Piece by Andrew Thompson
NFL Kickoff is coming after a long 2020 offseason full of uncertainty from the Coronavirus pandemic and surprising trades and team releases.
Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The 2020 NFL season begins with a classic rematch of one of the 2019 AFC Divisional playoff games! The Houston Texans have a strong quarterback in Deshaun Watson, but they lost talent after the infamous trade of wide receiver Deandre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson and a 2nd round pick. The Texans still have wide receiver Brandin Cooks who recovered from an injury. The Texans have defensive end J.J. Watt with 21 quarterback hits even with time on the injured list, linebacker Zach Cunningham with 339 career tackles, and linebacker Benardrick Mckinny with 493 career tackles.
Since the conclusion of that playoff game, the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, paid quarterback Patrick Mahomes $503 million, and resigned most of their dominant players from last season. The Chiefs wide receivers will play a major part in the passing yardage with Tyreek Hill, Sammy Wakins, Demarcus Robinson and company. Tight End Travis Kelce will also play a major role in getting offensive yardage and touchdowns. The Chiefs still have safety Tyrann Mathieu with his 61 career punt deflections and linebacker Anthony Hitchens to maintain the Chiefs defense. The Chiefs offense will outperform the Texans offense and get the win.
My Prediction: Chiefs 40- Texans 24
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Carolina Panthers
This matchup features two teams that have experienced many changes in the 2020 offseason. The Raiders have moved from Oakland with the hopes of bringing a winning team culture to Las Vegas. Quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders wide receiver corps that includes Henry Ruggs III and Hunter Renfrow. The Raiders also have running back Josh Jacobs who ran for 1,316 scrimmage yards and tight end Darren Waller with 1,150 scrimmage yards. The Raiders still have linebacker Tahir Whitehead who led the team with 108 tackles and defensive end Maxx Crosby who had 14 quarterback hits in 2019 to put pressure on the Panther offense.
The Panthers had significant changes to their team by releasing quarterback Cam Newton and replacing him with former Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The Panthers have hired new Head Coach Matt Rhule from Baylor University to replace Head Coach Ron Riviera. It will take time for Matt Rhule to adjust to coaching in the NFL with a new starting quarterback. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will make a huge impact on the offense with 2 straight 1,000+ rushing yard seasons. The Panthers still have linebacker Shaq Thompson, but they lost a lot of talent with the departure of linebacker Luke Kuechly, safety Eric Reid, and defensive end Mario Addison. The Raiders offense will outplay the Panther defense and give the Raiders the win.
My Prediction: Raiders 25- Panthers 21
Philadelphia Eagles vs. The Washington Football Team
Another year, another NFC East skirmish between these two teams. Last season, the Eagles had trouble having healthy wide receivers who can run over 500 yards. The Eagles wide receivers should make an impact on the receiving game. Eagles running back Miles Sanders should impact the Eagles running game after coming off a 1,300+ yard rookie season and will be rushing to get more yardage. The Eagles have two great tight ends in football with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. However, Wentz proved he can create opportunities under pressure by his 4,000 passing yards in 2019. The Eagles have improved their defense by signing cornerbacks Darius Slay and Nickell Robey- Coleman, while keeping 5-time Pro Bowl defensive end Fletcher Cox.
Washington has developing quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. while Alex Smith is recovering from a gruesome knee injury. Washington has wide receiver Terry McLaurin who ran for 919 receiving yards in 2019. However, the Washington football team still has offensive holes to fill since they only have one receiver or tight end with over 400 yards. Washington lost tight end Vernon Davis after he retired at the end of last season. Running back Adrian Peterson will make a big impact on the rushing offense. Washington improved their defense by drafting defensive end Chase Young and signing cornerback Ronald Darby. Washington kept safety Landon Collins with his 554 career tackles and linebacker Cole Holcomb. Washington will fight, but the Eagles should get an easy win.
My Prediction: Eagles 31- Redskins 18
Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons
The first battle of the birds is here! The Seattle Seahawks will be playing hard after missing the NFC West division title. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will make a big impact with his passing consistency and connection with the Seahawks. The Seahawks improved their defense by signing safety Jamal Adams with his 273 career tackles and cornerback Quinton Dunbar to provide extra coverage for their defense.
The Falcons are hoping to get out of their 7-9 season streak. They improved running back class by signing former Rams Todd Gurley. Gurley will work hard to prove to the world that he is still a great running back. The Falcons have wide receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. The Falcons lost De’ Vondre Campbell but linebacker Deion Jones and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett can provide a stronger defense. The Falcons will put up a fight, but the Seahawks will come out victorious.
