Week-by-Week 2020 NFL Schedule Analysis & Predictions

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The NFL released its 2020 schedule this past Thursday. While commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that things could change because of coronavirus, the league hopes it can stick to the plan.

So as long as things remain the same, how do I see the 2020 season playing out? Here are my predictions for all 256 regular-season games — and for their overall entertainment value (EV).

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Week 1

 
The season opener is set to be a good one, as Deshaun Watson gets a chance at avenging his postseason loss to Patrick Mahomes — but don’t expect Kansas City to take this loss … Look for Philip Rivers to start things off on the right foot for the Colts by sealing a solid victory against Jacksonville … Tom Brady‘s debut for the Buccaneers should be another exciting affair, and look for him to get a rude awakening from Drew Brees … Sunday night’s game, featuring the Rams and the Cowboys, pits two high-profile offenses against one another, and look for Dallas to have the advantage here … While I’m not excited about either Monday night game, expect both Pittsburgh and Denver to set the tone early in the season with strong defensive wins.

Week 2

 
Look for the Browns and Giants to put 2019 behind them with signature blowout victories in Week 2 … For Sunday afternoon games, I’m most interested in the Rams/Eagles tilt — while both teams have recently represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, they need to get back to their winning ways … If you’re a fan of defensive football, then the Broncos’ visit to Pittsburgh should be a treat — just expect Drew Lock to come away with a team win … Baltimore’s visit to Houston will be important to determine seeding in the AFC playoff race, although Houston’s division rivals may hold them back … the Las Vegas Raiders make their home debut on Monday Night Football, but don’t expect them to make much noise against the Saints.

Week 3

 
The battle for East Florida on kicks off the week on Thursday night, and it makes for a close matchup between two rebuilding teams … Watch out for an upset in the New York Giants/San Francisco 49ers game — splash plays from Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley could propel the Boys in Blue to a home victory … Sunday evening promises two significant games in the NFC (DAL vs. SEA and GB vs. NO) that will make for good television … the weekend’s most important game comes on Monday, however, as 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson takes on 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes — I give the edge to last year’s Super Bowl winner in this one.

Week 4

 
If you haven’t noticed, I’m expecting the Cardinals to start 4-0 behind Kyler Murray, and expect him to contend in this year’s MVP race … Look for Odell Beckham to have a big day against the once-rival Dallas Cowboys, but don’t expect the Browns to pull out the victory … After an 0-3 start to his career, Joe Burrow should lock down his first win against the Jaguars this week … Although Kansas City’s game against New England won’t feature Tom Brady, Andy Reid vs. Bill Belichick is always an interesting one to watch — look for the Patriots’ defense to keep things close … Monday night’s game between Green Bay and Atlanta should be a high-scoring affair, as both teams lack star defensive playmakers.

Week 5

 
On bye: Detroit, Green Bay

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons should be in the race for the AFC South this year, and even if they don’t win it, they’ll have some statement wins against division rivals … While I’m a big fan of the Broncos this season, they’ll come back to Earth a bit here against the Patriots after starting  3-1 … Look for the Browns to try and prove themselves as AFC North contenders with a dominant victory over the Colts … Sunday night’s game between Minnesota and Seattle should be a close, run-heavy affair, and it might come down to the last possession.

Week 6

 
On bye: Las Vegas, New England, New Orleans, Seattle

Thursday night’s game between Kansas City and Buffalo will be a slugfest, but I’d look for the Sean McDermott to squeak out a home win as the Chiefs travel east on a short week … The Vikings will play another high-profile game this week, but I expect Todd Gurley and the Falcons to get the best of them here … After a lukewarm start, look for the Titans to re-solidify themselves as division contenders with a win over Houston here … We’ll get a battle between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady on Sunday afternoon, and I expect the younger of the two to come away with the close win — even though he’s got fewer weapons … And in what should be another close race for the NFC West, both the Rams and 49ers will fight for whatever advantage they can find.

Week 7

 
On bye: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Minnesota, Tennessee

The Eagles and Giants should treat us to a Thursday night classic in Week 7, especially since both teams will be in the Wild Card race this season … Watch out for a Pittsburgh upset in Baltimore this year, as the Steelers will want revenge after getting swept by the Ravens last year … I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Panthers earn a few surprising victories in 2020, and the combination of Matt Rhule’s stacked defense and Christian McCaffrey’s rushing talent could be enough to keep Drew Brees off the field … Denver might be able to knock off Kansas City at home this weekend, but they’ll need Vic Fangio’s defense to come up big to do so … in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVII, look for Jon Gruden to make a statement against the Buccaneers.

Week 8

 
On bye: Arizona, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Pittsburgh, Washington

Another week, another upset for Carolina — while I don’t see them as a playoff contender, they can certainly play spoiler in the NFC South race … Expect Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to hold back the Patriots, earning a statement victory proving that Patriots’ dominance over the AFC East is over …  Detroit should keep their heads above .500 as they take on Rivers and the Colts … Joe Burrow and the Bengals should win a few games that they shouldn’t in 2020, and this home date with the Titans looks promising … both Sunday and Monday Night Football feature key matchups in the NFC — look for Philadelphia and Tampa Bay to prove their worth in the playoff race.

Week 9

 
On bye: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia

At some point in 2020, I’m expecting the Green Bay Packers to take a turn for the worse — it could be due to injury, in-fighting between Rodgers and head coach LaFleur, or defensive struggles, so watch out for some mid-season regression … Jacksonville always pulls off a few surprising divisional victories each year, and the Texans could get caught sleeping after their bye … Ron Rivera and the Washington Redskins won’t crack .500 this season, but the team’s incredible defensive line should shut down Barkley and help them to a home victory in this one … In our second battle between Brees and Brady, look for the ex-Patriot to have the edge at home.

