Bold Predictions for the 2020 NFL Season

Cam Newton will refuse to play backup. He fully believes he is a starter. There will be a team desperate to find a replacement during the season.

Yeah, I know he doesn't currently have a team, but I'll bet some team gets desperate enough for a QB and makes a move for him. I'm looking at you, Chicago, Washington, and New England.

Well, there we go. I at least got one prediction right. Cam is a Patriot now.

Yeah, I know Covid is a thing, but since states are gradually reopening, I think it's possible that we see the NFL stand strong as normal. Like I said, they have time on their side. So we'll see.

Cincy is still far from a contender, and Joe Burrow will likely struggle. However, he does have Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd, A.J. Green (maybe), and Tee Higgins. That's not too bad of an offensive arsenal for him to work with. Those guys also have NFL experience, except Higgins. It's possible Joe Burrow can do some damage with those guys.

Well, the Broncos doubled down on receiver talent. Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler will have an immediate impact, adding to Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay, and Melvin Gordon. That's also not to mention Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, who will be a force to be reckoned with on defense. If Drew Lock can perform well, there's wild card upside in Mile High.

I think we should have it this season, but don't be surprised if they're playing to an empty stadium. Their division could go to any of the teams. They'll definitely have 2 teams going to the playoffs in that division again. It will all come down to who lucks out in their division matches and the luck of the schedule.

I've said it before, but hey, they got the steal of the decade in Deandre Hopkins. That adds to Larry Fitzgerald and Kenyan Drake. Kyler will have a nice offensive arsenal. They have a tough division, but it's possible if the cards fall just right.

Last year, they made the NFC Championship, sure, but they mostly rode an easy schedule to a 13-3 record and a bye and just barely beat teams they should have dominated. They were exposed by the 49ers. You'd think they would get Rodgers some help, right? Nope, just draft Jordan Love and a running back! Aaron Rodgers doesn't need weapons to throw to! I'd be surprised if they finished above 10-6.

Sure, I can see this happening, but they didn't really get inherently worse in the offseason. They just transitioned to a run-first team (using the Shanahan model the 49ers have gone to success with). Having A.J. Dillon bowling through teams in cold December games at Lambeau, just watch out for that. I don't think they will win 13 games again, but this team has a chip on its shoulder, and I fully expect them to make the playoffs.

The Las Vegas Raiders will have some potential in their first year at their new home. Derek Carr has all the talents around him to get back to 2016 form and bring this team to the playoffs. They will have a sneaky good defense, and with guys like Henry Ruggs, Josh Jacobs, and Tyrell Williams, there's some potential upside.

No player has repeated as MVP since Peyton Manning in 2008-09. Lamar Jackson has the talent and upside to do it. He is one of the most electrifying young quarterbacks in the NFL and better than Mike Vick could ever be. Lamar has the skills to dominate this league for years to come.

The Texans have had their fair share of questionable decisions in 2020. It all started with the Chiefs game in the playoffs. I don't need to explain that one, do I? Then it got worse with the Deandre trade, which was nearly a replication of a certain someone's trade in fantasy football. That will go down in infamy as one of the most lopsided trades in the modern NFL.

A) It came out of nowhere. He's an elite talent and had no character concerns.

B) They didn't even market him and got a laughable return instead.

Meanwhile, Minnesota traded Stephon Diggs, who's a step down from Hopkins, and actually got a fair return. Everything Bill O'Brien has done has been idiotic and is merely driving this team into the ground. As UrinatingTree put it, "Bill O'Brien is a Hack." I feel for JJ Watt and Deshaun Watson, who, by the way, has a subpar O-line at best. See my point here?

Yeah, this is bold, but Cowboys fans always say, "WE DEM BOYS" and "THIS IS OUR YEAR," only to fall short every time. But their offense just got deadlier. Keeping Dak, Amari Cooper, and Zeke together was a huge win for them, plus they added CeeDee Lamb to the mix. On top of that, they got Mike McCarthy as their head coach. Jason Garrett was holding them back for years. He was the definition of mediocrity. Now they have hope. Failure to make the playoffs will be unacceptable.

This probably won't happen, especially with Mike McCarthy as their head coach.

I hope Tyrod has a resurrection, honestly. I have no trust in Justin Herbert. The team has a good defense that might get wasted if the offense is exactly like it was last year. They will be finishing last, realistically.

Now that's bold. I say the Chiefs are still the team to beat. The Chargers have the talent, but I don't see them finishing any higher than 3rd.

Hate to break it to ya. This team could be picking top 5 in the draft. They had a horrendous offseason. Playing a huge risk taking on the contracts of Foles and Mack has crippled this team's progress. The offensive line is taking more steps back, and the defense is slowly but surely getting worse. I would be more shocked if they actually rebound.

How things imploded badly only made my concerns worse, and these could be fireable offenses.

Indy has made some intriguing moves this offseason, most notably getting Phillip Rivers and DeForest Buckner. If all goes right, they could snag a wild card spot. Rivers has more protection, so we'll see what happens.

The Tampa Bay Bucs have been the team to keep your eyes on this offseason. They got Brady and Gronk, therefore adding their name to the list of teams copying the Patriots. They already have Chris Godwin and OJ Howard. Plus, they have an underrated defense and Bruce Arians, who's a veteran coach who knows how to win. Everything is lining up for them to be relevant for the first time since 2002.

With Arizona really rising up as a possible playoff team, while Russell is a top 5 quarterback, eventually some of the best will have few seasons they get bounced, and this might be another one.