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 South Edition!
AFC South
Houston Texans (11-5)
The Houston Texans kicked off the offseason with an internet breaking trade.They sent away First Team All Pro Wide Receiver Deandre Hopkins to the Cardinals for Running Back David Johnson and a few mid round draft picks. This move left everyone questioning what the thought process was in giving away your best player for very little value in return. Fans all over the league joked on Head Coach and General Manager Bill O’Brien. This season they will be playing a committee approached offense with the Wide Receivers. Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, Kenny Stills and Randle Cobb will be the interchangeable pieces on the offense. The aforementioned Running Back David Johnson will be the main man coming out of the backfield. It has been a long time since David Johnson has had a stellar season, and perhaps in this new offense he will find his stride again. The man who will be leading this team is none other than Star Quarterback Deshaun Watson. He recently just signed a four year $156 million extension. Last year Watson played tremendously well all season long including a magical performance against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. Watson will be looking to repeat and improve greatly from last season.
The defense for the Texans squad was one that struggled significantly all season long. They Missed J.J. Watt for half the season, and are extremely happy to have him back. If Watt can return to his game wrecking talent, the Texans will be so much better off than they were last season. Just his presence on the field brings a stronger mentality and toughness to the team. Whitney Mercilus has always been a great player on the defensive side of the ball, he can make any play all over the field, he is a player offenses always have to keep an eye on. The rest of the defense for the most part are unproven and young players. The Texans will have a lot of problems defending the pass this season, with their lack of depth at both Cornerback and Safety.
In order for Billy O'Brien and the Texans to finish with a good season and some success in the playoffs, they must rely heavily on Deshaun Watson to out score most of their opponents. I truly believe in Watsons ability; I believe he will be able to carry this team to the playoffs and a division win.
Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Coming off a tough and injury ridden season the Colts are locked and loaded with a new man captaining the ship. Lifetime L.A. Charger Quarterback Philip Rivers has transferred to Indy to start and elevate the Colts back into playoff contention. Rivers will be entering this season at the age of 38. Last season was not his best by no means, however a change in scenery might be exactly what he needs. His number one guy this season will be Wide Receiver T.Y. Hilton. Hilton over the years has been one of my favorites to watch on Sundays. His explosive play making ability is very rare in the NFL. After a down year last season, I totally expect a dominant year from Hilton returning to his days of over 1000 plus yards. Alongside Hilton will be rookie Wide Receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from The University of Southern California. The Colts have high expectations for the rookie and expect him to be involved a lot in the game plan. The starting Half Back this season will be Marlon Mack. Mack has taken on more of a workload and has positively progressed in all of his three seasons. Mack will be looking to return to his 1000 yard rushing season while also leaving his mark in the passing game out from the back field. All of this offense would not be possible without the studs that are playing hard up on that front line. Led by All Pro Guard Quenton Nelson and star Tackle Anthony Castonzo. Those two guys are a major reason why the line is a top five unit in the NFL.
All Pro Linebacker Darius Leonard will be leading the defense for his third year straight season. Leonard is the ultimate do it all Linebacker. He can cover in both man and zone coverage's, blitz the quarterback and play within the tackle box. He is the key that keeps the defense sound and strong as a unit. During the offseason the Colts sent away their first round draft pick for star Defensive Tackle Deforest Buckner. Buckner will bring a new defensive toughness to the line. He will both have a huge impact in defending the run and getting after the Quarterback. Along with him on the defensive line is veteran Justin Houston. Houston had 11 Sacks last season. That level of production at age 31 is great and will be a major help to the Colts this season. In the secondary they have three core pieces that ties the defense together. Safety Malik Hooker and Corners Rock Ya-Sin and Xavier Rhodes. They will be able to size up and cover all areas of the field.
The Colts are a well coached team under Frank Reich and when healthy can be a team that the NFL will not want to mess with. The Colts are an extremely underrated team this season, and we should expect a bounce back for this organization.
