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Check out the takeaways below for the most significant ripple effects, credible evaluations, and best future bets to make of the year in the NFL.
TBvGB
TAKEAWAY 1: Tom Brady is the unquestioned greatest winner in professional team sports
No matter the circumstances, Tom Brady always finds a way to win. Wherever he goes, success follows, and that was the case once again in 2020. Not too many people thought he would excel as well as he did on a new team without Bill Belichick, and being over 40 years old. Yet, TB12 found success in Tampa Bay the same way he did in New England for two decades. Things got off to a slow start, but eventually, Brady got back in the postseason and did what he does best: won NFL playoff games. With a trip to Super Bowl LV booked in his home stadium for the first time in NFL history, Brady will look to make even more history as he chases ring No. 7.
TAKEAWAY 2: The Packers could have a completely different backfield next year
As Aaron Rodgers put it following the NFC Championship game, “[the Packers have] a lot of guys’ futures that are uncertain — myself included.” Both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams entered the final year of their contracts heading into the 2020 season, and with the cap set to go down in the 2021 offseason, it’s highly unlikely that both will return next season after the Packers already gave big contracts to Kenny Clark and David Bakhtiari.
Based on recent history of teams overpaying for RBs and the drafting of A.J. Dillon last year, all signs point to Aaron Jones’ departure after he struggled with injuries in 2020. There’s always a possibility Jones could choose to stay with a championship-caliber team, but GB is unlikely to fall into the same trap several other teams have recently. Rodgers is much more likely to stay at least another year while first round pick Jordan Love continues to develop, but Rodgers honestly admitted “there are no certainties in this business” which might be leverage for a better contract or one of the biggest trades in NFL history.
BUFvKC
TAKEAWAY 1: The Chiefs’ offense is completely unstoppable when healthy
Even with one or two banged-up players, they’re hard to stop, but when at full health, the Kansas City Chiefs are next to impossible to slow down on offense. The three biggest pieces to KC’s explosive offense are all in their prime and could go down as the best at what they do, in addition to having one of the greatest offensive play-calling Head Coaches ever leading them.
As the centerpiece of the offense, Patrick Mahomes is the only person on the planet who even has a chance to surpass Brady as the G.O.A.T. with a win over him in Super Bowl LV. His weapons add to his arsenal with one of the greatest receiving TEs ever in Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, who is perhaps the fastest and shiftiest WR to ever play the game. As they prepare for their second trip to the Super Bowl in a row, KC will look to add to their young dynasty and solidify their spots as their respective GOATs.
TAKEAWAY 2: Josh Allen’s ceiling is as high as anyone’s if he can clean up his turnovers
While the Buffalo Bills’ magical season came to an end at the hand of the Kansas City Chiefs, there’s no denying that Josh Allen proved he can ball with the best. His and his team’s futures look very bright, and at just 24 years old, his ceiling is as high as any player in the league, Mahomes included.
His biggest flaw however has been the number of turnovers he was responsible for this year, throwing 11 INTs and fumbling another 11 times. Despite this, he managed to pull off an MVP-caliber season and led his team to a 13-3 record as well as a conference championship appearance. If he can manage to clean up those mistakes, there’s no telling what heights he can reach.
CLEvKC: The ONLY thing stopping Patrick Mahomes from becoming the GOAT is injuries
Despite not playing for three weeks, Patrick Mahomes came out firing until he left Sunday’s game with a concussion in the third quarter. Many question how Kansas City would perform against a hot Browns team after seeming like they were on cruise control for a good part of the last few weeks of the season, but they silenced any doubters by taking down Cleveland even without their QB playing during a critical fourth quarter. Not much has been done by opposing defenses to slow down Mahomes up to this point, so it’s fair to say that injury is the only thing standing in the way of him lighting up the field.
As the Chiefs prepare to host the AFC Championship game for the third straight season, Mahomes’ status will certainly be the main story to keep track of heading into Championship Sunday. If he’s healthy, they’ll be the favorite to win another championship, giving Mahomes two titles in three years as a starting QB, putting him on track to be considered the GOAT. The only thing that’s standing in his way, isn’t any type of scheme, players, or inadequate performance. It’s only injuries.
TBvNO: Jared Cook’s underwhelming playoff performance ended the Saints season early
Despite It’s normal to drop a catch here and there, but to drop multiple critical passes and cause turnovers that cost a team points and the outcome of a game unfortunately fit the description of Saints TE Jared Cook in these playoffs. While his dropped TD against the Bears in the Wild Card round didn’t do much damage overall, his critical fumble and dropped pass that was intercepted (both in the fourth quarter) proved detrimental to NO as they ultimately fell to the Bucs.
