Top 10 Bold Predictions for the 2020 NFL Season

We have some unusual circumstances ahead of us. Unlike most years, we have no idea what the NFL season will look like or if we will even have it at all. I'm confident we'll see some NFL action, even if it's a reduced version of the season. Although fans at games seem entirely out of the question at this point, if football returns, we'll consider ourselves fortunate. All we can do is hope and pray that football happens.

The NFL has time on its side, and with the reopening process beginning, we'll see if football is played and whether any of these predictions come true. If not, at least we can speculate about the what-ifs. If 2020 taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected, so maybe there's a chance for surprises. Also, sorry (not sorry) for jinxing your team. For better or worse, this is just a bunch of shots in the dark anyway.

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The Top Ten

  1. Julio Jones will win Offensive Player of the Year

    This could happen. There are lots of contenders that I could have added instead, like:

    Aaron Rodgers

    Russell Wilson

    Patrick Mahomes

    Drew Brees

    Derrick Henry

    Ezekiel Elliott

    Christian McCaffrey

    Mark Ingram II

    Michael Thomas

    T.Y. Hilton

    Jarvis Landry

    Mike Evans

    Allen Robinson

    The list goes on and on, but Jones is my pick.

  2. Only one team from the AFC East Division will get into the playoffs

  3. Cam Newton will start a game

    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.

  4. The NFL will play the entire season according to plan

    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.

  5. Joe Burrow will win Offensive Rookie of the Year

    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.

  6. Saquon Barkley will not score a touchdown

  7. The Washington Football Team will not lose their division

  8. The Broncos will make the playoffs

    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.

  9. The Arizona Cardinals will sneak into the playoffs

    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.

  10. Seven head coaches will be fired before the end of the season

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    The Jets will go 0-16

  12. ?

    The Lions will make the playoffs

    Ha, no, only if they stay healthy and actually use Stafford right, which won't happen.

    13. The Contenders

  13. The Packers will have a mediocre season

    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.

  14. The Raiders will 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.

  15. Lamar Jackson will repeat as MVP

    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.

  16. The Texans will regress and miss the playoffs

    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?

  17. The Cowboys will make it to the NFC Conference Championship for the first time since 1996

    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.

  18. The Chargers will win the AFC West with Tyrod Taylor

    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.

  19. The Bears will win the Super Bowl

    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.

  20. The Colts will sneak into the playoffs

    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.

  21. The Buccaneers will win their division

    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.

  22. The Patriots will finish with the worst record

  23. The Seahawks will regress and miss the playoffs

    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.

  24. The Steelers will go 11-5

  25. The Giants will go three-and-out on their first offensive series of the year and choose to punt

    Now that's actually a funny prediction. Yet again, it is the G-Men, and their new head coach is clearly unknown.

  26. The Eagles will not be the most wounded team

  27. Sean Payton won't be on the sidelines for every Saints game

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