The 2020 NFL season is creeping up on us. And that means teams start the hunt for the 2020 NFC and AFC playoffs soon.
This year, it will be a little different. I'm not talking about the empty stadiums or anything either. Yes, the coronavirus pandemic is definitely going to leave it's mark on football, as it is with every other sport.
But the real big difference in 2020 will be the start of the new playoff format for the NFC and AFC. In the past, there have been 12 teams that make the playoffs, six from each conference. Things have been changed though.
Now there will be 14 teams making the playoffs every year, seven from the NFC and AFC apiece.
That may not seem like a massive difference, but think about all the added drama. So many more teams will be in the playoff mix at the end of each season, and that should make for a lot of fun.
What teams will make the cut though? Let's go through the NFC and try to predict the playoff picture for that conference.
Just Missed
As mentioned, with the extra seed, there are going to be a lot of NFC teams in the hunt at the end of the year. That means there will be quite a few teams that “just miss” the playoffs as well.
The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals will be victims of the great NFC West. Both are good teams that would have a better shot to compete in any other division. They will have to deal with such tough in-division schedules though.
And in the end, they are too flawed to come out on the other side perfect. Both teams will hover around .500, which will keep them in the hunt, but not actually in the playoffs.
The Minnesota Vikings will put up a strong playoff argument as well, and are in a division that they could steal some games in. They have too many question marks though and it's hard to guess which version of Kirk Cousins they will get each week, leading to them missing out.
The Atlanta Falcons' addition of Todd Gurley at running back should help, but they aren't in a great division to have defensive problems in. And look at that, they have issues on defense.
Finally, the Washington Redskins will surprise a lot of people. Dwayne Haskins looks good and that defense should be fun. The offense still isn't there yet though. Being in a weak division will keep them in the hunt however.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
As I just mentioned with the Redskins, the Philadelphia Eagles are in a weak division. The NFC East is improving, but still has massive flaws. That is going to play perfectly for the Eagles.
They have some issues, and the health of quarterback Carson Wentz is always a concern. However, they will pull out a few big games and benefit from their division to sneak into the playoffs with the final slot.
6. San Francisco 49ers
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers were one of the best teams in football. The regular season saw them dominate most of the year, and they made it all the way to the Super Bowl.
However, while the defense is great, it may have out kicked it's coverage a little bit. And Jimmy Garoppolo still has a lot of proving to do at quarterback. It's hard to ask the running game to carry them as much as it did last season.
With that in mind, they are going to slip a little bit. San Francisco will still make the playoffs in 2020. They will just have a much more difficult time doing so.
5. New Orleans Saints
Friendly reminder that the New Orleans Saints still have Drew Brees. Oh, and Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara as major weapons for him.
This team is going to be one of the best in football. In fact, Don't be surprised if they actually wind up with the third best record in the NFC in 2020. The only reason they are the fifth seed here is because I do not have them winning the division.
Without the division title, they can not be in the top four.
So even as the fifth seed, New Orleans will likely go into the playoffs as one of the most feared teams in the entire league. And potentially one of the legitimate Super Bowl favorites.
4. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys seem to have things figured out with Dak Prescott for 2020. They still have not reached a deal but with the franchise tender, they at least have him set to play.
That is all we needed to know. Dallas is far from perfect, but they are a very dangerous team at the same time. And once again, the NFC East is not exactly a division that's bringing much to the table.
This could be used perfectly to the advantage of the Cowboys, as they will be able to get some wins in the division without too much trouble. And should carve out more than enough wins outside of it to guarantee winning the division.
It will be tougher than some think, with all four teams (the New York Giants included as they are the one team I haven't mentioned yet) putting up a fight.
3. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers were a weird team last season. They went 13-3 last season, easily one of the best records in all of football.
However, go back and look at there games. There were a number of them that could have easily gone the other way. Suddenly, instead of 13-3, they are 9-7. And it really wouldn't have shocked many if that was the outcome.
All that being said though, this is the Packers. You know, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, one of the greatest to ever do it.
With that in mind, it's really hard to bet against them too much. Simply put, Rodgers' tends to find a way to win. And he'll do it again in 2020, getting them one of the top spots in the playoffs.
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have Russell Wilson at quarterback. Nothing else really needs to be said. Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in football. In fact, he could easily go down as one of the greatest to ever play.
Meanwhile, Seattle has a lot going for them. The running game is strong, and they have a few really nice weapons for Wilson to throw to. Of course, the defense should be able to hold their own as well.
Seattle is in an incredibly tough division, but Pete Carroll and company tend to find a way to win a lot of games, even when people aren't noticing.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It might seem like jumping on the bandwagon or buying into the hype, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to be number one.
You could make a few arguments but nothing other than that passing attack needs to even be mentioned in my opinion.
They already had arguably the best wide receiver duo in football with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
So what did they do? Just add a Hall of Fame talent in tight end Rob Gronkowski into the mix. Oh, and get the greatest quarterback of all time on the roster, when they signed Tom Brady this offseason.
How? How could you possibly look at that group right there and not think they are going to dominate basically every week. Even if Brady is “declining”, it's hard to imagine he's fumbling this bag.
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