staff and front office enough to put them ahead of the Cowboys.
8-8 Dallas Cowboys: I don’t buy into Dak Prescott being a top seven quarterback. Next to Lamar, he had the best stats in 2019, but if you watched the games, you could see that a lot of that was in garbage time. Dak’s fine, not great, and he certainly doesn’t deserve that mega-contract. The main reason for their average record is their strength of schedule. I don’t love the Cowboys, but I didn’t think I’d have them at 8-8. The offense is among the best in the league but the defense concerns me. Maybe they’ll be able to pick up Earl Thomas or make a trade, but until then, I can’t buy into the Cowboys.
3-13 New York Giants: I’ve said this about a few teams now but I want to like the Giants. On the back of Saquon Barkley, their offense could be explosive, the keyword being “could be”. The most likely outcome is a Jameis Winston type offense, lots of points, lots of yards, lots of turnovers. The difference between this team and the 2019 Buccaneers is the defense. The Buccaneers’ defense had bad overall numbers, but that’s primarily because they were on the field so much. Contrary to the Buccaneers, the Giant’s defense isn’t skilled, and unless Daniel Jones makes improvements, they project to be on the field a lot.
2-14 Washington Football Team: Like most teams with unknowns at quarterback, if Haskins can grow, Washington could be a good team, however, unlike those other teams, Haskins has been set up for failure. Other than Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson, there’s not a single player on this offense who could help Haskins out. Their defense is interesting, all reports suggest that Chase Young is a generational talent; if that’s true, the unit could be in the middle of the pack. Maybe Haskins will show skills for the future, but with the pieces surrounding him at the moment, I don’t think there’s any way Washington will make much of an impact in 2020.
North
11-5 Green Bay Packers: When I was originally writing the excerpt for the Packers (who I had at 9-7), I was trying to make the case against them but I couldn’t find any logical explanation to give them just nine wins. His stats haven’t been good recently, but on film, there’s nothing suggesting that Aaron Rodgers isn’t a premier quarterback. In addition to a bonafide stud at quarterback, the Packers also have Aaron Jones and Davante Adams. Like the Packers as a whole, Jones should severely regress in 2020, but I still think he’s really talented nonetheless. On defense, ever since his early days on the Ravens, I’ve been a big fan of Za’Darius Smith, and now that he’s broken out, I feel comfortable calling him a lock for several sacks; I also like Jaire Alexander and a few other pieces scattered throughout the defense. Their schedule is tough and if there’s any reason they finish with nine wins like I originally thought, it’ll be because of that, however I still have confidence in Aaron Rodgers’ ability to outperform even the toughest of opponents.
9-7 Detroit Lions: If last year weren’t enough to confirm that Matthew Stafford is a great quarterback, I don’t know what is. When he was healthy, Stafford was a top-three quarterback and though he did overperform, I still think he has a case to be top five. Other than Calvin Johnson, the best receiving option Matthew Stafford had before Kenny Golladay’s emergence was Marvin Jones. Now with Golladay bursting onto the scene as an elite receiver, Stafford has everything he needs to have an MVP caliber season. Other than the wide receivers, T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift are options unlike anything Lions fans have seen for years. On top of that, if Kerryon Johnson can remain healthy, there’s no opposition to him being one of the most efficient backs in the league.
8-8 Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings defense has had a Jaguars-like demise, the one difference being the Vikings still have good coaching and discipline, which is very important. Their offense has also had a fall from grace: Kirk Cousins is fine, but very clearly not the solution to making the Super Bowl; in 2019, their offensive line was elite at times but dreadful at others; and their skill position players are among the best. It is in their offense’s range of outcomes to carry this team, but I wouldn’t bet on it happening.
5-11 Chicago Bears: If Mitch Trubisky starts five or more games in Chicago, this offense will be worse than what I could’ve imagined. I don’t think Nick Foles should have a starting spot in the NFL but I feel even more strongly about that statement when discussing Trubisky. Other than quarterback, the offense is okay at best. Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller are one of the best receiving tandems in the league but the quarterback situation corrupts their potential. As for running back, it could’ve been because it was his rookie season, but David Montgomery didn’t look very good, his counterpart, Tarik Cohen is one of the most electric runners in the league but he seems incapable of handling a workload. Defense is where this team had made a name for themselves, but even that is falling apart. The Bears’ magical 12-4 season seemed like it could’ve lasted a few more years, but since then, the “Double-Doink” has haunted Chicago.