Week 10

 
On bye: Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers

The battle for the AFC South will rage on Thursday Night Football, and look for the Colts to build chemistry through the course of 2020, which will be enough to give them a win in this one … Fresh off their bye week, expect Cleveland to keep things close at home against Houston — they might even pull off an upset victory here … The last time the Saints played the 49ers, the two teams combined for 87 points, and look for a similar score in the rematch … the rivalry between the Ravens and Patriots has faded over the last few years, but look for Bill Belichick to pull off an upset in this one.

Week 11

 
On bye: Buffalo, Chicago, Miami, New York Giants, New York Jets, San Francisco

Seattle should hand Arizona their third loss of the season on Thursday night, although it won’t hurt Murray’s MVP campaign too badly … In a rematch of the 2019 Divisional Round, look for Mike Vrabel and the Titans to get the best of John Harbaugh’s Ravens once again … New Orleans should solidify their lead in the AFC South with a commanding home win over the Falcons … You can’t name a more iconic duo than the Pittsburgh Steelers and losing trap games to the Raiders and Jaguars …. Andy Reid just doesn’t lose when coming off a bye, and the Raiders are on the wrong end of this Week 11 matchup … On Monday night, Tom Brady will take on Sean McVay and Jared Goff once again, but look for this one to be more high-scoring than Super Bowl LIII was.

Week 12 (Thanksgiving)

 
As you stuff yourself silly with Thanksgiving turkey, you’ll be treated to two entertaining (and one not-so-entertaining) games — look for the Redskins to pull off a defensive-driven upset over the Cowboys while the Ravens try to right the ship after some tough losses … The Colts will solidify themselves as AFC South contenders with a home win over Tennessee in this one … Look for Kyler Murray to take down Bill Belichick in the Patriots on his way to a dominant sophomore season … In what could be the final battle between the two quarterbacks, Sunday afternoon’s matchup between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will be an instant classic … Look for the Eagles to keep themselves afloat in the Wild Card race by topping the Seahawks on Monday night.

Week 13

 
On bye: Carolina, Tampa Bay

Thursday night’s tilt between Dallas and Baltimore will be a good one, and both teams will have a full week of rest after playing on Thanksgiving Day … The AFC South and NFC South divisional races could get complicated this week by some statement victories from Atlanta and Houston … We might get to see Joe Burrow take on Tua Tagovailoa in this one, and I’d look for the first overall pick to come away with the victory … Expect the Cardinals keep themselves atop the NFC West with a close win over the Rams … The 49ers will need to top the Bills to keep up with Murray and the Cardinals, so look for them to do so on Monday night.

Week 14

 
Bill Belichick and the Patriots will make life difficult for Sean McVay and his playoff hopes this week … The Broncos’ visit to Carolina should produce one of the lowest-scoring games of the season, especially with the Panthers coming off a bye … Tennessee might slip up in Week 14 with a visit to Jacksonville on the schedule … San Francisco will need to string together some solid finishes late in 2020 to shake off their Super Bowl hangover … the Bills’ battle with Pittsburgh on Sunday night should be an exciting defensive affair with major playoff implications for both teams.

Week 15

 
A deflating home loss to the Panthers could end the Packers’ playoff hopes in 2020, especially if LaFleur and Rodgers can’t get back on the same page … Watch Indianapolis beat the Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium to keep themselves alive in the AFC South race … Did I say the Steelers would lose a trap game to Jacksonville? Well, the Ravens aren’t immune either, and they’re on a short week here, too … the Eagles should knock down the dominant Cardinals in this one to keep themselves in the Wild Card hunt … Two weeks after taking on Brady, Patrick Mahomes gets to play Drew Brees in what should be a passing of the guard from one generation to the next.

Week 16

 
As the 2020 playoffs approach, every playoff-contending team except the Kansas City Chiefs will need to keep winning to maintain their seeding … The San Francisco 49ers should topple the upstart Cardinals on Sunday morning, and in doing so, they’ll reclaim control of the NFC West … We’ll get what could be the final battle between Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger, two members of the 2004 quarterback class, and I’d look for Rivers and the Colts to come out ahead … I don’t see the Seahawks as playoff contenders in 2020 — their roster is just too thin behind Russell Wilson —  but they should play spoiler here against a better Los Angeles Rams squad … Likewise, New England won’t be playoff bound in 2020, but don’t expect them to just hand Buffalo a victory in Foxborough here.

Week 17

 
At this point, five of eight divisions should be decided, but the expanded Wild Card race will keep things interesting down the slate … The AFC South, NFC South, and NFC West should all be undecided heading into Week 17, so look for teams in those divisions to put their best feet forward … Look for the Browns to knock Pittsburgh out of Wild Card contention with a narrow home victory … Likewise, Houston’s chances at another division title should fall by the wayside with the Titans’ playoff hopes riding on them winning here … the Cardinals should lock down a Wild Card berth by beating the Rams on Sunday afternoon, keeping Sean McVay out of the playoffs in back-to-back years.

Projected Standings and Playoff Picture

The AFC

 
The NFC

 
Four division winners should stay the same in 2020: Baltimore, Kansas City, New Orleans, and San Francisco … We’ll get some new playoff blood in Arizona, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Denver — although new blood is inevitable with the new seven-team format … Sophomores Drew Lock and Kyler Murray will both get their first crack at the playoffs in 2020, but it’ll take longer for Dwayne Haskins and Daniel Jones to get this far … The New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears seem destined for top-three overall draft choices in 2021.

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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.