New Orleans had several failed attempts at a comeback in the second half, largely due to Cook’s monumental mistakes. Normally a solid option at TE, Cook has proven to be more of an advantage than a disadvantage for NOLA, but the mistakes he committed could not have come at a worse time. Facing a team led by the winningest QB ever, it was an opportunistic Tampa defense that doubled their takeaways on Sunday because of Cook’s severely underwhelming performance that ruined any chance the Saints had in what will likely go down as the final game of Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame career.
LARvGB: As explosive as Green Bay’s offense is, controlling the clock is still a major factor in their success
In addition to having a high-powered offense and the likely 2020 MVP at QB, the Green Bay Packers will be hosting the NFC Championship game in large part due to their league-leading average time of possession, coming in at 32:31 minutes per game. Controlling the clock has been a major part of Matt LaFleur’s game-planning since he arrived in GB and is one of the biggest reasons he’s now 28-7 (including playoffs) in just his first two seasons as HC. If the Pack can continue to manage the clock well by converting 3rd downs, moving the chains, and avoiding turnovers, there’s not much that can stop this team from winning the whole thing.
BALvBUF: Josh Allen is now solidified as the greatest Bills QB since Jim Kelly
For the last two and a half decades in Buffalo, the Bills have suffered from a slew of mediocre quarterbacks. If one happened to lead his team anywhere close to reaching the playoffs, he’d be revered by the entire Buffalo Bills fanbase. With that said, there’s no doubt that Josh Allen has made a name for himself in Bills Mafia; after leading his team to their first playoff win in 25 years and reaching the AFC Championship game, these accomplishments paired along with a career year in 2020 have made him the greatest Bills QB since Jim Kelly. Should Allen be fortunate enough to make it to Super Bowl LV, he’ll be the biggest Buffalo hero of this generation.
BALvTEN: Lamar Jackson has accomplished more by age 24 than almost any QB ever
At just 24 years old, Lamar Jackson has already won MVP, made the All-Pro 1st Team, and a Pro Bowl while also becoming the youngest quarterback to ever start a playoff game at just 21 years old in 2019. One major thing was holding him back in critics’ eyes however: he flopped in the playoffs.
After taking control and leaving Nashville, TN with a victory on Sunday, Jackson and the Ravens took all the preconceived notions about how they’ve performed in the postseason over the last few years under Jackson’s leadership and squashed them. The narrative that the Titans “own them,” “Lamar can’t win a playoff game,” and that they “can’t come from behind” were all put to rest thanks to another commanding performance by their QB who showed how dynamic he is with the ball in his hands and can win games without passing that effectively.
CHIvNO: When fully healthy, the Saints are as good as any team in the NFL
The Saints have gone through a majority of their season without one of their three most important players as Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and Alvin Kamara have now only played four games together this season. New Orleans is 4-0 in those games with two big victories over Tampa Bay along with dominant wins over putrid offenses in Chicago and an injured 49ers squad. The emergence of Deonte Harris in this WC game gives NOLA another weapon at their disposal, providing Sean Payton with the most options he’s had all year. The Saints barely lost to the Chiefs in Week 15 without Brees or Thomas. With them, they can beat anyone.
CLEvPIT: The Cleveland Browns just won their Super Bowl
The After a year like 2020, of course it’s the Cleveland Browns who can finally claim a victory in the postseason. It took 26 years, but the Browns finally came full circle and earned their first playoff win since 1994 in the biggest way possible: by taking down their division rival Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. Of all 31 other teams, there’s no opponent the Browns would rather beat that the Steelers who have consistently got the better of them and owned a 17-year streak of beating their division-rival in Pittsburgh. Not this time, not in 2021 in what could be Big Ben’s final time playing against the team he never lost to at home before this day.
From PIT’s very first offensive snap that went over the head of Roethlisberger and ended in a Browns TD, CLE dominated all the way until the end. Scoring a whopping 28 points in the first quarter alone and holding a 35-10 halftime lead, the Dawg Pound shut down the Steel City and never looked back. No matter what happens going forward, Browns fans can celebrate like they won the Championship this year, because for the Browns, this was their Super Bowl.
