NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
The 2020 NFL season is only weeks away. This has been an unpredictable year, so why not try to make some crazy predictions for the season.
Here are seven bold predictions for the 2020 season, and remember, these are “bold” for a reason.
Tampa Bay Lives Up To The Hype
It is Super Bowl or bust for the Buccaneers. After signing Brady and trading for Gronk, Tampa is poised for a big season. However, many have already labeled them as the biggest bust in 2020. Some have compared them to the 2019 Browns, who also had a lot of talent, but couldn’t live up to expectations.
There is no denying this team is stacked on offense. Even if Brady is an average QB, they will still most likely have a top 10 offense. The defense, on the other hand, is more of a question mark. This is a very young unit that did not start the 2019 season strong. However, they ended on a high note.
They finished 7th in sacks (47), 1st in rush yards allowed per game (73.8), and per attempt (3.26), 5th in takeaways (28), and 1st in passes defended (96). If the defense can continue to develop and the offense shows out, the Bucs may be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February.
New England Plummets Without Brady
Wouldn’t the media eat this up if these first two predictions come true? Brady wins the Super Bowl, while his old coach struggles to win a game. Everyone knows Belichick runs a strict regime. This is fine as long as the team’s leader follows along with it. With Brady gone, will the players put up with Bill’s dictatorship?
On paper, this is not a good team. They lost a lot of key players this offseason and signed virtually no notable free agents. The draft was no different. Nearly every player they selected looks to be a project. I do not believe any are ready for serious playing time in their first year.
Belichick will need to use his magic more than ever if New England is going to have a successful season.
Arizona Makes a Huge Leap and Kyler Wins MVP
No one expected Arizona to be a good team last year. They had a first-year head coach and QB, with a bad O-line and defense. They managed to finish with a 5-10-1 record while flashing their potential for the future.
They managed to trade for a top 3 WR in DeAndre Hopkins and select the second-best defender in the draft, Isaiah Simmons. Much like last year, the Cardinals do not have high expectations. Most believe they can go 8-8 or 9-7. They will need to show improvement, but they are not Super Bowl contenders yet. Or are they?
There is always one or two teams that catch everyone by surprise, and Arizona could be that team in 2020. Adam Rank for NFL network predicted the 49ers to go 3-13 last season, and they ended going to the Super Bowl.
Mahomes won MVP his second year in the league two years ago, and Lamar also won it his second year in the league. If Murray can make a big leap with his strong receiving core, maybe he can take home the MVP and continue the second year MVP streak.
Russell Wilson Has a Better Year Than Mahomes
There is an overall consensus that Mahomes is the best QB in the league, and it is not close. I have always believed that Wilson is very close to Mahomes but just hasn’t had the had supporting cast on offense as Mahomes.
Brian Schottenheimer has not taken full advantage of his future first-ballot HOF QB. He continues to hold Wilson back by running the ball. Wilson said this offseason that he wants Seattle’s offense to be much more aggressive this year.
I am excited to see if they let Wilson cut it loose. If they do, we may be talking about him being the best QB in the league.
Bridgewater Becomes Carolina’s Franchise QB
Many have already chalked up Carolina to have a bad season. This will be Matt Rhule’s first year as an NFL head coach. He made it clear that the defense needed to be better in 2020 by drafting a defensive player with every pick they had (7 in total).
With the attention to the defense, many have forgotten that Carolina signed Teddy Bridgewater to a 3-year $63 million contract. Some have their doubts that Teddy can be a franchise QB. He went 5-0 as the starter last year in New Orleans. There is an obvious difference between the Saints and Panthers, but he will still have McCaffery and DJ Moore to rely on.
Bridgewater is out to prove he can be a franchise guy even after his horrific injury in 2016. If Rhule can get Teddy playing at a high level, hopefully, Carolina will be his home for a long time.
Ryan Tannehill and The Titans Disappoint
The Titans were the Cinderella team of 2019. Through the first six weeks, Tennessee was 2-4, and many fans had already given up on the season. Then head coach Mike Vrabel gave the starting job to Ryan Tannehill.
He ended up being the highest-graded QB in the league by Pro Football Focus. His 92.5 grade was higher than both Drew Brees and Russell Wilson’s, who both had a 91.2. Through 10 ½ games in the regular season, Tannehill threw for almost 2,600 yards, 19 TDs, and only 5 INTs.
Henry took home the rushing title last year with over 1,500 yards on the ground. The defense was also a nightmare for the Patriots and Ravens in the postseason.
This whole season will be on Tannehill. If he can recapture the magic of 2019, Tennesee will be just fine. However, that is much easier said than done. He did not play all that well in the postseason, as the team relied on the defense and Henry to win. If he cannot play at a high level, do not expect another AFC Championship game with Tennesse in it in 2020.
We Get To See The Entire 2020 Season
Many did not think the 2020 season would happen, but as of now, it will go on as usual. From August 12th to 20th, the NFL tested 58,397 players/personal. There were zero players that tested positive and only six personal that tested positive.
Some teams have already announced there will be no fans at home games to lower the risk, while others have put a cap on the amount that can attend. The NFL has done a good job to this point at making the league safe.
With more precautions and a bit of luck, we may be able to watch the 2020 football season in its entirety.
