Kansas City Chiefs
It’s hard to go with anyone at number one besides the Super Bowl champion. The Kansas City Chiefs, for the first time in 50 years, made it to the promised land, defeating the 49ers in the Super Bowl. It’s all smiles in Kansas City right now, and the future looks bright for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. As for the offseason, there are some questions that will get answered. Will Mahomes get a mega-deal, or will he defer so they can sign Chris Jones and Sammy Watkins (if he decides to play). If I am a Kansas City fan, I would be very excited about the dynasty that is about to emerge.
San Francisco 49ers
They were so close to winning, but they fell just short. This should not take away from the storied season the San Francisco 49ers had. This team featured one of the top defenses in the league, mixing young talent like Nick Bosa, and veteran leadership like Richard Sherman very well. San Fran was as good as they come on this side of the ball, but the offensive side of the ball was no slouch. The three runningback tandem of Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, and Tevin Coleman. The young receiving core of Deebo Samuel and George Kittle create another dynamic for the offense. The question will still rise though. Will Jimmy G be able to get it done in the big game? His stats say he can, but the results say differently. Will he rise to the occasion? Or become the next Jared Goff?
Green Bay Packers
In 2019, the Green Bay Packers had one of the quieter 13-3 seasons, but it should not be overlooked. The big difference with this Packers team is that they did not have to rely on Aaron Rodgers as much this season than the past. The emergence of Aaron Jones had a lot to do with that. While he did not rack up a lot of yardages (1,084 yards), Jones had 19 total touchdowns on the season. Another big reason was the defensive play as well, specifically the “Smith Brother’. Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith combined for 25.5 sacks on the season, creating quarterback pressure constantly. With all this said, the Achilles heel they had was beating the San Francisco 49ers. In two meetings, Green Bay got beat down twice, specifically the NFC Championship, where they lost 37-20. Can Green Bay get over the hump or is this the best they will get with this team?
Tennessee Titans
It’s amazing to think where the Tennessee Titans were at before Ryan Tannehill took over, to where they are now. Finishing the season strong to get to 9-7 and making the playoffs. To top that off, beating the defending champs in the New England Patriots then the favorites in the Baltimore Ravens, the Titans were the Cinderella story of 2019, but will look to add to that in 2020. The only problem is that Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry are both free agents, so the entire offensive scheme may change. With the likelihood that Henry gets a ridiculous amount of money, there is a real chance that Tannehill walks. Will they get both? Or will there be a change at quarterback in Tennessee?
Baltimore Ravens
Many people may disagree with the Ravens being fifth, but the fact that Tennessee beat them and advanced further into the playoffs made me put the Titans ahead of them. Besides this game, not a lot went wrong for Baltimore in 2019, led by MVP Lamar Jackson, who led the Baltimore offense to first in points and rushing yards, and second in total yards. Jackson, at quarterback, had a breakout season, leading his team in passing AND rushing yards for an entire season. Even though they were an early exit, if Baltimore can adjust and stick with their scheme that All-Pro coach John Harbaugh put together, there could be many championships in their near future.
Minnesota Vikings
It’s easy to say that the Minnesota Vikings were the surprise team in 2019, but it seems like this is just a team that finally lived up to their expectations. In past seasons, Dalvin Cook has been hurt, and Kirk Cousins has underperformed in big games. In 2019, Cousins still struggled in big games, but in the biggest game of his career, Cousins helped take down the New Orleans Saints in a massive upset in the Wild Card Round. If this proves anything, it is that Cousins and the Vikings have it in them to make a deep playoff run very soon. Will they build from this and do it in 2020?
Seattle Seahawks
When you think of the Seattle season, a lot of it is bad luck, and the pain of the fact that the games came down to a literal inch. Bad luck in the fact that their leading rusher, Chris Carson, was lost for the playoffs in Week 16, right before they played the 49ers for the division due to a fracture below the knee. As for the game of inches, it basically cost them their season. In Week 17, the final play of the game was a pass that came up an inch short of the goal line. Another inch and Seattle had a first-round bye. Because of this, Seattle had to play the Philadelphia Eagles first, where they took care of business. Against the Green Bay Packers in the second round, the Packers sealed the game by gaining a first down by, yes, an inch. A matter of inches decided the Seattle Seahawks season, but with Russell Wilson coming back, the addition of Greg Olsen to create a trio of good TE’s, plus the comeback of Chris Carson, Seattle can make a lot of noise in 2020.