INDvBUF: Philip Rivers is the last QB a team would want to lead them on a GW-drive with the season on the line
In what could very well have been Philip Rivers’ last NFL game, he once again came up just short of postseason advancement. With only five postseason wins in his career, Rivers has just one game-winning drive in the playoffs, which ironically came against his current team in 2009. Saturday’s game was no exception though, and now it is speculated that Rivers may retire with his contract set to expire in IND and him hinting at it a few weeks ago. Despite his playoff shortcomings and disappointing results when it matters most late in games, Rivers’ career has been a resounding success and he likely has earned a spot in Canton.
LARvSEA: Cam Akers had one of the best playoff debuts of all-time
When opportunity knocked, Cam Akers answered the door and showed out. After Darrell Henderson went on the IR with a high ankle sprain, Akers was moved up the depth chart and did not disappoint. He took advantage of the Seattle Seahawks’ injured defense and dominated, totaling 176 scrimmage yards, which was the most by a rookie in his playoff debut since 1960. Akers will likely take over the Rams’ running game for their playoff run going forward after showing he is more than capable of doing so. Akers not only had one of the greatest postseason debuts ever, but also proved he could be the Rams featured back of the future as well.
TBvWAS: Tampa Bay has the greatest collection of weapons ever assembled
While Tom Brady vs. Taylor Heinicke is the biggest playoff QB mismatch of all-time on paper, the argument could be made that Heinicke outplayed the GOAT when looking at the film where he rarely had any inaccurate passes and picked up crucial first downs and touchdowns with his legs, adding a dimension to the game Brady is unable to replicate. However, what lifted Tampa Bay over Washington was it’s arsenal of weapons coming to play opposed to Washington’s WRs that completely underwhelmed.
The Bucs had a couple drops that cost them some extra yards, but not nearly as prevalent or monumental as DC’s pass-catchers consistently unable to bring in accurate passes from the former practice squad signal-caller. While Tampa’s secondary deserves some credit for knocking balls loose and making it hard on them to corral some 50/50 balls, many times it was just a simple drop. On the other side, Tampa Bay was able to make Washington’s solid secondary look suspect as they got open with ease, making Brady’s life much easier, and lived up to their names in their first playoff game together.
Having Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski all on the same team might be the best trio of pass catchers to ever wear the same uniform. Add Chris Godwin, Cameron Brate, Ronald Jones, Leonard Fournette, and Scotty Miller, and this is unquestionably the most talented group of skill players on the same team, and that proved to be the difference in their matchup with the Washington Football Team.
BUFvNE: This is the Browns’ best season since the franchise returned in 1999
No matter what happens next week, this season has been a major success for the Cleveland Browns as an organization. Three short years after their infamous 0-16 season, the Cleveland Browns completed an impressive turnaround and clinched their first playoff berth since 2002 after finishing with an 11-5 record. Considered the laughing stock of the NFL for decades, football in Cleveland, Ohio has come a long way since Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore and the Browns were brought back after a three-year hiatus. Now, they’ll compete in the postseason as CLE finally looks like a team that can sustain success for the next few years.
DALvNYG: This game summed up NFC East football in 2020
Somehow, someway, the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys fought for a playoff spot all the way up until Week 17. Even with the loss of Saquon Barkley and Dak Prescott to season-ending injuries, both squads somehow managed to stay in the hunt until the very end despite each losing their star player and finishing 6-10. Both of these teams fought all the way to the end in a wild finish that included an interception by NYG after DAL led a drive down the field and shortly before a Wayne Gallman fumble almost gave Dallas the ball right back. It was a perfect ending to a crazy year where the NFC East champion Washington Football Team won it with a 7-9 record, the third time ever a playoff team possessed a losing record.
MIAvBUF: The Bills’ only losses in 2020 were under extremely rare circumstances
The Buffalo Bills have quietly been one of the best teams in the NFL all season long and perhaps still don’t get the recognition they deserve. Completing a 13-3 regular season and earning an AFC East crown, their few low points this year have come under very rare circumstances. Two of their losses came in rescheduled games due to COVID-19, and one came on DeAndre Hopkins’ miracle catch on a last-second Hail Mary. Take away those extremely unique situations and the Bills could have been the No. 1 seed or possibly even undefeated.
MINvDET: The Detroit Lions are about to hit the reset button and go into a full-blown rebuild
Another year, another dismal season for the Detroit Lions. Sunday’s disappointing loss capped off a 5-11 season for the Lions that whose biggest highlight was a lowlight when HC Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn were fired midseason. This was just the first step into what will likely be a huge offseason filled with changes for a Detroit team that hasn’t won a division title in 27 years.
