The 2020 NFL season was an odd one, with many teams having to overcome challenges no team had faced before. But a full season was played nonetheless. Now it’s time to think about the playoffs. Here are some 2020 NFL playoff predictions.
2020 NFL Playoff Predictions
Wildcard Team That Could Win
It would be easy to say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of their first-round matchup against Washington Football Team, who won the abysmal NFC, but the Baltimore Ravens have the goods. Lamar Jackson creates a mismatch against whoever he plays, and J.K. Dobbins’ run game is strong. Baltimore’s ground game as a whole can outdo Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans.
Top-Seeded Team That Could Be Upset
The Pittsburgh Steelers really faltered in their last five games of the season. On the flipside, the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills saved the best of themselves for the latter part of the season. Pittsburgh had to fight to beat the Indianapolis Colts, and they lost to the Cleveland Browns to end the season. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play against the Browns in Week 17 and Cleveland is dealing with some serious COVID issues this week, but out of the top six seeds, the Steelers are the weakest.
Playoff MVP
These playoffs are filled with veterans. Aaron Rodgers’ name has been bandied about as the league’s MVP this season and there is a good chance he wins the award. But Patrick Mahomes is basically unfaultable. He had nine games with 300 passing yards or more this season. Last playoffs, he averaged 300.3 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Josh Allen is a possible contender too; the further the Bills get in this race, the bigger the chance he has.
Best Performing Offense
This will be a close one between the Chiefs and Packers. The latter has a slight edge over the former as the Chiefs were the sixth-highest in scoring offense this season, surprisingly. The Packers lead the others with an average of 31.8 points scored per game. The Chiefs have speed and creativity and average 415.8 yards per game. But they saw more turnovers later in the season. Rodgers and Davante Adams have an enviable connection and are just dangerous. It will take a lot to slow them down this postseason.
Best Performing Defense
The Los Angeles Rams have a defense that should not be sneezed at. Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are a dynamite duo. However, a lot rests on those two as the Rams will only win multiple playoff games with Donald and Ramsey playing well. These playoffs will feature many elite receivers and the Rams ability to cover pass-catchers on the outside is superior. The Rams allowed the fewest yards per pass attempt this season, and allowed the third-fewest yards per carry.
AFC Winner
Every AFC team that made the postseason has 11 or more wins. The most obvious answer is the Chiefs, although the Bills are a real threat and capable of shaking everything up. Kansas City has home-field advantage (though that may not matter as much this season) and they went 14-2 this season, with one of their losses coming in Week 17 when they rested many of their starters, including their MVP quarterback. They Chiefs have both talent and experience and are the favorites in the AFC for a reason. But keep an eye on Buffalo though, as their defense just might be capable of slowing down Mahomes and company and Josh Allen is the real deal. But expect the AFC Championship game to be between the Chiefs and Bills.
NFC Winner
This season it has been a four-team race between the Packers, Saints, Seahawks and Buccaneers. But Green Bay can make a Super Bowl run. As a whole, their offensive line and running game is monstrous, though David Bakhtiari being out due to an injury is a huge loss. But Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon should still provide plenty of production out of the backfield. And do not forget about Rodgers to Adams, which is possibly the best quarterback/wide receiver tandem in the NFL right now. On defense, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith provide a robust pass-rushing duo. All of that combined with home-field advantage will make the Packers hard to beat.
Super Bowl Contenders
The Chiefs, Packers and Bills are the true Super Bowl contenders. A Rodgers and Mahomes showdown would be a ratings dream. It would be a Super Bowl with high-scoring appeal and feature two of the best quarterbacks in Rodgers and Mahomes. Mahomes is playing at an MVP level and he and the Chiefs are favored to repeat. However, a Packers and Bills matchup would be really interesting. Buffalo’s defense is good and Josh Allen is playing well, but would Rodgers and Adams be too much even for them? The fans will have to wait to see what happens, and if these 2020 NFL Playoff Predictions come true, but the postseason will be fun to watch.
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