Dallas Cowboys 6-10 to 10-6
An easy choice to begin with although Dallas started the 2020 season with an abysmal 1-4 start, they were in every game behind Dak Prescott, after his injury in a Week 5 showdown versus the Giants the team turned to famous middle-of-the-road QB Andy Dalton for the remainder of the season. There are many theories out there that the team felt unmotivated with Dalton behind center. Most notably, after a cheap shot from Washington LB Jon Bostic, most of the team looked unphased after Dalton was given a brutal concussion. No question Prescott elevates team morale and performance and hypothetically had he be under center for the entire season the Cowboys would have been a tough playoff contender. I fully expect the Cowboys to be back in the mix come December and I'd warn the rest of the NFC of the storm that is brewing in Dallas.
Los Angeles Chargers 7-9 to 9-7
Another easy choice for me as this one is personal. The Chargers lost a whopping SEVEN games this season by eight or fewer points, many of which they held a lead late in the game. With a new (and hopefully more competent) coaching staff, Los Angeles hopes to overcome dumb game decisions and special teams' mistakes and will be able to close out games. With reigning Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert at the helm of an explosive offense, they should bounce back to terrorize the AFC with only their rival, Kansas City, in their way.
San Francisco 49ers 6-10 to 10-6
A year removed from the Super Bowl the Niners find themselves with their fifth losing season in six years. Seems as though 2019 might have been a fluke. With plenty of injuries this season it is no surprise for the lack of success in 2020, at least it seems that way. Leaks from San Francisco personnel allude to the 49ers know the real issue.....quarterback. Early in the offseason, the 49ers have already been confirmed to be connected to THREE passers on the trade market: Matt Stafford, Deshaun Watson, and Kirk Cousins. With Stafford already gone it leads them to the quarterback everyone is striving for Watson. The disgruntled Texans quarterback would immediately bring San Francisco back to the Big Game and give their opponent a run for their money. The problem is what the Niners are willing to give up, going rate for Watson is rumored to be at least 3 first-round picks, a QB, and then some. A cheaper and stranger option is Kyle Shanahan's glory boy Kirk Cousins. Spending formative years together in Washington, Shanahan tried to seduce Cousins to the Bay during his free agency tour in 2018. Could Shanahan bring the most out of Cousins and thrust his potential in the stratosphere? Probably not, but it's worth a shot. Either way, a healthy Niners team is a safe bet to win ten games in 2021, whether it's Garoppolo behind center or anyone else.
Carolina Panthers 5-11 to 11-5
After getting the easy options out of the way, we now get to the spicy hot takes. The Panthers were 3-8 in one-score games last season. Flip that around and they would have finished 10-6 and just missed out on the playoffs. Now imagine this Carolina team with a competent quarterback. Panthers came second in the running for Matt Stafford and are reportedly aggressively pursuing Deshaun Watson. If they are able to find a game-changing quarterback via trade without giving up Christian McCafferty or hit in the draft at #8, Carolina will be in the mix for an NFC playoff appearance.
New Orleans Saints 12-4 to 4-12
What can I say? Drew Brees' retirement looms large over the city of New Orleans. They are also $70 million over the cap for 2021. They need a new quarterback and they need to clean house to be cap compliant. Too much turnover is the reason I believe the Saints could very easily end up being a bad team this year. How could the Saints be bad with Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara? The Cowboys had elite offensive weapons and still finished 6-10. Winning the South this past season didn't help them either setting them up to face NFC juggernauts such as the Seahawks and Packers. With the Panthers on the upswing and the reigning champs down there in Tampa Bay, Saints fans should be worried.
by Brandon McCann
Comments
Post a Comment