In addition to searching for a new head coach and general manager, QB Matthew Stafford is likely to get traded and they’ll need a completely new receiving core. Expect the start of a rebuilding process to take place in the Motor City this offseason in order for the Lions to move forward and receive more young assets while also starting fresh under new leadership with a younger roster.
ATLvTB: Tom Brady feasts on weak competition this year, not playoff-caliber defenses
Tom Brady and the Bucs are marching into the playoff on a high note, reeling off four straight wins after the BYE week. However, that won’t inspire as much confidence knowing it came against the Vikings horrendous defense, Atlanta 2x, and the Lions with a makeshift coaching staff. Those results can only be taken with a grain of salt when projecting how the Bucs will perform against much more fierce competitors.
Tampa will get to find that out right away against the best D-Line in the league. Tom Brady is the most accomplished player of all-time who should never be doubted in a postseason setting, especially against a team that lacks playoff experience. But, the facts this year show him thriving against non-playoff teams (10-0) while struggling against better competition (1-5) with top-tier defenses. The key to beating the Bucs is pressuring Brady and WAS has the formula to do exactly that. The Wild Card round will say a lot about if Brady is still the same ol’ GOAT or the same QB that has faltered in the face of pressure this season.
NYJvNE: Cam Newton has played his last game in New England, and maybe in the entire NFL
With the New England Patriots out of playoff contention, the Cam Newton experiment has seemingly come to an end. Newton never really gelled in Belichick’s system, throwing just five touchdown passes all year and having twice as many picks. Signed to just a one-year contract prior to the 2020 season, Newton is now a free agent while Belichick will search for his future QB whether it’s in the draft or via a trade/free agent signing. Potential candidates include Matthew Stafford, who is likely to be in a different uniform next season, or Jimmy Garoppolo, who is expected to be let go by SF and could return to the team that drafted him.
Meanwhile, Cam Newton will look for his third NFL team, but it may be more difficult than it seems. Just like last year, when he was on the market until the 11th hour, he could face another long offseason once again. The thing is, Cam Newton wants to be the starter, has an alpha starting QB type of personality, and warrants starting QB attention from the media, however, he hasn’t played like a staring-caliber QB in over three years before multiple injuries have derailed the 2015 NFL MVP’s career. Hopefully, a team like WAS (with former HC Ron Rivera) adds him to compete for the job, but there won’t be many suitors out there for Newton.
BALvCIN: The Ravens ended the season on one of the greatest rushing sprees ever
The Baltimore Ravens have gotten hot at just the right time thanks in large part due to their major presence in the running game. They put an exclamation point on their winning streak to close out the regular season by rushing for 405 yards against the Bengals, the most in a game since their opponent in Week 17, Cincy did it in 2000 with 407.
Perhaps nearly as impressive is the fact that Lamar Jackson rushed for over 1,000 yards once again and is the team’s leading rusher this season, all while still leading BAL to an 11-5 record despite missing time due to COVID. J.K. Dobbins’ continued scoring streak increased with another two TDs, and with Gus Edwards right by his side, the Ravens might have the most dynamic backfield in the NFL. A year after setting the NFL record for the most RUSH YDS in a season during Lamar’s MVP campaign, Baltimore once again broke the record for highest YPA (5.3) thanks to ending the season with 267.4 RUSH YDS/game over the final five weeks.
TENvHOU: Tennessee will go as far as Derrick Henry takes them (not Ryan Tannehill)
Even after rushing for 250 yards against a below-average Houston defense, Derrick Henry’s monster performance that has become the norm at this point couldn’t completely put away a team he rushed for over 200 yards against twice this year. Last week against Green Bay, Henry was held to under 100 yards and the Titans got clobbered 41-14. Without a solid defense that can get off the field fast, the Titans are going to have some trouble in the playoffs when they have to face teams more complete than the Texans. TEN’s only chance of going far again is Henry pounding the rock time-and-time again and controlling the clock en route to close dubs.
GBvCHI: GB is poised to host an NFC Championship game for the first time in Aaron Rodgers’ career
The Green Bay Packers locked up the No. 1 seed with a win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday and will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The last time the Packers had the top seed was in 2011 when they suffered a major upset to NYG in the divisional round, so there’s potential for history to be made this season. While it’s hard to believe, Aaron Rodgers has never played in an NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field; each time he’s played in one (2010, ’14, ’16, ’19), it has been on the road. Now in his 16th season, he will have an opportunity that is unexpectedly unique to him that could lead to attaining another Lombardi Trophy.