My Prediction: Seahawks 31- Falcons 25
New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills
The first fight for the Brady-less AFC East division begins here! Quarterback Sam Darnold will be aiming to get his first winning season as a quarterback after a 7-9 season limited by illness. The Jets lost wide receiver Robby Anderson, but they have a strong running back group with Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore from the Buffalo to combine for 1,388 rushing yards in 2019. The Jets defense lost Jamal Adams; however, they still have James Burgess with his 80 tackles and outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins with his 20.5 career tackles.
The Bills are coming off a tough wild card loss to the Houston Texans and have built their team. Bills Quarterback Josh Allen will make an impact while working on winning AFC East division title. Bills new wide receiver Stefon Diggs will play a major role in getting more offensive yardage. Diggs has 2 straight 1,000+ yard seasons and will be aiming to go for 3 straight 1,000 yard seasons. The Bills also added to their strong defense with the acquisition of defensive end Mario Addison. The Jets will challenge, but the Bills will win the first battle of New York.
My Prediction: Bills 28- Jets 25
Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The first AFC South battle is here! The Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip RIvers should make a big offensive impact with his passing consistency of throwing over 4,000 yards in almost every season since 2008. Phillip Rivers can have a higher completion rating especially with the Colts strong offensive line. The Colts added to their running back corps with rookie Jonathan Taylor from the University of Wisconsin who ran for over 2,000 yards in the final 2 seasons of his athletic career.
Jaguars have quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who performed with a 91.2 quarterback rating in his first season as a Jaguar. He’s aiming to build from his first season to help the Jaguars become a competitive team. The Jaguars lost Leonard Fournette who ran for 1,152 rushing yards in 2019. They don’t have anyone else gaining a lot of rushing yardage for the team. The Jags signed Chris Thompson from Washington, but he hasn’t rushed over 400 rushing yards while the rest of the Jaguars running backs have little to no NFL rushing experience. The Jaguars didn’t help themselves by trading defensive end Calais Campbell to lose their 2019 leader in quarterback hits and recently Yannick Ngugue who’s one of the top NFL pass rushers. The Colts offense will take advantage of the Jaguars loss on defense and win the game.
My Prediction: Colts 32- Jaguars 12
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
The battle for the NFC North starts here! The Bears and Lions are hoping to get off to a good start after having mediocre 2019 seasons. The Bears have an open starting quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. The Bears built their offense by signing Notre Dame wide receiver Cole Kmet with his 691 career scrimmage yards and tight end Jimmy Graham with his 7,886 scrimmage yards. The Bears lost linebacker Leonard Floyd, but they have a stronger defense with defensive end Khalil Mack and linebacker Raquon Smith with his 101 tackles in 2019.
The Lions have franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford back from a season-long back injury. They have good wide receivers with Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay with 2,730 yards in three seasons. The Lions had the 31st ranked offense after allowing 6,406 yards. They fixed that problem by signing running back D’Andre Swift, backup quarterback Chase Daniel to fix the backup quarterback problem, and offensive Tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai. The Lions also improved their defense by signing outside linebacker Jamie Collins with his 47 career quarterback hits, cornerback Jeff Okudah, and defensive tackle Danny Shelton. It will be a tight game, but the Bears offense will get the win.
My Prediction: Bears 24- Lions 18
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots
Here comes the second AFC East divisional matchup! There’s been a lot of changes for these teams since 2019. The Dolphins drafted quarterback Tua Tagovailia from the University of Alabama to be in a starting quarterback competition with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins have wide receiver Devante Parker to bring offensive yardage. The Dolphins improved their defense by signing outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy who had 6.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits in 2019. The Dolphins also have outside linebacker Jerome Baker and cornerback Eric Rowe to bring plenty of defensive tackles for the team.
The Patriots no longer have quarterback Tom Brady, but they have a quarterback competition between Super Bowl quarterback Cam Newton and 2nd year quarterback Jarret Stidham. The Patriots starting quarterback will have lots of tools around him to score multiple touchdowns. Wide receivers Julian Edalman and Sony Michael will strengthen the New England offense. The Patriots defense lost multiple players who opted out of the season due to coronavirus concerns, but they’re still strong with the McCourty twins and cornerback Stephen Gilmore. The Patriots will still have better offensive tools to win against the Dolphins.
My Prediction: Patriots 27- Dolphins 25
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Browns are going through another rebuilding season with new Head Coach Kevin Stefanski. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is aiming to lead the Browns to a successful year in his 3rd NFL season. The Browns wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry with their combined 12,699 career yards will help the Browns offense. The Browns have defensive end Myles Garrett with his 30.5 career sacks, linebacker Joe Shoebert and company to defend the offensive line.
