Saturday, January 4, 2020

2019 NFL SEASON: THE PLAYOFFS



Looking back at my pre-season NFL predictions


Let’s review


AFC EAST
Patriots
Pre-season division position: 1st, AFC 2, Super Bowl Champion
Playoff seed: AFC 3

They opened the season with an 8-0 record but it was primarily on weaker opponents. Three of the Patriots’ losses were to the three other divisional winners: Ravens, Texans, and Chiefs. If New England is to defend their championship, they will have to defeat at most two of those teams.


Bills
Pre-season division position: 3rd
Playoff seed: AFC 3

They certainly exceeded expectations and had a shot at dethroning the Patriots as the top dog in the division that was dashed in their Week 16 showdown at Foxboro. It is the Bills first double-digit win season since the 1990s. Not sure if a deep playoff run is in the cards, but could they emerge as the team that ends the Patriots reign in the division in 2020?


Jets
Pre-season division position: 2nd

There were some high points (impacting the Cowboys, Steelers, and Raiders on their hopes for the playoffs) and many, many low points (during their shutout loss to the Patriots Sam Darnold was heard on audio saying he saw ghosts, Darnold being diagnosed with mono, giving the Bengals their first win of the season)


Dolphins
Pre-season division position: 4th

Ryan Fitzpatrick kept the team competitive in the second half of the season with upset wins over the Eagles and causing the Patriots to drop from the 2 to the 3 seed in the AFC playoff bracket. They still ended up with a Top 5 pick in the upcoming draft in April.


AFC NORTH
Ravens
Pre-season division position: 2nd
Playoff seed: AFC 1

Boy did I miss this one. I thought the Ravens defections on defense as well as the development of Lamar Jackson could hinder their playoff hopes. Instead, they set a record for rushing yards by a team in NFL history and set a franchise record for wins. Baltimore has emerged as one of the favorites to hoist the Lombardi in Miami next month.


Steelers
Pre-season division position: 1st, AFC 3

Another one I missed though who could foresee that Ben Roethlisberger would go down with an elbow injury in Week 2. Despite a 1-4 start, Pittsburgh rallied to win 7 of their next 8 to get back into the thick of the playoff race. Losing their final three games, especially to the Jets in Week 16, kept them out of the tournament.


Browns
Pre-season division position: 3rd

Will the hype around this team translate to their first playoff appearance in 17 years?

This was a very undisciplined team as shown during the melee at the end of their 21-7 win against the Steelers at home. Losing 4 of their final 5 including to the Bengals in Week 17 proved fatal to Freddie Kitchen’s job security as he was the first coach fired at the end of the season.


Bengals
Pre-season division position: 4th

I don’t think the Bengals recovered from their collapse after their strong 2018 start. The good news is that Cincinnati won the first overall pick and are expected to pick LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in upcoming draft.


AFC SOUTH
Texans
Pre-season division position: 1st, AFC 4
Playoff seed: AFC 4

Hey, I got this right!

Houston could be a darkhorse for a Super Bowl run if things fall their way. Out of the three division winners – Ravens, Chiefs, and Patriots – their only loss was a blowout in Baltimore. The Texans proved they could win in Kansas City and their win against the Patriots was not as close as the final score indicated.


Titans
Pre-season division position: 3rd
Playoff seed: AFC 6

Running back Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing this season. In the Titans’ final seven games, Henry rushed for at least 100 yards in five wins. Ryan Tannehill might have revived his career.


Colts
Pre-season division position: 4th

At the start of the season I said that this season won’t be as bad as the 2011 “Suck for Luck” but it will still be painful. Brissett was serviceable and the best performance of the Colts was going into Arrowhead to beat the Chiefs. Unfortunately, it was wasted due to several missed field goals by Adam Vinatieri throughout the season. I think we have seen the last of the future Hall of Famer.


Jaguars
Pre-season division position: 2nd, AFC 6

Ugh… this was a reach…

Jacksonville was at .500 by mid-season. And then it spiraled out to a 6-10 finish. Tom Coughlin is out of the front office in Jacksonville.


AFC WEST
Chiefs
Pre-season division position: 1st, AFC 1
Playoff seed: AFC 2

Not surprised they won the division. What is surprising is they got the AFC 2 in the last week of the Sunday due to the Dolphins going into New England to pull off the upset. Kansas City survived the loss of Patrick Mahomes due to a knee injury. I am still skeptical of their playoff success given the tortured history of this franchise since the 1990s and which Andy Reid playoff miscue will show up. If this franchise is to win their first Super Bowl in 50 years, they will have earned it with having to beat the Patriots and then a possible trip to Baltimore.


Broncos
Pre-season division position: 3rd

Quarterback Drew Lock has calmed the Broncos faithful from demanding that General Manager John Elway be sacrificed for the early season woes. If it wasn’t for their 0-4 start, Denver would be in the playoffs. The story that will dominate the Broncos’ off-season: who will own the team


Raiders
Pre-season division position: 4th

The beginning of the season was certainly filled with drama over the cutting of wide receiver Antonio Brown. The Raiders made their final season in Oakland interesting by having a slim chance of making the playoffs in Week 17. Even though the Titans win over the Texans eliminated them, it was their Week 15 Oakland finale against the Jaguars that doomed them. The Raiders begin play in Las Vegas next season and heading into the 2020 draft (also in Las Vegas), they have two picks in the first round.


