An exciting 2020 season is looming on the horizon and a new set of faces can headline the upcoming Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. Reigning Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City Chiefs will certainly be in the running while favorites Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints are not out of the picture too.
However, dark horse teams can surprise many of these heavyweights and join in on the Super Bowl festivities as well. With a bevy of offseason moves, position upgrades, and returning starters, these under the radar teams are in a good spot to seek an appearance in the biggest stage of football.
Here are the top 3 dark horse Super Bowl contenders in the upcoming season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2019 season saw an embattled Pittsburgh Steelers grind out their whole campaign minus their starters. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2. A knee injury sidelined wide receiver JuJu Smith Schuster for some time and limited him to tally career-low numbers. Running back James Conner sustained a recurring shoulder injury in Week 8 which forced him to have a dismal season.
Head coach Mike Tomlin reshuffled his cards and attempted different combinations to see which will work the most. Quarterbacks Mason Rudolph, Devlin Hodges, and Paxton Lynch all rotated playing under center for the Steelers. However, the absences of the veterans did open up opportunities for two young standouts to shine last season. Then rookie wide receiver Diontae Johnson's solid play earned him an All-Pro second-team selection as a punt return specialist while third-year wideout James Washington also had a productive season for the team.
Amidst the gaping holes, the Steelers' defense dominated all season, headlined by the early acquisition of All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Linebackers T.J. Watt and sophomore Devin Bush will still be anchoring the defensive line along with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.
Despite all that has been, the Steelers narrowly missed out on the playoffs and ended on an 8-8 record last season. With Roethlisberger, Smith-Schuster, and Conner now in full health coupled with the youngsters' increased confidence, the sky will be the limit for the Steelers. A complete cast will help them stand out in a tough AFC North competition headed by division leader Baltimore Ravens.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys looked good when they stood with a 6-4 record in Week 11 of the 2019 season. However, they went on to drop 4 of the last 6 games to carve an 8-8 overall record to finish their campaign and missed the playoffs. They fell a game short in the standings to eventual NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles who finished with a 9-7 record.
The biggest buzz of the offseason for the Cowboys was the contract talks of quarterback Dak Prescott. Despite not being able to land a contract extension, the two-time Pro Bowler still signed the tender on his franchise tag. The two sides will have another year to make things work and aim for a Super Bowl appearance in 2020.
The Cowboys didn't stop there as they also made an aggressive push to improve the rest of their roster. The team was involved in a plethora of trades and free-agent signings specifically on the defensive end of the field. The Cowboys' defensive rotation underwent a facelift headlined by nose tackle Dontari Poe, safety HaHa Clinton-Dix, cornerback Daryl Worley, returning defensive end Aldon Smith, and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Everson Griffen.
The offense looked more dangerous as ever as veteran holdovers Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup, and Amari Cooper are back at the helm. Rookie wideout CeeDee Lamb will be looking to provide an instant contribution as well. A potent offense pitted with a sturdy defense should do the trick for the Cowboys as they aim to make it back to the Super Bowl after a 24-year drought.
Buffalo Bills
The 2019 season was one to remember for the Buffalo Bills. They drastically improved from the previous season where they finished with a 6-10 overall record, to which they already surpassed on Week 11 of 2019. The team finished the year on a 10-6 note and clinched its second winning season in three years.
Despite the regular-season success, the Bills only had a one-and-done showing in the playoffs. The Buffalo-based team succumbed to the hands of the Houston Texans via a tight 22-19 losing effort which booted them out of the postseason picture.
The Bills looked to upgrade their pieces and added head coach Sean McDermott's former players. These include cornerback Josh Norman, edge-rusher Mario Addison, defensive tackle Vernon Butler, and linebacker A.J. Klein.
The team also improved their offensive attack by acquiring weapons for quarterback Josh Allen. Free-agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs took his talents to the Big Apple and will certainly pose a threat on the wings. The front office also snagged Utah running back Zack Moss with the 86th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to pair with sophomore ball-carrier Devin Singletary.
The Bills are also looking good in terms of the competition in their division. The 2019 AFC East champion New England Patriots were recently hit with a league-most 8 player opt-outs during the offseason. The uncertain quarterback situation in Foxborough could spell trouble on their division title-retention bids as well. With long-time rival Tom Brady now out of the picture, the upcoming season may be the best chance for the Bills to take over the division and aim for a Super Bowl appearance.
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