- Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs: a dynasty in the making? – I don’t see this team slowing down any time soon. Patrick Mahomes is unbelievably talented, and he is getting better. Stop and think about that for a minute. He may be getting better. Whoa. So long as he’s there, the Chiefs are an annual Super Bowl contender. And so long as Andy Reid is roaming the sidelines, the Chiefs will have one of the NFL’s most lethal offensive attacks. And if the defense picks up right where it left off last season, which was much-improved from 2018, this team isn’t going anywhere but Tampa Bay on the first Sunday in February.
2. How will Tom Brady fare in his new home in Tampa? – Unlike Cleveland last year, Tampa Bay will live up to the billing as the team with the most offseason hype. Why? Because Tom Brady is the quarterback. The hype is real, and anybody who tells you Tampa Bay can with the Super Bowl is being very realistic.
Long story short, the answer to the question is very well. With weapons all over the field on offense and some help from a defense that has oozing potential, the Buccaneers seem poised to make the playoffs for the first time since George W. Bush was in office.
3. How much should we still view the Patriots as a contender? – Answering this question is as difficult as situations when you’re trying to figure out what to say to the girl you find attractive or like. You don’t want to get it wrong. Anyway, New England should still absolutely be viewed as a contender. I’m talking Super Bowl contender. So long as Bill Belichick is roaming the sidelines, this team isn’t going anywhere. I think Cam Newton can have a real solid year. James White can be in New England what Christian McCaffrey was for Newton in Carolina. Fun fact: in the Panthers 2015 Super Bowl run, no wide receiver had more than 44 receptions. So with all the questions surrounding New England’s receiving corps, Newton has won without such prolific production from wide receiver.
4. The return of Ben Roethlisberger – If there’s one team that’s due for a bounce-back season and maybe even more than that, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. After managing to win eight games last season with second and fourth string quarterbacks, the return of Big Ben to complement an already stout defense and add to a powerful offensive line paving the way for a strong running game should push the Steelers back into the playoffs and contention for the AFC North title.
5. Lamar Jackson’s follow-up to MVP campaign – Will defenses be able to slow down the blazing Jackson and the Ravens offense? Or, will Jackson replicate Mahomes and follow up his MVP campaign with an even better next season. Worth noting: Mahomes won the Super Bowl the year AFTER his MVP season.
6. Can Mike McCarthy get the best out of Dallas’s talent and get them over the hump? – This team should have been in the playoffs last year as a threat to go to the Super Bowl, and they return just about everybody who was on last season’s team. Mike McCarthy has been at the top of the NFL’s highest summit before, so he knows what it takes to get there. Maybe this is the year Dallas finally breaks through and at least gets to the NFC Championship game.
7. Is there any beef in Green Bay? – When the Packers traded Jordan Love late in the first round, that raised a lot of eyebrows on the future of Aaron Rodgers with the Packers. There has been drama before in Title Town, but most years Rodgers has been able to lead the Packers through adversity to at least the playoffs. This year, though, he’ll have to do it with a not-so-lethal receiving corps and a subpar offensive line.
8. Are the 49ers a one-year wonder? – Emphatically, no. There is too much talent on this team for that to be the case. That goes for Jimmy Garoppolo too. I believe in him, because all he’s done, outside of five games, is win in his career. Yes, the running game takes some of the load off his shoulders, but I saw him lead the 49ers to wins over Green Bay, New Orleans and Seattle with the latter two coming off the road. They won’t be able to catch teams by surprise this season, but their talent will have them back in the playoffs as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
9. Is this Drew Brees’s last season? – That question can go either way. Brees didn’t look like he was showing any signs of slowing down last season, and there hasn’t been much speculation or reports that he is contemplating this season as his last dance. But on the other hand, after three straight devastating postseason exits, if the Saints are able to achieve redemption, maybe Brees will ride off into the sunset.
10. Which rookie takes home rookie of the year? – I want to pick Joe Burrow, but I’m not a homer. Therefore, give me running back Clyde Edwrads-Helliare of the Kansas City Chiefs.
11. Will the Browns live up to the hype this year? – They obviously came up short last year, but this team has now gained a year in maturity. Baker Mayfield knows he has to play well this year, and he has the weapons on offense to do so. Myles Garrett returns to the defense, and he’ll have to anchor a line that will have to create less of a workload for a depleted back two lines.
12. Impact of COVID-19 on the NFL – COVID-19 has emerged as the 12th Man so to speak. And the impact, as has been the case in everyday life, is unknown. The hope is with the strict protocols in place and only one positive result in the latest round of testing that the impact is minimal. But again, we just don’t really know.
Division Picks
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens – 11-5 (4)
Pittsburgh Steelers 11-5 (6)
Cincinnati Bengals – 11-5 (7)
Cleveland Browns – 8-8
AFC South
Tennessee Titans – 12-4 (6-0)
Houston Texans – 9-7
Indianapolis Colts – 7-9
Jacksonville Jaguars – 2-14
AFC East
New England Patriots – 12-4 (3)
Buffalo Bills – 11-5 (5)
Miami Dolphins – 4-12
New York Jets – 2-14
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs – 12-4 (1)
Los Angeles Chargers – 7-9
Las Vegas Raiders – 6-10
Denver Broncos – 5-11
NFC North
Chicago Bears – 12-4 (3)
Green Bay Packers – 8-8
Minnesota Vikings – 7-9
Detroit Lions – 1-15
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 14-2 (2)
New Orleans Saints – 11-5 (6)
Atlanta Falcons – 5-11
Carolina Panthers – 5-11
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys – 11-5 (4)
Philadelphia Eagles – 9-7 (7)
New York Giants – 2-14
Washington Football Team – 0-16
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers – 14-2 (1)
Seattle Seahawks – 12-4 (5)
Arizona Cardinals – 8-8
Los Angeles Rams – 7-9
Playoffs
Wild Card
2. Titans over 7. Bengals (35-24)
3. Patriots over 6. Steelers (27-14)
4. Ravens over 5. Bills (31-24)
2. Buccaneers over 7. Eagles (38-21)
6. Saints over 3. Bears (34-24)
4. Cowboys over 5. Seahawks (30-28)
Divisional
3. Patriots over 2. Titans (27-24)
- Chiefs over 4. Ravens (38-35)
2. Buccaneers over 4. Cowboys (34-27)
6. Saints over 1. 49ers (37-30)
Championship
Chiefs over 3. Patriots (38-24)
6. Saints over 2. Buccaneers (38-34)
Super Bowl LV
6. Saints over 1. Chiefs (31-28)
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 