Chargers
Pre-season division position: 2nd, AFC 5

Another reach. There are three games that come to mind to the Chargers season. The first being their loss to the Steelers where their fans took over the stadium which has been the epitome of their existence in Los Angeles. I am not sure it will get better when they move into their new stadium with the Rams next season. The other two – road loss to the Raiders and loss in Mexico City to the Chiefs – show that we might be seeing the end of Phillip Rivers.


NFC EAST
Eagles
Pre-season division position: 1st, NFC 1, NFC Champion
Playoff seed: NFC 4

I wasn’t surprised that the Eagles won the NFC East, nor the order of the division. Coach Doug Pederson knows how to get the most out of the talent at his disposal. Injuries certainly hindered their performance to where they ended up kings of the trash heap that is the NFC East. If they are to make a return trip to the Super Bowl, it will require beating the Seahawks and then going on the road to either San Francisco or Green Bay in the divisional round.


Cowboys
Pre-season division position: 2nd

Mediocrity has defined the Cowboys for far too long. This is the longest stretch in franchise history that Dallas hasn’t played in a Super Bowl. The Cowboys haven’t won in the divisional round since I was in sixth grade back in the ancient time of January 1996. Jason Garett will not return to the sideline in 2020 but other wholesale changes need to be made. Specifically, in who the general manager is (Jerry Jones).


Giants
Pre-season division position: 3rd

The Giants suffered the usual growing pains with a new starting QB. Pat Shurmur is out as head coach.


Washington
Pre-season division position: 4th

It turns out that the culture is not damn good. Jay Gruden was the first coach fired during the season. Bruce Allen is out as general manager. Sure, Washington hired Ron Rivera – who was axed by the Panthers after going 5-7 in 2019 – and added Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator, but it won’t change the fact that Dan Snyder is still in charge of this operation.


NFC NORTH
Packers
Pre-season division position: 2
Playoff seed: NFC 2

Is this the worst 13-3 team? Green Bay was 3-2 against playoff teams, two against the Vikings and the other against the Mahomes-less Chiefs. Ask yourself this question: despite having a home playoff game, can they beat the Saints, Eagles, or Seahawks?


Vikings
Pre-season division position: 3
Playoff seed: NFC 6

The Vikings were no better against playoff teams, 1-4. Kirk Cousins hasn’t won on Monday Night Football and is making his second playoff start. He got a truckload of money and how he does against the Saints in the first round could determine his future with the franchise.


Bears
Pre-season division position: 1

If only they had an offense to go with that defense.


Lions
Pre-season division position: 4

Detroit was .500 after getting jobbed by the referees at Lambeau on Monday Night in Week 6. Their response? 1-10 to finish out the season. Not having Matthew Stafford for the rest of the season didn’t help. Well… the Pistons are currently 4 games behind the Magic for the last spot in the NBA’s East. And the less said about the Red Wings, the better.


NFC SOUTH
Saints
Pre-season division position: 1, NFC 3
Playoff seed: NFC 3

Drew Brees is the all-time leader in passing yards and will without a doubt be a first ballot Hall of Famer. It seems like he should have more than one Super Bowl on his resume and this could be his last chance at a title run with the amount of talent surrounding him. I seriously could see the Saints making the NFC Championship.


Buccaneers
Pre-season division position: 4

Jamies Winston led the league in passing yards and was the only quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards this season. He threw for over 30 touchdowns. And also 30 interceptions… 7 were pick-sixes including his final pass of the 2019 season. Tampa would’ve been a playoff team without the Winston turnovers. Will Tampa have him as the incumbent starter heading into 2020?


Falcons
Pre-season division position: 2, NFC 6

Since blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI, the Falcons are 25-25 with their lone playoff appearance coming in 2017 and consecutive 7-9 seasons.


Panthers
Pre-season division position: 3

Despite losing Cam Newton for the season, it looked like the Panthers would survive. Then came their trip to San Francisco where they were beaten 51-13. Losing to the Packers at Lambeau kicked off a seven-game losing streak that ended Ron Rivera’s time in Charlotte. Running back Christian McCaffery rushed for nearly 1400 yards and was a 1,000-yard receiver.


NFC WEST
49ers
Pre-season division position: 3
Playoff seeding: NFC 1

I did not have high expectations due to everything falling apart after Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury the previous season. Well… the 49ers are a Super Bowl contender. It took inches in their final game at Seattle to claim the NFC 1-seed.


Seahawks
Pre-season division position: 2, NFC 5
Playoff seeding: NFC 5

Inches made all the difference between the Seahawks playing at home or going to Philadelphia for the first round. Thing is… the Seahawks are 7-1 on the road. Russel Wilson might have to carry this team if they are to get to the Super Bowl.


Rams
Pre-season division position: 1, NFC 2

Losing three straight games to the Buccaneers, Seahawks, and 49ers did not help things. Neither did going 4-4 in the back half of the season. Even worse: The Jaguars have the Rams’ first round picks in the 2020 (20th pick) and 2021 drafts due to the Jalen Ramsey trade.


Cardinals
Pre-season division position: 4

Kyler Murray showed some promise (3722 pass yards, 64.4% completion, 20 TDs-12 INTs, 544 rush yards, 4 rushing TDs) but this team needs a lot to be even close to competitive.


WILD CARD ROUND
Texans over Bills
Patriots over Titans
Saints over Vikings
Seahawks over Eagles


DIVISIONAL ROUND
49ers over Seahawks
Ravens over Texans
Chiefs over Patriots
Saints over Packers


CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Ravens over Chiefs
49ers over Saints


SUPER BOWL LIV, MIAMI
Ravens over 49ers


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