South
14-2 New Orleans Saints: Until he does something to make me think otherwise, I will remain a big believer in Drew Brees. Every year could be “the year he falls apart” but other than his numerical age, there’s no evidence supporting that for Brees. In recent years, Brees’ success was bolstered by a great offense and coaching staff and in 2020, that should be no different. Unlike a lot of teams with great offenses, the Saints have a great defense as well, hence the 14-2 record. Also, on the off chance that Brees has a dramatic decline, the Saints still have Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill.
13-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I usually like to temper the hype with teams that transform a lot from year to year but that’s not the case with the Buccaneers. Like most of you, I hate Tom Brady, but that’s because he is always really really good and I expect him to be basically the same even now that he’s in a new city. I’m not sure what’s going on at running back but I’m sure of one of two things: they’ll either figure it out or it won’t matter. On a team with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, there’s not much of a need for a star running back; as long as they can keep the running and passing game balanced enough, I have no concerns on offense. Where my opinion really differs from the public on the Buccaneers is the defense: I think it’s really good. Last year, the cumulative stats were bad but they were also on the field all the time due to Jameis being Jameis. Now with Brady in town, they should be on the field a lot less, with the potential to shock everyone with a defense emerging from worst to first.
6-10 Atlanta Falcons: After last year, I have no trust in the Falcons defense and coaching staff. They did pull it together nicely at the end of the year, but in such a tough division, I couldn’t find a way for the Falcons to surpass eight wins. The offense might be even better this year with Todd Gurley’s arrival, but if they’re as inefficient as they were in 2019, the team won’t produce results. I do think the offense will produce stats and have a lot of enticing pieces, but then again, it did last year. Like the offense, on paper, the defense shouldn’t be atrocious, but from watching their 2019 film, we may just have to change our opinions on a few Atlanta defenders.
4-12 Carolina Panthers: They aren’t there yet, but as long as the Panthers continue making moves like they did this offseason, they’ll be on track to consistently make the playoffs once again. For this year, however, I’m excited to see what’s to come. Even on a Kyle Allen led offense, Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore shined, now with Teddy Bridgewater, I think this team will give a lot of challenging opponents a run for their money. This is a really young team and in a year with a pandemic-riddled off-season I don’t expect much from them in 2020, but their future is bright.
West
14-2 Seattle Seahawks: Even with just Russell Wilson, the Seahawks are still a 9-7 lock, now with a frightening offense and a talented defense to help out Mr. Unlimited, they’ll be close to unbeatable. The Jamal Adams trade might’ve been the most impactful move of this offseason; he alone makes the defense a premier unit. The lack of a pass rush does worry me, but everywhere else looks to be elite. Shaquill Griffin is one of the most underrated corners in the league, Bobby Wagner is Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams could be the second most valuable defensive piece in the game. For the first time since the Legion of Boom was dismantled, the Seahawks are now an elite team on both sides of the ball.
11-5 Arizona Cardinals: Even before the DeAndre Hopkins trade, the Cardinals’ offense was bound to get a lot of hype this offseason, but I think their defense deserves some more attention. Before I go on any further, I’d like to credit Brett Kollmann for pointing this out to me: the Cardinals defense has the potential to be good. In 2019, their players didn’t match the scheme that Vance Joseph wanted to run but now with the addition of Isaiah Simmons and release of Terrell Suggs, I’m excited to see what this defense can do in 2020. If you want to hear about the nuts and bolts of this transformation, check out Brett Kollmann on YouTube. Even if the defense isn’t able to make a leap, they’ll still be good. The addition of Hopkins boosts the offense and in their second year, both Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury should make substantial strides. Of any team, I’m most excited to watch the Cardinals play, I think they could prove even their most exuberant truthers wrong.
