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 West Edition!
Kansas City Chiefs (13-3)
The reigning Super Bowl Champions enter this season as the heavy favorites to come back and win the sucker again!. They will be led by a great Head Coach in Andy Reid, who will have his squad in great form entering the season. Most Super Bowl teams lose a lot of key players in the offseason by means of free agency, however the Chiefs were able to keep the band together for another go round. They locked up Super Bowl MVP and Franchise Quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a historic 10 year extension, in which he may earn up to 503 million dollars. Mahomes is unarguably the greatest talent the world has ever seen play the QB position. Mahomes can make plays from anywhere at any time! This is due to his impeccable arm talent to get the ball down the field with such perfect accuracy. From what we have seen, he is definitely worth every penny. I expect Mahomes to place his name right back in the MVP conversation this season. Mahomes wasn't the only one who will be returning with a grand extension, All Pro Tight End Travis Kelce inked a four year 57 million dollar deal. Kelce is probably Mahomes favorite target on this offense. He can make plays on any down, on any possession, especially in the Red Zone. Kelce isn't the only one teams have to fear though. Unfortunately for defensive backs around the league, the speedster Tyreek Hill isn’t and won’t be going anywhere. He is the electrifying piece to this offense, being able to blow the top off any defense at any time. Hill will also be accompanied by his fellow sprinters, Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman. The icing on the cake for this offense is first round rookie Running Back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. I can’t wait to see what Andy Reid has in store for him. Edwards-Helaire adds another dimension and threat to worry about. This offense is nearly unguardable.
Defensive Tackle Chris Jones was another star who signed on the dotted line this offseason. He will be staying around for an extra 4 years making up to 85 million dollars. He is the key to the defensive line, he can stop both the run game, and is extremely impressive in rushing the passer. The other star on this defense is none other than Safety Tyrann Mathieu.”The Honey Badger” had a huge impact in his first year with the Chiefs, from training camp to the Super Bowl. With good leadership on this side of the ball, the Chiefs defense could make a great rebound and perhaps perform a bit better than last season. Instead of relying on the insane offensive production, this defense has the potential to be a top 15 unit.
Come January, I think we will be watching a very strong unit in the playoffs, and I totally expect them to be playing in the Super Bowl in Tampa. They are a great franchise from a standpoint of ownership,coaching and talent. With those three ideals, they will be a franchise that will be competing for chips for many years down the line.
Las Vegas Raiders (10-6)
This is going to be the season that many Raiders fans have been hoping for! All the pieces are in place and they are finally ready to take off. Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden's rebuild is officially over! The Raiders will be led by veteran QB Derek Carr who had a very impressive year last season and is more determined than ever to greatly build upon it. From my perspective, I have always liked Derek Carr. He has been a guy who can guide the ship if the correct pieces are placed around him. They key to this offense without a doubt starts with the offensive line. Last season the offensive line stepped up in a great way, keeping Carr up in the pocket, while also leading the way for young star Running Back Josh Jacobs. If the Raiders can effectively run the ball in games, this will open up a lot of the passing lanes for Carr and his boys. Catching the passes this season will be a relatively young core. With the season ending injury to Tyrell Willaims, rookies Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs III will be making plays all over the field. Last year's standout Hunter Renfrow, will be looking to elevate his play this season. They really need him to step up if the team is to have a lot of success moving the chains. Last but not least is star Tight End Darren Waller. His athletic ability will be an advantage Jon Gruden will try to use on every down.
If I could characterize the defense in 2 words, I would say they are “Tough Dogs”. Maxx Crosby is the major standout on the defensive line, he had a huge breakout first year with ten sacks! I totally expect him to break his personal record and be one of the league's best sack leaders this season. Former first round pick Clelin Ferrill will be lining up alongside him, and people are expecting a lot from him after a down year. At the linebacker spot they have some studs named Corey Littleton and Raekwon McMillan. They are both guys that can cover, tackle and make plays all over the field. They are your new versatile NFL linebackers. And in the secondary they have one of my favorite players Safety Johnathn Abram. He is the ultimate punisher on the defense. If you try him or throw the ball in his era, the receiver better watch out cause Abram is going to be coming in hot with the heat. They drafted a few young guys over the years who will be filling in at the Cornerback positions. Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette are the youngest guys who they are banking on being high quality starters who will help get this team off the ground.
The Raiders are ready to roll this season and I predict they will make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. They have good veteran leadership, and a lot of young and hungry players whose ultimate goal is to win games. Mayock and Gruden have built a great culture of guys who just purely love the game of football.