Houston Texans
It is almost like you can pencil in every year that the Houston Texans will go 11-5 or 10-6, no more, no less. The only problem is that Houston has failed to seize their opportunities, being an early-round exit almost every year. After a comeback win in the Wild Card round against the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans blew a 24-0 lead against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Another case of Houston not being able to get it done in the big game. At the end of the day, it comes down to Deshaun Watson needing a better supporting cast. Whether it is on the coaching staff, offensive line, or just plain stability, Watson needs to be in a better situation than he is. Without him, the Texans are nothing, so a more stable supporting cast would be huge for Houston.
New Orleans Saints
As the Houston Texans, the Saints are almost a lock for the playoffs every season, sometimes even a first-round bye. Every year, it seems to be the year they will reach the promised land again. Fans are still waiting patiently for this to happen. It could be the “Minneapolis Miracle”, or the calls that never happened the last two seasons, but it all comes down to a team failing to reach expectations. With that being said, the New Orleans Saints are still one of the most complete teams in the NFL, but time is running out for Drew Brees, and who knows how competitive they will be when he decides to hang it up. 2020 will be a big year in deciding the fate of the New Orleans Saints.
New England Patriots
Not many people would pick the New England Patriots to be 10th on their power rankings, but it just comes down to the fact that this Patriots team lacked the firepower that it usually has. Even with a 12-4 record and a playoff appearance, New England failed to get a first-round bye and got severely outplayed by Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans in the first round where they eventually lost. Now we turn to the Tom Brady saga. In his long career, Brady will be a free agent for the first time, and there is a real chance that Brady leaves New England. Is it the end of an era in New England, we should have answered very soon and this answer may shake up the entire NFL.
Buffalo Bills
It was a breakout season for the Buffalo Bills, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and the first time with young quarterback Josh Allen. Sporting a really good defense, a weak schedule, and a dynamic offense, the Bills were able to put together a 10-6 season, before losing to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The goal for 2020: do not become the Chicago Bears. The Bears, like the Bills, had a breakout year in 2018 with a young quarterback and good defense. In 2019, the Bears underperformed, finished 8-8, and Mitch Trubisky regressed. If the Bills want to avoid this, Josh Allen needs to grow, and with the coaching staff he has around him, there is a good chance that he will grow and become a really good quarterback in 2020, but do not be so quick to pencil in the Bills for a playoff spot.
Philadelphia Eagles
Basically, the only thing that went right for the Eagles in 2019 is that they made the playoffs. If the Dallas Cowboys would have played up to par, the Eagles wouldn’t have had a shot at the division. Their secondary needs work, and their receiving core needs more stability. One of the brighter spots of their seasons was rookie running back Miles Sanders, who emerged at the end of the season for the Eagles playoff push. Carson Wentz, yet again, was a bright spot, but, yet again, could not stay healthy, getting injured in the playoff game against the Seahawks. It is not Wentz’s fault, but it has to be frustrating to be an Eagles fan and see the potential of Wentz not be fulfilled because of injury. If Wentz can stay healthy, and the Eagles can draft well and reel in a corner like Byron Jones or trade for Darius Slay, the Eagles may have a reason to be excited for 2020.
Dallas Cowboys
Going into the season, the Dallas Cowboys were picked in many people’s eyes to run through the NFC East and compete for a Super Bowl championship. They had the roster, they had the personnel, the expectations, and whatever else they needed. Out of all this, the Dallas Cowboys finished 8-8, missed the playoffs, and failed expectations. It just came down to winning the big game this year for Dallas. Whether it was Thanksgiving against the Bills, Week 16 against the Eagles, or an embarrassing TNF loss to the Chicago Bears, Dallas lost games that should have been won. After a 3-0 start, the team’s record was 5-8. Going into 2020, a lot of their expectation will have to do with their offseason. Dak, Amari, Byron, who gets signed? How will Mike McCarthy help this team get to the top? Do they trade up for Jeff Okudah? Depending on these answers will say a lot about the fate of the 2020 Dallas Cowboys.
Los Angeles Rams
Similar to the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams had heavy expectations that were failed in 2020. After appearing in the Super Bowl last season, the Rams finished third in their division and failed to make the playoffs with a record of 9-7. A lot of their season had to do with the health of Todd Gurley and the inconsistency of the offensive line. With Gurley not able to get the workload he was last year, the offense was in the hands of Jared Goff, who regressed from his performance last year. It’s win now or hit rock bottom for the Rams. With minimal cap space due to the contract of Jared Goff or the Jalen Ramsey trade that took away their first-round picks in 2020 and 2021, the Rams must win with this team. If not, it is going to be hard to build toward the future for the Los Angeles Rams.