However, the Ravens still have a top notch offense and defense that will be too much for the Browns in Week 1. They’re trying to prolong their success from last season. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is the reigning NFL MVP and was one of the team leaders in rushing. Mark Ingram II is back and will push to get more rushing yards. Last season, the Ravens made a lot of their first downs by rushing with 3,296 total rushing yards. The Ravens defense improved with the addition of Defensive End Calais Campbell. Campbell will help keep the Browns offense at the line of scrimmage. The Browns will fight hard, but the Ravens offense will rush past them and get the win.
My Prediction: Ravens 34- Browns 22
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
The two NFC North playoff teams are ready for another showdown. The Packers are coming off a great 1st season for Head Coach Matt LeFleur. As always, Aaron Rodgers will have a strong game creating opportunities for the Green Bay Offense. Wide Receivers Devante Adams and running back Aaron Jones will boost the Packers offensive yardage. The Packers lost tight end Jimmy Graham but they regained offensive yardage by signing wide receiver Devin Funchess from the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers lost linebacker Blake Martinez but they still have a strong defense with Za’ Darius and Preston Smith who had a combined 60 quarterback hits in 2019.
Last season, the Vikings had a 6-2 home record. The Vikings will be working hard to beat the Packers to look for a win. Quarterback Kirk Cousins Vikings running back Dalvin Cook will get lots of rushing yardage.The Vikings lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs but they still have tight end Kyle Rudolph with his 4,154 career yards with 9.8 yards per carry. They also improved their wide receiver group with rookie Justin Jefferson and Adam Theilen to bring more receiving yards. The Vikings offense will come determined to pull out the Vikings first victory against Green Bay since 2018. The Vikings lost defender Everson Griffen in free agency, but they rebuilt their defense by drafting Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch who led the Big 12 college conference with 13.5 sacks in 2019, Oregon linebacker Troy Dye. The Packers and Vikings will put on a battle, but the Vikings will get their revenge on the Packers to get the victory.
My Prediction: Vikings 27- Packers 24
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
A battle of two rebuilding franchises is here! For the first time since 2006, the Chargers are starting the season without quarterback Philip Rivers. CHargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor and rookie Justin Herbert are competing for the starting quarterback position. Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen will make a huge impact for the Charger offense since he has run for over 1,000 yards in 3 straight seasons The Chargers have a strong defense with defensive end Joey Bosa and Drue Tranquil. The Chargers also lost an important source of rushing yards as running back Melvin Gordon to the Denver Broncos. The Chargers lost last year’s leading rusher Melvin Gordon who provided 612 rushing yards.
The Bengals are in a huge rebuild with lots of changes. They drafted quarterback Joe Burrow who is a great quarterback under pressure and can help the Bengals get more offensive yardage. Burrow has a 9.4 career yards per attempt with 8,852 career passing yards. Wide receiver A.J. Green has returned from a torn ACL injury and wide receiver Tyler Boyd to give them a boost in receiving yardage. The Bengals improved offensive line should provide more protection for Burrow. Offensive tackle Jonah Williams has returned from a season-long injury. In 2019, the Bengals had more rushing yards (1,517 to 1,453) than the Chargers led by running back Joe Mixon with 1,137 yards. The Bengals have rebuilt their running back group and will improve their rushing game for the 2020 season. The Bengals also improved their defense by signing defensive tackle DT Reader with his 154 career tackles, cornerback Mackensie Alexander with 21 career punt deflections, and linebacker Josh Bynes. The Bengals will shock the Chargers and win their first game.
My Prediction: Bengals 21- Chargers 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
This may be the Week 1 Game of the Week with the Battle of the NFC South’s two strongest offenses! The Buccaneers dominated the offseason by signing quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back LeSean McCoy, and many other strong players to build a solid offense. In 2019, the Buccaneers had the 15th ranked defense in yards allowed per game and did little to improve their defense which allowed opposing receivers to easily run past the defensive line and get more yardage per pass completion.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees is going strong while the Saints have a great wide receiver corps with Michael Thomas and Jared Cook with the acquisition of Emmanuel Sanders. In 2019, Sanders had 502 yards to add to a career total of 7,893 receiving yards. Thomas and Cook received a combined 2,430 receiving yards. Ultimately the game will be decided by who has the better defense.The Saints have a stronger defense with linebacker Demario Davis, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and safety Janoris Jenkins.
