By: David Connors @DConBblitz
Tonight at 8 PM, WE GET TO WATCH an NFL Game!!! I’m getting giddy just thinking about it. So set your fantasy lineups, place your over/under, and prepare for the season opener. The Blitzalytics team has made its official 2020 NFL predictions. So without further ado!
Individual Awards
MVP-Patrick Mahomes
Runner up: Kyler Murray
The MVP selection is pretty obvious. The Chiefs showed us how valuable Mahomes is by locking him down for 10-years and half a billion dollars. The new minority owner of the Kansas City Royals has one of the best arms the NFL has ever seen. He has one of the best offensive minds as his coach and enough speed on the team to field an Olympic relay team. Then on top of all that, they use their first-round draft pick on a pass-catching Running back. Mahomes is as safe as it comes when predicting the best player in 2020.
Offensive Player of the Year-Christian McCaffery
Runner up: Saquon Barkley
What McCaffery did in 2019 was incredible. He is the third player in history to eclipse 1,000 yards both through the air and on the ground and quite frankly, it would not surprise anyone if he did it again. Christian is a special weapon on a team that has a young, inexperienced defense. He will have plenty of opportunities to rack up stats in 2020.
Defensive Player of the Year-TJ Watt
Runner up: Aaron Darnold
14.5 sacks, 2 picks, 8 forced fumbles, 8 pass deflections, and 14 tackles for loss are only a few of the stats that show how incredibly productive TJ Watt is for the Steelers. He is a major piece to one of the best defenses in the league and can turn the tide of a game by himself. 2020 could be the year TJ takes the mantle as the NFL’s best Watt.
Coach is the Year-Two way tie
Mike McCarthy and Bruce Arians
Both of these coaches will be taking on teams with similar situations. Both teams were close to being great teams but just a bit shy. Both teams think their key upgrades in the offseason will be the key component that puts them over the edge. For the Buccaneers, they brought in Tom Brady to bring consistency to the QB position while the Cowboys think that Mike McCarthy is what the team needs to reach the potential the roster possesses. If either team finds success in 2020, their Head Coach will be front runners for the Coach of the Year Award.
Offensive Rookie of the Year-Joe Burrow
Runner up: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Joe Burrow is coming off arguably the greatest single season for a college QB in history. On top of that, he is surrounded with pretty good skill players in Cincinnati. The defense looks underwhelming on paper. Burrow should have plenty of opportunities to earn the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Defensive Rookie of the Year-Isaiah Simmons
Runner Up: Chase Young
Isaiah Simmons is a weapon who can literally do it all. He has the quickness to play coverage as a safety, the size, and power to play on the line, and the play recognition skills to play at the second level. His versatility should make him impossible for the Cardinals to take off the field.
Comeback Player of the Year-Two way tie
Ben Rothlisberger and Cam Newton
Big Ben gets to come in a familiar situation in Pittsburgh with similar players to the ones he was playing with before getting hurt early in 2019. That commodity should help him comfortably slide back to where he was. Cam Newton on the other hand, is going into a brand new situation. However, he goes to arguably the best coach the NFL has ever seen. This former MVP could bounce back in a big way.
Division Winners
AFC West-Kansas City Chief
Runner up: None
This is the only category that the Blitz team was completely unanimous on. When a team has Mahomes and Reid leading their offense, they are a safe bet to be the team to beat.
AFC South-Indianapolis Colts
Runner Up: Houston Texans
It’s hard to bet against one of the best offensive lines in the NFL combined with a good defense. The Colts are hoping to lean on their running game and veteran QB, Philip Rivers, to get them back into the playoffs in 2020.
AFC North-Baltimore Ravens
Runner Up: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens, Steelers rivalry should be alive and well in 2020 as the two powerhouse franchises compete for the AFC North. At the end of the day, more of the Blitz team gave the nod to the team who has seen more recent success but this was a close vote.
AFC East-Buffalo Bills
Runner Up: New England Patriots
Is this the year the Bills finally usurp Lord Palpatine? The Blitz team seems to think so. The addition of Stefan Diggs could be the missing component to help this Bills team outscore their opponents.
NFC West-Seattle Seahawks
Runner Up: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers offense has taken a major hit in training camp with injuries to Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd, and Brandon Aiyuk. While the Seahawks have made a significant improvement to their defense by making a huge trade for Jamal Adams. With Mr. Unlimited behind Center, the Seahawks are never out of a game.
NFC South-Two way tie
New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What a treat it is to have Tom Brady and Drew Bree competing in the same conference in 2020. And we don’t even have to wait for this matchup, it’s week 1! These two men lead most of the major categories for QBs career stats. They both have incredible weapons and really good defenses. This will be a closely contested division.
NFC North-Green Bay Packers
Runner Up: Minnesota Vikings
There does not seem to be a roster in the NFC North that jumps off the page as an obvious division winner. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have a long track record of success and make sense for the team to be left standing at the top of the NFC North.
NFC East-Dallas Cowboys
Runner Up: Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys offense looks like a top unit in 2020 with a wealth of riches at the skill positions. Furthermore, the additions of Aldon Smith and Everson Griffen to the Cowboys defensive line make the Cowboys roster look pretty complete on paper.
Super Bowl Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
Although many names were thrown out to represent the NFC, only one Blitz member had a team besides the Kansas City Chiefs slotted in for the AFC. The Chiefs were mostly able to keep their team together from last year and might even be better. They are without a doubt the “team to beat” for many years to come.
So that’s it, those are our predictions for the 2020 season. Let us know who we got right and where we were wrong and HAPPY FOOTBALL SEASON EVERYONE!!