Pittsburgh Steelers
If there is one thing to take away from the 2019 season, it is that we underappreciate how good of a coach Mike Tomlin is. With the departure of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, the injury to Ben Roethlisberger, and the inability for James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster to stay on the field, Tomlin had little to work with. Tomlin turned Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges into an 8-8 record, which is way over the expectation. A lot to do with their success was how well their defense played, led by Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was shipped by Miami for a 2020 first-round pick, and it worked out great for the Steelers. Fitzpatrick had five picks on the season. If everyone can come back healthy in 2020, the Steelers can be right back in the mix for a division title.
Chicago Bears
“Mitch Trubisky can win MVP this season”. Most analysts made this statement, and most of them were let down. If 2019 proved anything, it proved that the Chicago Bears were in over their heads in 2018 and need to become a better football team on the offensive side of the ball. With names like Eddie Jackson, Khalil Mack, Kyle Fuller, and many more, the defense was not the problem this season. The defense was the reason they won eight games this year. While Mitch Trubisky needs to play better, he needs his weapons to perform around him. Tarik Cohen and David Montgomery need to be better, or they need to look for change, whether it is the quarterback or somewhere else, they need a change.
Atlanta Falcons
Ever since the crushing Super Bowl loss where the Patriots came back from 28-3 to win, the Atlanta Falcons have not been the same. Year after year, they continue to underachieve and come up short. With a record of 7-9 this year, Atlanta finished mediocre once again. With that being said, the organization has committed to sticking with head coach Dan Quinn. After saying this, the team got hot and finished the year strong. Can they carry that into 2020? The time is running out for Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, so the Falcons need to put together a championship-caliber team very soon.
Denver Broncos
Ever since Peyton Manning retired after winning a Super Bowl, the Broncos have struggled to find their identity, specifically at quarterback. There were guys like Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum, and even Joe Flacco that were serviceable, but just bridge guys until they found their future. This year, they may have found that in Drew Lock. While the sample size is small, Lock looked like everything you want in a quarterback. If he is the answer, the Denver Broncos are already in win-now mode with names like Von Miller, Courtland Sutton, and Bradley Chubb. To add to that, a trade for Darius Slay would give the defense a boost, as would drafting Jerry Jeudy on the offensive side. The future is bright in Denver, let’s just see if they can put it all together.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bruce Arians took over the team this season and sat through a 30-interception campaign by Jameis Winston, who was in his walk year. While the turnovers are bad, Winston still led the league in yards, but produced a 7-9 record. Heading into free agency, it looks like Tampa Bay is comfortable moving on. The big question is that who is the next play-caller in Tampa Bay? Do they draft? Sign? Or is Winston staying put? All three are evenly possible so we shall see how it plays out.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts were picked to make a deep playoff run….then Andrew Luck retired. This left Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, who is solid at best but won’t lead your team to the Super Bowl. It’s looking very likely that Indy signs a veteran QB because the Colts have a roster poised to make a run in 2020. Brissett has proved and showed his flaws, so it will be interesting to see if it is him or a guy like Philip Rivers leading the helm next year.
New York Jets
Every year, the Jets have big expectations to make a deep playoff run and most fans are still waiting very impatiently. While not making the playoffs, the Jets were a better team than given credit for. The Jets finished 7-9, and if it was not for quarterback Sam Darnold getting mono before Week 2, the Jets may have been in the mix for the playoffs. With that being said, Gang Green has to build on this season rather than take a step back which they have been prone to do. Let’s see if guys like Le’Veon Bell can rebound in 2020, and the Jets can finally make the playoff run.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are one of those teams where you just don’t know what you’re getting. Now in Las Vegas, the whole culture is going to change, and Jon Gruden needs to have his team play at a more consistent level. In 2019, the Raiders, like so many others, finished 7-9, and struggled late after sticking with the Chiefs in the division hunt for a little. The emergence of guys like Josh Jacobs and Maxx Crosby was encouraging for Las Vegas, but can Derek Carr lead the team to the playoffs? If Vegas wants to compete in 2020, Carr must play better, unless a guy by the name of Tom Brady takes over the position, but we’ll see what happens.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns had massive expectations after trading for Odell Beckham Jr. The explosive offense featuring OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, and Baker Mayfield, was supposed to take over the league. Instead, they finished 6-10. Whether it was an interception by Baker or Garrett swinging his helmet, the Cleveland Browns had a rough year. To fix this in 2020, Cleveland must sure up their offensive line and Baker must play better for Cleveland to play up to their expectations. New coach Kevin Stefanski will also be looking to gain the stability of the locker room, one that was lacking last season. If he can do that, Baker Mayfield will have a big year and the Browns will be just fine.
