Final NFL 2020 Division Preview
AFC East
1. Bills 10-6
2. Patriots 6-10
3. Dolphins 5-11
4. Jets 3-13
This is a year where I think the best divisions prove themselves and the worst divisions show themselves. I don't think the AFC East is a good division. I believe the Bills are built really well. I love Sean McDermott and Brian Daboll (their offensive coordinator) got better as the year went on. Josh Allen should only get better and they have a sneaky good receiving core. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss have the potential to be the next Kamara-Ingram duo. This defense is filled with high-potential players. This is a solid 4 seed. I see the Patriots being a really griddy run team in 2020. Cam Newton is a baller and he's in amazing shape. I do get worried about his shoulder and I don't love the weapons he has around him. While the Patriots still have Belichick, their defense won't be the same. Their secondary is dope, but what they did last year is unsustainable. They've also lost a lot of guys from free agency and COVID. If the Patriots want to be a ground and pound team, they have to have a defense to match. I don't think they have that defense and that's why I see them having 6 wins in 2020. The Dolphins will have a lot of good spurts this year, but they're so young. Brian Flores is awesome, but this team is really inexperienced. The Dolphins are 2 years away. The Jets are one of my least favorite teams entering 2020. They don't have a lot of guys who I'm looking forward to seeing. Adam Gase is going to be done after the season's over and we'll see a rebuild going into 2021. The two players that give me optimism in New York are Quinnen Williams and Mekhi Becton. This is a team who will contend for the number one overall pick.
AFC North
1. Ravens 12-4
2. Browns 10-6
3. Steelers 9-7
4. Bengals 5-11
This is Lamar Jackson's world and we're all living in it. The Ravens are one of the best teams in the NFL and they're going to be a top 2 team in the AFC this year. They absolutely stole Calais Campbell and he's a really good pair with Matthew Judon. They're going to get JK Dobbins involved in the offense and by the end of the season I think he'll be averaging double digit carries by week 11. The Ravens are going to be awesome this year. The Browns are also going to be good this season. They were able to get 6 wins last season with the worst coach in the NFL. The Browns offense is one of my favorite builds in the NFL. They're two deep at every skill position and they just cemented both of their offensive tackles. I also see Myles Garrett as the favorite for comeback player of the year. The Browns are too talented to miss the playoffs this year. The Steelers only got better this offseason. They have the best defense in 2020 and will be better at the quarterback position. The combination of TJ Watt, Devin Bush, and Minkah Fitzpatrick is so, so sweet. I also expect Chase Claypool to have a really solid rookie season. The Steelers will be fighting hard for that wildcard spot in 2020. I think the Bengals are a lot like the Dolphins where they'll have good spurts, but it won't be enough to win in 2020. I think their offensive will be awesome to watch, but their defense is bad. This team is also in one of the toughest divisions in football. Overall, a much better season than in 2019 but they're still a year or two away from being talked about as a legit contender.
AFC South
1. Titans 11-5
2. Colts 9-7
3.Texans 7-9
4. Jaguars 2-14
I believe the AFC South is one of the trickiest divisions in the NFL. It's highlighted by two superstars in Deshaun Watson and Derrick Henry, but it also has a sneaky good team in Indianapolis. I think the Titans are the most well rounded team in this division. Derrick Henry is an absolute tank. I think this year he'll be a top three running back in the NFL once again, but for some reason he still gets disrespected. My bold prediction for this year was AJ Brown finishes the season as a top 5 receiver and I still believe that. He has so much potential and he's already a leader in that offense. This team still has a top 10 offensive line and them signing Jadeveon Clowney was huge. Kevin Byard is a beast and I think this team is definitely the best in the division.
The Colts are a team that I don't like betting against. Frank Reich is a top 7 coach in the NFL and they're going to be a ground and pound team. This defense also has some studs with Deforest Buckner, Darius Leonard, and Kenny Moore. I could see the Colts going 11-5 and winning the division, but for now I have them at 9-7.
Like Frank Reich, Deshaun Watson is a guy I don't like betting against. Watson is one of my favorite players in the entire league, but I think this team got worse in 2020. Watson doesn't have his number one receiver anymore and Bill O'Brien is one of my least favorite coaches in the league. I believe they should try and rebuild their defense and go after Eric Bieniemy in the offseason. This should be a down year for Houston. Jacksonville is a team that everyone in the AFC South should be scared of. Not because they're going to be good in 2020, but because they might be getting one of the best players to come out of college football in the past decade. I expect Jacksonville to be all over Trevor Lawerence and have the number one overall pick. 2020 might be a tough year for Jacksonville, but the future is bright.
AFC West
1. Chiefs 13-3
2. Broncos 9-7
3. Chargers 6-10
4. Raiders 6-10
Patrick Mahomes is currently living the best life possible and I expect his success to continue. He won super bowl MVP, got paid half a billion dollars, and just got engaged to his high school sweetheart. Talk about the American dream! From everything I've heard Clyde Edwards-Helaire looks like he's going to be a beast and will be a big part of the offense in 2020. The number one thing I'm looking at is the cornerback position. That's the number one weakness for the roster, but other than that I expect this team to be the super bowl favorites in 2020. The Broncos have a lot of potential. They're really young and I expect them to click later in the season. KJ Hamler reminds me a lot of Tyreek Hill and Jerry Jeudy reminds me a lot of Calvin Ridley. That being said every player has a different learning curve. It may take some time for their young players to get adjusted. Losing Von Miller is a huge loss and Bradley Chubb is going to have to step up. I think this team will start clicking at the end of the season and make it in as the seven seed. The Chargers are a team that I could totally be wrong about. The potential is there and they could go 11-5. After the loss of Derwin James, this team needs a leader to step up. The two players I am most excited to watch are Kenneth Murray and Austin Ekeler. Murray should be in the conversation for DROY and Austin Ekeler has a lot on his plate. The Chargers have a lot of range and can be really good or just mediocre. The Raiders are a team that I was really looking forward to talking about. A few months ago I was really high on them, but since then my expectations have cooled. The three bright spots on this team should be the running game, Darren Waller, and Henry Ruggs. Josh Jacobs was my pick in fantasy and he'll be used a lot in the passing game. They have a tough schedule and I just don't love the direction they're going. They're in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL and they will be in the quarterback market in 2020.
