NFL Season Predictions 2020-2021

The NFL season is a day away, and in my self-quarantine I wanted to get my now-annual predictions post out and timestamped.

The setup is simple, I wanted to make playoff predictions, but I don’t like throwing out arbitrary “10-6” or “12-4” predictions without going through the schedule and figuring out why I think teams will finish the way they do.  My goal is to go through every game on the NFL schedule with no preconceived agenda of who I believe is a playoff team and who isn’t.. schedules matter.

Here we go, full team records starting with the AFC!

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3)

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)

3. Cleveland Browns (9-7)

4. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts (10-6)

2. Tennessee Titans (9-7)

3. Houston Texans (9-7)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (11-5)

2. New England Patriots (9-7)

3. Miami Dolphins (5-11)

4. New York Jets (2-14)

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)

2. LA Chargers (7-9)

3. Oakland Raiders (6-12)

4. Denver Broncos (4-12)

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)

2. Green Bay Packers (9-7)

3. Chicago Bears (7-9)

4. Detroit Lions (6-10)

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints (14-2)

2. Tampa Bay Bucs (10-6)

3. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

4. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (7-9)

3. New York Giants (4-12)

4. Washington Football Team (3-13)

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

2. San Francisco 49ers (10-6)

3. LA Rams (9-7)

4. Arizona Cardinals (6-10)

NFL Playoffs

AFC

Seeds 1-6:

1. Kansas City Chiefs

2. Baltimore Ravens

3. Buffalo Bills

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

6. New England Patriots

7. Cleveland Browns

Wild Card Games:

Steelers (5) @ Colts (4): Steelers This would be an awesome, physical, and likely low-scoring game, and it comes down to one simple fact. The Steelers have a better defense.

Patriots (6) @ Bills (3): Bills  What a dream match-up for the Bills 1st home playoff game in a long time. NO-ONE CIRCLES THE WAGONS LIKE THE BUFFALO BILLS

Browns (7) @ Ravens (2): Ravens Lamar Jackson and the Ravens get the playoff monkey off their back, Cleveland just not on the same talent level, yet.

Division Round:

Bills (3) @ Ravens (2): Ravens Buffalo's awesome season ends in Baltimore. Buffalo has a great defense with a lot of young play-makers, their issue? Stopping the run. Ravens roll.

Steelers (5) @ Chiefs (1): Chiefs Kansas City has a Super Bowl ring and almost every single starter coming back, plus they add the best play-making RB in the draft. Pittsburgh has a great defense, but the corners get exposed against Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Sammy Watkins.

Championship:

Ravens (2) @ Chiefs (1): Chiefs Baltimore matches up pretty darn well against Kansas City, but there are 2 looming problems that will kill them in this game. Earl Thomas leaves a question mark at FS, and there isn't a bonafide pass-rusher on the roster.

NFC

Seeds 1-6:

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Seattle Seahawks

3. Dallas Cowboys

4. Minnesota Vikings

5. Tampa Bay Bucs

6. San Francisco 49ers

7. Green Bay Packers

Wild Card Games:

Bucs (5) @ Vikings (4): Bucs Tampa Bay was tough to slot, I had them losing a few early than catching fire late in the regular season. Brady and his passing game start clicking late and carry that momentum to a road playoff win in Minneapolis.

49ers (6) @ Cowboys (3): Cowboys The Super Bowl loser hangover is a real thing, San Fran gets into the playoffs, but the Cowboys passing game against the 49ers secondary is a significant mismatch, and for that reason, give me Dallas.

Packers (7) @ Seahawks (2): Seahawks The Packers barely beat out the Rams via tiebreakers to get in, but the problem is they didn't improve their team, while Seattle added All-Pro Jamal Adams.

Division Round:

Cowboys (3) @ Seahawks (2): Cowboys This would be a total coin flip, but ultimately the Cowboys weapons get it done, it's so difficult to stop Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and the passing game, while also controlling Zeke Elliott and one of the best offensive line's in football even without Travis Fredrick.

Bucs (5) @ Saints (1): Saints The Saints are absolutely loaded, and I can't find a significant mismatch on the side of Tampa Bay. New Orleans gets the game at home, Cameron Jordan disrupts Brady, and Alvin Kamara and the running game controls the tempo.

Championship:

Cowboys (3) @ Saints (1): Saints After the last decade it feels weird to say the Saints rely on their defense to get back to the Super Bowl, but that's what they need to happen. The Cowboys secondary gets exposed against @CantGuardMike who constantly kills them on 3rd down, Saints win a close game.

Superbowl

Saints vs. Chiefs: Chiefs  I wanted to go another direction, but if we randomize this simulation 1,000,000 times, what % of the time do the Chiefs win the Super Bowl? A lot. Patrick Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL, throwing to the best WR group in the NFL and the 2nd best TE in the NFL, he also has a great OL and an exciting young RB. Oh by the way they also brought back a play-making defense that made just enough plays to seal the deal last year led by Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and the Honey Badger.