Miami Dolphins
Don’t let the record fool you, the Miami Dolphins were a lot better than the stats show. Every week, Brian Flores’ squad got better and better. Names like Devante Parker stepped up in a big way for Miami. Ryan Fitzpatrick led the offense to solid results, but there is no certainty that he will be back starting. If Miami drafts Tua like projected, the Dolphins may have found their quarterback of the future. After that, the Dolphins will look to build on the positives of 2019, hopefully with a franchise quarterback in 2020.
Jacksonville Jaguars
It didn’t matter who the QB was. The Jacksonville Jaguars had a really bad season in 2019. With no continuity on the offensive side and their best defensive player off the team because of a trade, the Jaguars had minimal options. DJ Chark was a bright spot, but besides him, there wasn’t a lot to cheer about in 2019. There is a lot of questions going into the offseason, both on and off the field. Unless a big splash is made in the offseason, it is going to be tough for Jacksonville to compete in 2020.
Arizona Cardinals
Like the Dolphins, the record did not show the positives you can gain from 2019, especially since their franchise quarterback won Rookie of the Year in Kyler Murray. Arizona chose to trade their former high draft pick in Josh Rosen and draft Murray. As of right now, the Cardinals have won that trade, and with a good draft and some free agent signings, the Arizona Cardinals have a chance to make a big leap in 2020.
Los Angeles Chargers
The 2019 season was a lost one for the Los Angeles Chargers. One that proved to be a bittersweet one, as it ended up being the last season Philip Rivers played for the Chargers. Rivers has been the franchise quarterback for over a decade, but a change needed to be made to revamp the offense. With a loaded quarterback draft, the Chargers are projected to take Justin Herbert, QB from Oregon. A young guy may be good for the Chargers in the fact that the game was past Rivers, but Herbert would fit in nicely. If the Chargers do draft Herbert and their defense stays healthy, 2020 should be interesting for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Carolina Panthers
At one point, the Carolina Panthers were 5-3. 8 weeks later, they are 5-11, skidding to last place. Besides Christian McCaffrey and a sprinkle of DJ Moore, the Panthers offense was very stagnant, especially without a stable quarterback after Cam Newton got hurt again. Kyle Allen looked good at first, but then came back to earth very fast. After him, Will Grier was inserted, and there was little success there. Now, this offseason, their best defensive player in Like Kuechly, decided to hang it up. If Cam is not the QB of the Carolina Panthers in 2020, I don’t know what the Panthers’ plan is going to be, but it needs to be better than last year if they want to compete.
New York Giants
This year was an interesting one for the Giants. The torch was being passed from Eli Manning to Daniel Jones. Also, it was the era without Odell Beckham now in New York. Jones did a solid job, but turnovers killed him all season. Darius Slayton emerged as one of their top receivers. On the other hand, the negatives heavily outweighed the positives. Saquon Barkley, running back, was injured, so it prevented him from making an impact. The offensive line continued to struggle, and the defense continued to be below average at best. These are rebuilding years for the Giants. Expect a heavy defensive or offensive line draft class in 2020. Other than that, 2020 is going to look a lot like 2019, hopefully with growth from Daniel Jones.
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins could have easily been No. 32 on this list, but the two teams below them struggled just as mightily. The 2019 season was the start of the Dwyane Haskins era in Washington. Throughout most of the season, Haskins struggled, and his defense was not giving him that much help either. It was only Haskins’ rookie year, so be patient Redskins fans, just like you are with Derrius Guice, who was a good spark when he finally got healthy. Another bright spot was rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who exceeded expectations. 2020 is going to be a growing year for the Skins, hopefully with a lot of touchdown passes by Dwyane Haskins.
Detroit Lions
It’s hard to win games when your team loses its best player. Early in the season, franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford injured his back, and was lost for the season. This was a crushing blow for Detroit. One that proved to be too much to recover from. The only positive from this is that the Lions looked like a solid team with Stafford, so maybe a healthy 2020 could lead to the Lions being competitive. Beyond Stafford, Darius Slay is almost guaranteed to be traded, and with the possibility of them trading out, the Lions are taking an interesting route to success in 2020.
Cincinnati Bengals
Besides a late-season push by Joe Mixon, the Cincinnati Bengals had nothing go their way, just like most 2-14 teams. If the Cincinnati fanbase is excited, for one thing, it is that Joe Burrow, who is coming off the best season by a college quarterback all-time, will most likely be drafted No. 1 overall and be the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, Cincinnati needs to build around him, starting with the trenches, and also moving on from AJ Green, who was listed as “Questionable” 11 weeks in a row and never played. If you want to be excited as a Bengal fan, be excited for Joe Burrow, because he is the future.