10-6 San Francisco 49ers: 2019 was a fluke for the 49ers. Their defense is good and Kyle Shanahan is amazing, but I still have no clue how they made it to the Super Bowl. On paper, the offense is below average, Shanahan does strengthen the unit to top 10, but even still, they have no business making a Super Bowl run. For the 49ers to be competitive in the playoffs again, Jimmy Garoppolo needs to break out. We’ve seen glimpses of Jimmy G being elite but it never stuck. The only good things about this 49ers team are their defense and coaching, but in 2019, we saw that that alone can bring a team a long distance.
5-11 Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay is a good coach but the further we get away from their majestic 2018, the more I’m doubting that this offense can hold up in a shootout with the best. Even though Tyler Higbee was undeniably great, if the Rams’ offensive line is so bad that McVay has to rely on 12 personnel against his will, they’re screwed. Even if their offensive line can pull it together or McVay can just outplay the opposition, their defense is only close to average with the loss of Corey Littleton and some other pieces. I’m really pessimistic about the Rams, but then again, if anyone can pull together what should be an average team and make them great, it’s McVay (or Shanahan or Belichick).
AWARDS
Most Valuable Player
Russell Wilson: It’s a stretch, but when parsing everything that’s happened this off-season, it seems like Russell could be set loose in 2020. They failed to sign or draft a running back not named Carlos Hyde, #LetRussCook was trending and last but not least: Mr. Unlimited. Aside from the silly narratives, Wilson’s one of the best players in the NFL and even if Seattle doesn’t “let him cook” he’ll still be in MVP contention due to his historic efficiency. That said, I do think the Seahawks will finally unleash Wilson due to the surrounding cast. Now freed, Wilson throws for 4,756 yards, 37 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while adding 324 yards on the ground.
Offensive Player of the Year
Saquon Barkley: Christian McCaffrey’s great, but Saquon is the most talented running back in the league. I’m only 16 years old so I haven’t seen some of the great runners play but from what I know, Saquon looks like Barry Sanders, only Saquon has elephant legs. The one thorn for Barkley is his offense. In his rookie year, Daniel Jones was exciting, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he was good. Now in his second year, Jones will make enough of an improvement for Barkley to exceed his production in his first two seasons. As long as the offense around him is right, Barkley has the talent to do anything. He’ll rush for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns while chipping in a mere 824 yards and 5 touchdowns in the air.
Defensive Player of the Year
Jamal Adams: Ever since his rookie season, it’s been evident that Adams is one of the best young defenders in the league. Even though he was great in New York, there was little chance for a Jets defender to get any sort of acknowledgment. Now on a presumably great Seahawks team, I think Adams will elevate the Seattle defense to heights only comparable to the Legion of Boom and deservingly get a lot of credit for it. In a season where the Seahawks are the talk of the league, Adams will light up the box score every week, accumulating 104 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 fumbles, 5 sacks and lots of game-altering plays.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Antonio Gibson: In a year with two quarterbacks as good as Joe Burrow and Tua, there’s no real chance that Gibson can take home the award, heck, I even think Jonathan Taylor is more likely to do it. That said, I just wanted to use this excerpt to highlight my love of Antonio Gibson one more time. Efficiency is the key to Gibson’s success where he takes 184 carries for 943 yards and 68 receptions for 743 yards and 10 total touchdowns.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Isaiah Simmons: After finishing last in yards allowed, there will be a major defensive turnaround in the desert. Though this will be because of a mix of things, the most significant of will be Simmons. Though his stats may not pop off the paper, the flexibility that Simmons brings will be worthy of the award. Simmons will collect 87 tackles and 3 interceptions, but most importantly, he’ll be a monumental part of turning a team around.
Comeback Player of the Year
Matthew Stafford: While Stafford was healthy in 2019 he ranked first in average completed air yards, average intended air yards, aggressiveness rate and fourth in quarterback rating; all of that just goes to say, he threw the ball deep a lot and was good at it. His stats also prorated to 4,998 yards, 38 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. I don’t think Stafford will be able to match those numbers, but Kenny Golladay’s breakout and the growth of the Lions offense will help him reach new heights. In 2020, I think Stafford will throw for 4,548 yards, 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Coach of the Year
Frank Reich: Coach of the Year is kind of a pointless award but I think Reich deserves to be talked about. In recent years, the Colts have had a collection of interesting teams, but things always seemed to go horribly wrong. Regardless, they consistently exceeded expectations, partly due to Reich. Being someone who has never played competitive football, I don’t think coaching matters that much, however, in the case of Reich, I think it does.