Tennessee Titans (7-9)
The Tennessee Titans were the team that shocked the NFL last season with their incredible playoff performances against the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and their well fought loss to the Chiefs. A strong and physical defense combined with a pounding running game is the formula that got them all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
This Offseason they gave starting Quarterback Ryan Tannehill a four year extension worth a total of $118 Million. Personally, I think Tannehill is a very nice guy, but he is not worth that type of money. I feel that this contract will be the reason they will fail this season. Tannehill might be the game's best game manager, but he can not win you games in the NFL. Teams will be prepared to force Tannehill to beat them with his arm this season. Derrick “King” Henry will be returning to rush the ball this season. Henry’s physical running style was a major key for success last season. I expect Henry to do very much of the same thing this season. At 6’3 and 240 lbs, good luck trying to take him down. At Wide Receiver second year man A.J Brown will be looking to repeat or even improve off his great rookie season. The Red Zone target Corey Davis is hoping for a more productive season after an off year. Working the slot will be newly added Wide Receiver Adam Humpries. He will be the safety blanket in the offense for Tannehill. There is a lot of speculation and optimism for this offense, but with Tannehill under center I'm afraid it will all backfire.
Jadeveon Clowney will be the name that highlights this defensive unit. Just this week Clowney signed a one year $12 million deal to play with the Titans. Clowney is a huge addition to this already immensely tough unit. If he can remain healthy there is no reason why he can post dominating numbers this season. During the offseason they also added another Pass Rusher in Vic Beasly. Beasly needed a new place to hopefully resurrect his career. Under Head Coach Mike Vrable’s system, Beasly will get plenty of opportunities to do what he does best; getting after the Quarterback. Within the secondary they have playmakers all over the place! Safety Kevin Bayard will be leading the gang into battle. In my eyes he is the best Free Safety in the NFL. He will be surrounded by former first rounder Kenny Vacaro and at the Corner positions Adroee’ Jackson and Malcolm Butler will be manning up whoever is placed in front of them.
To be truthfully honest, I am just not very high on the Titans this season and I think it will fall upon the shoulders of the front office for the construction of this roster. However, I could be completely wrong and the Titans could be dominant and end up shocking the world again.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
I won't go wasting your time on this team. I’m sorry if you're a Jaguars fan, but there is little to nothing on this roster. This offseason they have decided to fully clean the house. This season has “Tank for Trevor” written all over it.
The Starting Quarterback will be breakout sensation Gardner Minshew II. He stole the hearts of fans all over the league with his retro vibe and perfect stache. For being a 6th round draft pick he amazed the NFL for taking this team and being able to compete in a hard AFC South. I think Minshew will impress again even with the severe lack of talent surrounding him. He has nothing to lose, so he might as well ball out. His favorite target from last season was D.J. Chark. They had a very special connection, and I expect that they will maintain this bond into this season. Along with Chark is Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley. They will all see a fare share of the ball in the offense. After the release of Running Back Leonard Fournette there is no one worthy to note as a threat coming out of the back. At Tight End Tyler Eifert will be a great help to the blocking game, while also serving as a big red zone threat. This team is not where I’d hoped they'd be after a fairly impressive season last year..
On defense the Jaguars have a few players that will be looking to make a name for themselves in the league. Josh Allen the Defensive End will be entering year two after posting 10.5 sacks last season and will be looking to progress and become more of a game wrecker this season. Alongside him will be rookie K'Lavon Chaission from LSU. He is an athletic player that loves to get after the Quarterback. Those are some nice bookend players to build a defense around. The top dog at Linebacker is Myles Jack, this season he is going to need to grow into a team mentor for many of these young players. Jack is a true playmaker that will keep that Jaguars intensity from a free years ago. In the secondary there is only one player to watch out for and that is first round pick CJ Henderson. Henderson will be thrust into playing the number one Corner position this year. He has all the potential to be a great cover corner, but he will need time to find his footing in this league.
I only wish I had more and better things to say about this squad. I think they sank the ship just a bit early on the team they were sailing with. This season, many questions will be answered regarding how good certain players can be, and we will really find out how much heart this team has. We also will find out if Minshew II will end up being the Franchise QB of the future. I think he can, but who knows what the Jaguars will do next. Most importantly we shall see if Head Coach Doug Marrone will be around next season.
Comments