My Prediction: Saints 42- Buccaneers 39
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Cardinals are rebuilding their team around Head Coach Kliff Killingsley and quarterback Kyler Murray. The Cardinals will make an offensive effort with new wide receiver Deandre Hopkins from the Houston Texans and future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, but their success will be limited by a strong 49er defense. The Cardinals improved their defense by signing linebacker Devon Kennard with his 23.5 career sacks and keeping defensive end Chandler Jones. In 2019, the Cardinals had the worst defense in the league and their defense won’t be able to hold off Garoppolo and the loaded 49ers offense.
In 2019, The 49ers had one of the best offenses and defenses in the NFL. The 49ers have a lot of returning players from last year’s Super Bowl team including tight end George Kittle, quarterback Jimmy Garapolo, defensive end Nick Bosa and company. The 49ers have a strong running back group with Raheem Mostert with 1,069 career rushing yards, Tevin Coleman, and rookie Cam Akers. However, the 49ers will still be too much for the Cardinals to handle.
My Prediction: 49ers 34- Cardinals 16
Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams
Here comes a big rematch of two historic franchises of the NFC! The Cowboys made a lot of changes with the hiring of Head Coach Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys have built a stronger wide receiver group featuring Cee Dee Lamb who ran 3,292 yards for Alabama and Amari Cooper who can help provide more offensive yardage and touchdowns. Running back Ezekiel Elliott will also boost the offense since he has 5,405 rushing yards and averages 96.5 yards per game. The Cowboys also improved their defense by signing defensive end Everson Griffin with his 74.5 career sacks and 9 forced fumbles.
The Rams have a strong wide receiver group with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp who both ran a combined 2,295 receiving yards in 2019. However, they lost many key offensive players including running back Todd Gurley, wide receiver Mike Thomas, kicker Greg Zuerlein, wide receiver JoJo Natson. In 2019, Gurley led the Rams with 857 rushing yards while no one else reached 300 yards just to be released at the end of the season. The Rams also lost a lot of defensive players including linebacker Cory Littleton who led the Rams with 134 tackles, linebacker Dante Fowler who was 2nd on the team with 11.5 sacks and defensive end Michael Brockers. The Rams still have defensive end Aaron Donald with his 72 career sacks but the losses of offensive and defensive tools will help the Cowboy offense get the win for Week 1.
My Prediction: Cowboys 34- Rams 25
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants
The Steelers are hoping to get back into the playoffs after a 2-year absence. The Steeler offense should get a boost with Rothisberger back at quarterback. Running back James Conner will make an impact on the running game. The Steelers have two players who ran 400+ rushing yards including Conner and wide receiver Benny Shells Jr. The Steelers improved their offense by signing fullback Derek Watt who has 15.2 career yards per reception. The Steelers lost Javon Hargrave but they still have the stronger defense with outside linebacker T.J. Watt who had 14.5 sacks in 2019, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Devin Bush Jr. and company to build the strong defensive force.
In 2019, the Giants had one of the worst offenses in the league with 5,416 total yards. The Giants have running back Saquon Barkley who ran 1003 rushing yards. The Giants have few players with nearly as many yards as Barkley. Relying on one player for the Giants rushing yardage will make their rushing plays more predictable by opposing teams. Giants will put pressure on Roethlisberger since left outside linebacker Markus Golden had 27 quarterback hits and safety Antoine Bethea with 1333 tackles in 2019. The Giants will bring defensive pressure, but Roethisberger and the Steelers will win the game.
My Prediction: Steelers 34- Giants 14
Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos
The Titans are hoping to use their recent playoff experience to build a championship team. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill will have plenty of opportunities to make a big impact with a strong wide receiver group that includes A.J. Brown and Corey Davis who combined for 1,652 receiving yards in 2019. The Titans have a strong rushing offense with running back Derrick Henry who helped lead the Titans to the 2019 AFC Championship and drafted running back Darrynton Evans who ran 2 1,000+ rushing yard seasons at Appalachian State University. The Titans also upgraded their defense by signing Linebacker Vic Beasley with his 37.5 career sacks.
Broncos 2nd-year quarterback Drew Lock will be working hard to improve the offense that was ranked 28th in yards per game. The Broncos improved their rushing offense by signing running back Melvin Gordon from the Los Angeles Chargers to join Philip Lindsay. They also improved their wide receiver group by having Courtland Sutton and drafting wide receiver Jerry Jeudy who had 2,742 career receiving yards from the University of Alabama. The Broncos have strong defensive players in Super Bowl 50 MVP linebacker Von Miller with his 106 career sacks. Therefore, the Broncos will put up a good fight, but the Titans will have the stronger offense and beat out the Broncos.
My Prediction: Titans 30- Broncos 25
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