Well the time has come and gone once again to one of my favorite segments; my Power Rankings. The regular NFL season has come to a close, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be here when the 2021 NFL season gets under way. Here are my last Power Rankings from the 2020 season and an MVP to go with each team. It’s been real benchers!
#32
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
Previous Rank – 32
Season MVP – James Robinson
I really thought Jacksonville was going to pull a fast one on me and sweep the Colts, but it just didn’t happen. They were able to contain Rivers for the most part, but they fell victim to the run game and let Taylor run for over 200 yards on them. They will get the first pick in the draft, and we know what that means. It is time for Trevor Lawrence, and with talks of coach Urban Meyer coming in, things might get interesting in Jacksonville.
#31
New York Jets (2-14)
Previous Rank – 31
Season MVP – Frank Gore
The Jets have had a terrible season, and now with Adam Gase gone after this loss to New England it begs the question of who will come in and if they will replace Sam Darnold. I hope not. I actually like the kid. You just have to build around him for god sakes. We’ll see what happens next year for the Jets.
#30
Houston Texans (4-12)
Previous Rank – 30
Season MVP – Deshaun Watson
The Texans shouldn’t be this low man, but with a rough start, and having trouble down the long run, they wind up with a record of 4-12. It’s a shame because Deshaun Watson had his best year so far in the NFL and he did it without Hopkins. I am really hoping someone comes in here and changes this whole thing up cause the kid deserves some decent chances above all man.
#29
Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
Previous Rank – 29
Season MVP – Calvin Ridley
It was an ugly season to be an Atlanta Falcons fan that’s for sure. They gave up so many 4th quarter leads, they fired their coach and general manager, and it looks like they might be looking other ways in terms of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Calvin Ridley was the bright spot this season as they went with a heavy pass offense since the acquisition of Todd Gurley seemingly didn’t pan out. Here is hoping they draft Justin Fields and change up that offense.
#28
Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)
Previous Rank – 28
Season MVP – Joe Burrow
Look we knew when Joe Burrow went down with that injury that the Bengals weren’t going to anything grand, but they had some decent moments heading down the stretch with wins over Pittsburgh and Houston. If the Bengals are going to be anything going forward they need to find a way to build around Burrow and protect him. Otherwise, they will be right back where they started.
#27
Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)
Previous Rank – 27
Season MVP – Miles Sanders
The Eagles had a chance to knock off the Washington Football Team, but they came up short and Jalen Hurts did not play well in this game and they finish last in their crappy division. It will be interesting going forward if the one under center will be Wentz or Hurts, but the Eagles need help and they need help fast.
#26
Denver Broncos (5-11)
Previous Rank – 26
Season MVP – Jerry Jeudy
The Broncos lost this one against the Raiders, and they have had a tough time this season with the losses of Von Miller and Courtland Sutton. However, Drew Lock had a really bad year compared to his shining start last year. I really do believe there will be a change in management going forward, but I just hope they give Drew Lock another chance.
#25
Carolina Panthers (5-11)
Previous Rank – 24
Season MVP – Jeremy Chinn
The Panthers drop after a really poor performance against the New Orleans Saints. Bridgewater was bad throwing two picks and no touchdowns and he left the game with an ankle injury. They started out promising, but honestly just crumbled near the end. The team will get Christian McCaffery back next season so that should help, but defense still needs work despite rookie Jeremy Chinn putting on a clinic as a safety this past year.
#24
Detroit Lions (5-11)
Previous Rank – 25
Season MVP – Matt Stafford
I know they lost, but they shouldn’t have. That was the worst roughing the passer call that I have ever seen. They even got a touchdown called back on them. Bottom line, the refs didn’t want Detroit to win this game, and they lost by two. So, I am moving them up one because that was ridiculous. They’ll be looking to a new season, but will need to get a new coach and a new general manager before anything happens.
#23
San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
Previous Rank – 21
Season MVP – Brandon Aiyuk
The 49ers had probably the most injury filled season a team could have. It was a weird one as three different people were under center, the defensive star unit was banged up, and their running backs couldn’t stay healthy all season long. Brandon Aiyuk was a promising first round draft pick, and with their loss to the Seahawks, the team will drop to 6-10. I do think they come back strong next season and reclaim the division though.
#22
Dallas Cowboys (6-10)
Previous Rank – 18
Season MVP – CeeDee Lamb
What a mess that was. The Cowboys choked against the Giants when they had a chance to make a claim at winning the division. Sadly, it didn’t happen. Andy Dalton reverted to his old bad game he had played all season after playing his best to weekends ago against the Eagles. Just a sad season for them, but it might get worse if Dak Prescott decides to go elsewhere, and they might even have to let some other pieces go as well.
#21
New York Giants (6-10)
Previous Rank – 23
Season MVP – Sterling Shepard
The Giants finished second in the division after a couple of rough seasons with their win over Dallas. Despite their mishaps and injuries, the Giants showed a lot of promise this season with Joe Judge as their head coach. The defense and special teams got a lot better, and Daniel Jones did decent after having some injury issues. They’ll get Saquon Barkley back next year, and I am excited to see what they do.
#20
New England Patriots (7-9)
Previous Rank – 22
Season MVP – J.C. Jackson
Newton did have a strong performance against the Jets throwing three touchdowns and catching another one, but there wasn’t much to be excited about in New England with a limited roster and game plan. Newton might be gone so either New England will have to rely on Stidham, or they will have to look elsewhere. Plus all their defensive stars should come back next season.