Denver Broncos (7-9)
The revamped Denver Broncos will be looking to challenge and compete in many games this season. They are a relatively young squad that is going to need time to gel and play as a complete team. The Starting Quarterback will be second year man Drew Lock. After a season where Lock showed many flashes of the Franchise Quarterback he could become, fans are expecting to see even more of it this season. Drew Lock by no means will be perfect this year, he is a gunslinger and I’m sure he will make many mistakes. Don’t worry, it takes time to become a starting NFL Quarterback. Lock will be surrounded by a lot of good and young talent. From the backfield, Phillip Lindsay will be returning to lead this team in rushing, while also being an effective pass catcher too. They signed former Chargers star Melvin Gordon this offseason which adds a bigger and stronger runner within the tackles. The Wide Receivers will be made up by star Courtland Sutton and rookie draft picks Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. Expect Sutton to go for over 1000 yards while receiving 12 touchdowns in the process. On tape, it's clear to see that Lock and Sutton have a good chemistry. The man who will be the focal point of the offense in the Red Zone will be none other than second year Tight End Noah Fant. He showed amazing pass catching ability last season. Fant is going to be a player the NFL will regard as one of the best Tight Ends in the league very soon.
Von Miller is still doing his thing entering his tenth season, creating pressures and making sacks. Even though last year was a down year for him, I expect him to have many more opportunities this season with the more depth they have added along the defensive line. Bradley Chubb is finally back, and will have a major impact on getting to the QB. Miller and Chubb will be the tag team duo that will create tons of havoc for offensive lines every Sunday. Also note that the Broncos traded for Jurrell Casey, a productive veteran Defensive Tackle who is smart and will fit extremely well into Head Coach Vic Fangio's defense. In the secondary they are rocking with some studs that can make plays all over the place. Starting with the newly added corner A.J. Boye; he will be the lockdown corner that can shutdown 90% of the wideouts in this league. At Safety they have All Pro Justin Simmons and star Kareem Jackson, they will be able to assure that the secondary will be on lock at all times..
The formula for this team should be a smart and effective offense complemented with a stingy defense. With that formula, the Broncos could shock a few teams here and there. I still think the young core is a year or 2 away before they can compete with the likes of the Chiefs and such. However, the Broncos are going on the right track.
Los Angeles Chargers (6-10)
All eyes will be on the new rookie Quarterback Justin Herbert. Although Herbert will not be starting this season, I surely expect to see him make an appearance eventually. The day one starter for the Chargers will be journeyman Tyrod Taylor. Taylor has been a good starter in his career, and has mentored many other QB’s in the process. The leading receiver for this team will be none other than Pro Bowler Kennan Allen, and alongside him will be standout Mike Williams. With those two guys due for major production this year, the Chargers will be a team that can score with the best of them. My favorite player on this team is Running Back Austin Ekeler, last season he took the reins of the starting job and never looked back. He signed a nice extension worth about 25 million dollars over four years to remain with the team. They have a good surrounding group of talent around Tyrod Taylor and/or Justin Herbert. Albeit talented, I think the Chargers might be a year or two away from real contention.
Pro Bowler Defensive End Joey Bosa will be leading the charge for the L.A. Chargers defense this season. After totalling 11.5 sacks and 67 tackles in 2019, Bosa will be looking to put up a little bit more productive numbers this season. His numbers don’t tell the whole story though. He creates a major impact with QB hurries, which forces the Quarterback to be off his spot just a bit. The pass rusher alongside him is another Pro Bowler named Melvin Ingram. Like Bosa, Ingram underproduced last season, and my hope is that he can get those numbers back up to snuff. If the duo pass rushers are able to find their stride, it will be a long year for QB’s in the AFC West. Lets not forget, Their secondary is filled with immense talent too. Derwin James is the star of this unit. It is extremely unfortunate that he will be missing the start of the season with a nasty meniscus injury. By the time he returns however, James will be playing like one of the best Safeties in the league. At the Cornerback positions they will have Chris Harris Jr., Casey Hayward and Desmond King. Those three are a good collection of cover guys who can all play on their own island. The player I’m most excited to see play is rookie Linebacker Kenneth Murray. He is the modern day versatile linebacker, he can pass rush just as well as he can play in coverage schemes. He is immensely talented and loves the game of football.
Although they won't be winning too many games, this team has a good strong culture under Anthony Lynn. They are a team that should be looking to improve their roster as much as possible for next season. If Justin Herbert can be the Franchise Quarterback they have been praying for, then the Chargers future is immensely bright.
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