ARZvLAR: Regardless of who starts at QB for LA next week, Seattle has a huge advantage
It’s widely known that having a good quarterback makes life much, much easier in the NFL, especially in the playoffs. Rarely has a team been able to succeed and win it all with even an average QB, and the Rams are not one of those teams. No matter who suits up at the position for LA next week against Seattle, whether its Goff or Wolford, the Seahawks will still have a major advantage with a future HOFer on their side. Additionally, SEA’s defense has started to round into shape the last few weeks and will likely give LAR a minimal chance to win that will require numerous turnovers or big-play TDs to neutralize the difference in quarterback quality.
SEAvSF: SEA is a legitimate title contender entering the playoffs with a strong offense AND defense
Steadily and surely, the Seattle Seahawks have quietly earned a 12-4 record and divisional crown thanks in big part to their defense coming together after a rocky start to the season. Their game has become more balanced and no longer relies solely on Russell Wilson to have a monster performance in order to keep them in games. After Wilson went on a turnover spree midseason, the ‘Hawks corrected themselves at the right time as they head into the postseason, and could potentially make a deep run as the possibility of them hosting 2+ playoff games is now possible in the new playoff format if the Saints choke once again.
LVvDEN: Most in Jon Gruden’s position would be gone after a third consecutive non-winning season
Rarely is an NFL coach able to keep his job after three straight seasons without a playoff appearance or winning record. However, when Jon Gruden signed a 10y/$100M deal offered by an owner that has more affection for him than most, he was therefore given a bigger leash than even some coaches who have won a Super Bowl since he was hired (i.e. Doug Pederson). With a good chunk of his contract still remaining, Gruden will likely remain the HC in Vegas for the foreseeable future barring a complete collapse with his team that is unlike any other HC in the league without a single winning season in their current position.
JAXvIND: The next month will be the most important in Jaguars history
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of big decisions to make over the next few months. By next month, they will likely have picked their new GM and HC which will be the first steps in laying the groundwork for their future. Then later in April, the Jags will have the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft where they will likely select their future QB which is almost guaranteed to be Trevor Lawrence. These decisions for their front office and coaching staff will have a major ripple effect on the organization as a whole over the next five-plus years that will prove to be the difference in whether the culture in Jacksonville changes for the better or not.
LACvKC: The Chargers can finally get the fresh start they’ve needed for years
The Los Angeles Chargers officially fired HC Anthony Lynn after four seasons. Despite being well-liked by many, Lynn’s questionable play-calling decisions in late-game scenarios costed his team several wins and it finally caught up to him after the 2020 season. After being on the hot seat for a while, the Chargers can finally move forward and hopefully find a coach that can finish games better and help limit offensive turnovers. LA’s biggest appeal is rookie QB Justin Herbert, who despite his team’s late-game struggles is an incredibly promising player with a lot of upside after finishing one of the most productive rookie campaigns of all-time.
NOvCAR: The Saints made a statement that no other team was able to do this season
Several teams have struggled without their star players this season. The Browns fell to the Jets when their WR corps was decimated, the Broncos stood no chance when all of their QBs went down, and the Ravens struggled to hang without their entire starting lineup. The same can’t be said about the Saints though, who’ve been without their top WR, RB and QB on the field together for almost the entire season yet they’ve found numerous ways to win and get to 12-4. The way NOLA has handled business despite their three most important players rarely on the field together for the entire season shows what they can do without them.
Their Super Bowl odds should be as good as any when they have all of them in the lineup this upcoming month with Drew Brees starting to show signs of full health, Michael Thomas expected to return off the IR, and Alvin Kamara likely available from the COVID list for their Wild Card battle with Chicago. They haven’t needed all three to secure the No.2 seed this year, but will need the terrific trio if they want to get over their recent playoff disappointments and win it all in what’s likely Brees’ final year.
WASvPHI: The questions at QB in Philly will be a prominent storyline this offseason
After coming in to relieve Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts provided a much needed jolt of life to the Eagles’ offense that had been missing all season. Since then, Hurts hasn’t been able to re-create the same spark he did in Philly’s upset victory over the Saints. Drama then ensued when Hurts was benched for Nate Sudfeld in a questionable coaching decision by Doug Pederson.
What seemed to be getting clearer is now becoming more murky as Philly enters the offseason with a big decision to make at QB. Whether the answer still is Hurts, whether or not Wentz gets traded and if he does then where, and if the answer is neither, does PHI go out and sign someone in free agency or try to draft a new leader. There’s a lot of questions behind center in the city of Brotherly Love, and the sizable statement the Eagles made by drafting Hurts is still yet to be fully determined.