PLAYOFFS
Wildcard
Indianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chiefs: I like the Colts, but let’s be honest, this matchup is a 38-year-old Philip Rivers vs Patrick Mahomes in his prime.
Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans: The Browns’ defense is good, but other than best of the best defenses, Deshaun will carve you up.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Buffalo Bills: This matchup is basically your pick of Ben Roethlisberger or Josh Allen, in which case I’ll take Big Ben. With the addition of Stefon Diggs, Josh Allen enthusiasts have been popping up everywhere, but until he shows that he can accurately complete some passes, I can’t bring myself to endorse him. Both teams have great defenses and coaching, solid run games and a good receiving core: the only major difference is quarterback.
San Francisco 49ers vs New Orleans Saints This year, the 49ers are no match for the Saints. We saw an epic battle in 2019, but this year, the Saints will be better and the 49ers, the opposite.
Arizona Cardinals vs Green Bay Packers: If we get to see this matchup, it’ll be a rematch of the game that I fell in love with football: 2015 NFC Divisional Round, January 16, 2016. This game won’t be able to fully live up to that matchup, but it’ll still be fun to watch. In the end, Arizona will take the win with their reinvented defense and dynamic offense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Philadelphia Eagles: The Buccaneers are one of the best teams in football, the Eagles only made it because they play in an awful division.
Division
Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers: One of the greatest rivalries of the century meet once again in the playoffs. Every position is loaded for both teams on both offense and defense, but Baltimore has a slight edge at every spot, especially quarterback.
Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs: A rematch of the infamous 24-0 comeback. Until Bill O’Brien starts making smart moves to help his quarterback like the Chiefs have, there’s no way that Watson with no help can take down a better quarterback with lots of help.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Seattle Seahawks: This game has the potential to be the ticket to a Super Bowl win. Both teams project to be very stable but still deadly offenses with great defenses. Before we actually see Tom Brady in a Buccaneers’ jersey, it’s impossible to predict this game, but for the sake of projections, I’ll say that the Tampa experiment goes well for Brady, but Russell will still outplay him.
Arizona Cardinals vs New Orleans Saints: This Cardinals team has one of the best young cores in the league, but in the playoffs, the Brees and the Saints’ experience easily pulls through.
Conference
Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens: Until Lamar starts to fade or get injured (which I do think will happen at some point), this rivalry will be one of the most exciting for several years. We’ve already seen it twice and the Chiefs have swept the series so far. They face off again in the 2020 regular season which I have the Ravens winning, leading to Lamar tying the series in the playoffs. When comparing the offenses and defenses of the two teams, it’s obvious who’s better in which category, but the Ravens have a bigger edge in defense than the Chiefs do on offense.
Seattle Seahawks vs New Orleans Saints: For very few teams does a running back matter a noticeable amount, but I do think the Seahawks are one of those few teams. No matter how good Wilson is, the Seahawks still want to run the ball but Chris Carson isn’t good enough for the task. Maybe they’ll trade for someone at the deadline or make a move in the offseason, but until I see proof, I think the Saints are a more well-rounded team. No matter how you cut it, the Saints are elite everywhere whereas the Seahawks have some weak spots.
Super Bowl
Baltimore Ravens vs New Orleans Saints: Of every NFL team, these are probably the two best well-rounded teams. The biggest weak spots for the Ravens are wide receiver and safety and the Saints’ is their second cornerback; that just goes to show how great these teams are. Last year when doing these predictions, I said that the Saints would win the Super Bowl and Brees would ride off into the sunset and this year I’m doing the same. If they had beaten the Vikings in overtime, the Saints would’ve made the Super Bowl. Now in 2020, as long as they don’t cross paths with the Vikings, I don’t think anything can stop the Saints.