The upcoming 2020 NFL season will be like one we have never seen. With the global pandemic COVID-19 shutting down most of the country, many feared that the NFL season may be in doubt. Due to COVID, there has been very little preparation for the upcoming season. With shortened OTA's and Mini camps, limited spring training, and no preseason games, rookie players and coaches have little to no time to get acclimated to the league. It is going to be extremely hard to have realistic expectations for many teams and players. However, I shall do my best to give you the ultimate 2020 NFL Division predictions. AFC East Edition!
AFC East
Buffalo Bills (12-4)
Under Head Coach Sean McDermott the Bills franchise has been on the up and up. Last season they finished the season going 10-6 finishing 2nd in the AFC East behind Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. With Brady departing the Patriots, a top place finish for the Bill is well within reach.
It would be discourteous to not start off with the amazing defense Head Coach Sean McDermott has coached within the franchise. The defense this season is stacked with top tier talent from the line to the secondary. Jerry Hughes is the veteran that everyone on the team looks up to. Although he had a down season last year his energy and presence feeds onto the rest of his team. Ed Oliver should have a major improvement from last season, the Bills still have a tremendous belief in the kid. A name to watch out for is rookie A.J. Epenesa. He will be a rotational player on the line; make no mistake, he will get after the Quarterback. Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds are the field generals in the Linebacking core. They both are very smart, instinctive and tough players. They do their job and do it well. In the secondary, the Bills are led by 2019 All Pro Cornerback Tre’Davious White. White played up against the best league had to offer last season, and played the shutdown corner role extremely well. Just yesterday, White signed a 5 year extension worth $70 million. They also added Cornerback Josh Norman to play alongside White. They will not be an easy team to score on or pick apart this season. Everyone on this defense knows their place and how to work as a complete unit. With the selfless play and the commitment from the players, I know this can be the best defense in the league.
This offseason, the Bills surrendered their first round draft pick to Minnesota in order to bring in a real number one Wide Receiver in Stefon Diggs. Diggs was an amazing player for the Vikings, he is nearly unguardable in this league. He can run any route he is asked to and has a natural ability to make things happen when the balls in his hands. He is the perfect gift for Quarterback Josh Allen. Talking about Josh Allen, he should be in for a pretty good season. He battled a lot last season trying to find his footing as to what type of player he was going to be in the NFL. By the end of last year, I think he found it. His arm strength is inferior to no one in the NFL. Most of the time it’s too strong and overthrows his open wide receivers. Aside from his massive arm, his ability to escape the pocket and get touchdowns with his legs is also something magical to watch. Allen must step up this season and produce more offensive production if this team wants to take a hold of the AFC East. He too will have to be the man who shows up big time come playoff season. Serving as Allen's tailback is second year man Devin Singletary. He showed a lot of potential last season while splitting carries in a committee. However, this season will be very different. I expect Singletary to be a three down back which will translate to a whole bunch of production.
The Bills have an extremely formidable team this season and are ready to show up. They will be a tough out come playoff time. This is a team that could hold a top the AFC East for years to come.
New England Patriots (9-7)
This will be the first time in the New England Patriots dynasty that they will not be led by Quarterback Tom Brady. It still seems so odd not to see Brady in New England, and even odd to witness is his replacement.
Cam Newton signed on with the team for under a million dollars during the offseason. Bill Belichick stole Cam Newton for nothing, and I suspect he will get a lot more than anyone could have ever expected. It is true, Newton has had an abundant amount of injuries in his career, but when healthy Cam is a stand alone athlete at his position. No Quarterback can play the way he does, his physical running style and ability to take on bigger opponents is unseen in the NFL. If Newton is 100% locked in on this season, he will be able to keep the Patriots in playoff contention. Serving as his top Wide Receiver will be Julian Edelman. Edelman had a down year last season, he had many drops which plagued the Patriots momentum at times. However, he is one of the hardest workers and I know he wants to prove that he still has the ability to be a number one Wide Receiver. I totally expect Edelman to bounce back and help Newton as much as possible. Damiere Byrd was a signing many may have been oblivious to, he is an under the radar Wide Receiver that can create space for himself all over the field. He has the ability to go deep or play short. He is very versatile, and the Patriots will abuse the mismatch. James White will be the scat back catching passes out of the back field and Sony Michelle will be the workhorse running it through the holes. This offense has some nice pieces that can keep opposing defenses on their toes. They won't be winning any type of shootouts, but if the game is close enough they can pull out some wins.
On the defense they will be led by Defensive Player of the Year, Cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore in Belichick's defense is assigned to shutdown anyone who he lines up against. He naturally takes away an option for an entire game. Few Quarterbacks even look his way. Devin and Jason McCourty too will be returning to keep the secondary on lock down. They are both smart and good football players that Belichick loves to have on the field. The Linebacking core and defensive front for this unit will be a problem. They are extremely young and have little to no real experience. Many players on the defensive side of the ball opted out this season due to health concerns. Knowing Belichick he will find a way to win games, weather through defense offense or special teams.
The Patriots might have actually won this division if 8 key players had not opted out for this season. With so many losses and no real replacements, this seems like a year to evaluate what talent you can build with for next season. Just so we're clear the Dynasty is not dead.
Miami Dolphins (5-11)
The team that is being formed under Head Coach Brian Flores is surely coming together. Flores is a Bill Belichick product and has installed a like minded culture based on the love of football. He is a coach that players love having around, his leadership is something they admire.
Journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick will be making the start this season at Quarterback despite the Dolphins selecting Tua Tagovailoa from Alabama in this past year's draft. I think now will be a great time for Tua to process the game and learn as much as possible before he gets thrust out to play. Fitzpatrick will be a great mentor for Tua to learn everything about being a starting QB in this league. Playing at Wide Receiver is Star DeVante Parker, he will be looking to excel and place the league on notice once again this season. He will easily match and crush the numbers he posted last season. This offense will be focused all around him. The offense surely does lack major talent. And perhaps that's what they will address next offseason.
The defense on the other hand is loaded all over the place. the secondary's depth is filled with endless with talent. They have two shutdown Cornerbacks in Byron Jones and Xavien Howard. They will play hard against anyone who opposes them. Playing the Safety positions are Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe. The wildcard on the defense is rookie Nickle-Back Noah Igbinoghene.
He is an athletic freak and will be making plays every Sunday whether it's on defense or special teams. At Linebacker they signed fan favorite Kyle Van Noy. He is a smart player who played for Flores in New England. Van Noy brings a great deal of leadership and poise to the young team. Their pass rush will come from Christian Wilkins and Shaq Lawson. They both have a natural ability for getting after the Quarterback. This defense will need time to find their footing and chemistry but they will be one of the better units this season.
The Dolphins may surprise some teams this year with the unique talent they have on the roster. However, there are too many holes that need to be addressed specifically on the offense. They are a young team and are on the way to playoff contention in a few years.
New York Jets (3-13)
For the most part this Jets team is in shambles and that falls upon Head Coach Adam Gase. Sam Darnold is entering year three and still has no help surrounding him. The Jets organization has failed to get him the help he desperately needs. This is why they will finish last in the AFC East this season.
As I have already mentioned, Sam Darnold is entering year three and still we are unsure about whether or not he can play in the NFL. Sam Darnold has shown flashes of being a quality starting Quarterback with decent seasons and some strong performances. However, with the severe lack of talent surrounding him I don't think we have seen him at his best. They are wasting his career. His Running Back is Le’Veon Bell. Yes, he is a big name player but he hasn't been the same since he took the year hiatus with Pittsburgh. With the addition of Mekhi Becton possibly Bell will have a bit more production, but his prime days are far behind him at this point. The Wide Receiver on showcase this season will be slot man Jamieson Crowder. Everyone in the league is expecting Crowder to be the focal point of the passing game in the offense. Crowder will be the safety blanket over the middle for Darnold. Beyond those players mentioned the Jets are an extremely weak offensive unit.
Just a few weeks ago the Jets shipped away All Pro Safety Jamal Adams to Seattle for Safety Brad McDougal and a pair first round picks. On the defensive line they have stars Quinnen Williams and Steve McLendon. In Gregg Williams defense they are free to do whatever they need to do to make a play on the Quarterback. At the Linebacker spot they have two solid pieces in Jordan Jenkins and Avery Williamson. They are both core pieces to the team in both covering the box and playing back in coverage. And in the secondary they have an up and coming Safety in Marcus Maye who will be looking to elevate his game even higher. I think he can become one of the better Safeties in the NFL this season.
In summary the Jets will not have a good season and next season I can easily see them cleaning house and trying to put something new around Sam Darnold. The Jets are a horribly run franchise and this season's record will place that on full display.
Comments