#19
Washington Football Team (7-9)
Previous Rank – 20
Season MVP – Chase Young
Well they did it man. Washington won their division with a win over Philadelphia. Alex Smith was not amazing this season by far, but after almost losing his leg and his life after a very bad injury, it was a great thing to see happen. Their defense was one of the toughest I’d ever seen with Chase Young and Montez Sweat putting the pressure on quarterbacks. I see good things with this team going forward in 2021.
#18
Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
Previous Rank – 19
Season MVP – Dalvin Cook
The Vikings really shouldn’t have won this game, and they should have finished last in their division, but the refs kinda made that happen. Overall though, they had a decent season on offense with Dalvin Cook being one of the best running backs in football. Rookie Justin Jefferson proved to be a great replacement for Diggs, and Kirk Cousins did surprisingly well all things considered. If there is one thing that needs to improve next season though, it is the defense.
#17
Los Angeles Chargers (7-9)
Previous Rank – 17
Season MVP – Justin Herbert
Three divisional wins in a row make me smile for the Chargers as I told everyone from the very beginning that Justin Herbert was going to be incredible. The rookie replaced Tyrod Taylor after he got his lung punctured, and he went to work and finished the season breaking Baker Mayfield’s rookie touchdown record. I have my doubts at the head coaching position due to some time management issues, but the Chargers should be good going forward to 2021.
#16
Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
Previous Rank – 15
Season MVP – Kyler Murray
With a loss to the Rams, the Cardinals drop a spot and finish the season 8-8 and third in the division. The injury to Murray definitely played a factor in this one as the offense couldn’t move anything down the field. Overall, this team did a lot better than this year, but still had some bumps along the way. Kyler Murray did fantastic this year though, and I believe he and the Cardinals will prove to be deadly going forward to 2021.
#15
Chicago Bears (8-8)
Previous Rank – 14
Season MVP – David Montgomery
The Bears had a chance to knock off the Packers from the number one seed in the NFC, but they just couldn’t get anything going. Their defense got a reality check after playing some decent games as Aaron Rodgers torched them throwing four touchdown passes. They still were able to clinch a wild card spot with other teams having losses so all is not forgotten yet. They’ll face the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs.
#14
Las Vegas Raiders (8-8)
Previous Rank – 16
Season MVP – Derek Carr
The Raiders picked up a win over the Broncos and looked like a strong team going forward from where they were last season. The offense looked to be in sync, and Derek Carr had a great season with the team despite not a lot of confidence people had in him. The defense played strong, but somehow crumbled throughout the season, and the team finished with a decent record of 8-8. Can’t wait to see what Vegas does next year.
#13
Miami Dolphins (10-6)
Previous Rank – 10
Season MVP – Xavien Howard
Not sure what happened to Miami in this game as they got the absolute piss beat out of them by Miami. Tua played awful throwing three interceptions, and because they fell here, they missed the playoffs. Still it was a great season, and Miami fans should feel rejoiced going forward. Brian Flores basically took this team and grew it in his image, and while they missed the playoffs, they should be good moving with Tua in 2021.
#12
Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
Previous Rank – 13
Season MVP – Aaron Donald
Even with Goff out in this one, the Rams picked up a win over the Cardinals and secure a wild card spot in the NFC. The defense kept them in this game with a nice pick six and just great overall pressure. When Goff and Cupp return, we will see what they can do in the playoffs when they take on the Seattle Seahawks.
#11
Cleveland Browns (11-5)
Previous Rank – 12
Season MVP – Nick Chubb
The playoff drought is over for the Cleveland Browns as they finally did it. I’m not quite sure the refs had something to do with it honestly though. There were so many missed penalty calls for the Browns it was ridiculous, but whatever. With a win over the Steelers, the Browns will now enter as a wild card and will face the fully ready Steelers again with their starters this weekend.
#10
Tennessee Titans (11-5)
Previous Rank – 11
Season MVP – Derrick Henry
Go on Derrick Henry. What a season it has been for him as he becomes only the 8th running back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. The Titans nearly lost this game, but with a win over Houston, they win their division and lock up a playoff spot. Ryan Tannehill actually did amazing this season, and they should be a huge threat moving forward. Their defense still needs work though. A huge playoff rematch is in order as the Titans will once again square off with the Baltimore Ravens.
#9
Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Previous Rank – 9
Season MVP – Jonathan Taylor
The Colts almost had me for a second man. However, they regrouped and pulled out a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and secure a wild card spot in the playoffs. Philip Rivers was not the best quarterback this season, but he did great finishing the season. Jonathan Taylor proved to be a great pickup especially in this game rushing for over 200 yards. The Colts will face off against the Buffalo Bills.
#8
Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
Previous Rank – 8
Season MVP – Lamar Jackson
The Ravens looked dominant over the Cincinnati Bengals in this one. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens now secure a wild card spot in the AFC, and will look to show off what they can do going forward. Lamar did great again this season despite some bumps as he was able to rush for over 1,000 yards again. They now have a big task. They face the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year; the Tennessee Titans.
#7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
Previous Rank – 7
Season MVP – Tom Brady
Well, with the way they started, I didn’t think they would do it, but the Buccaneers also broke their playoff drought with a win over the Atlanta Falcons. The moves this team has made reflects their record man. Let’s count them, Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette… These moves made this happen, and Tom Brady had a hell of a season. They’ll take this NFC wild card spot and take it to face the winner of the NFC East division; the Washington Football Team.
#6
Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
Previous Rank – 6
Season MVP – Russell Wilson
With a narrow win over the 49ers, the Seahawks finish 12-4 and win their division. Russell Wilson had some struggles late in the season, but the kid was able to put together a great 2020 campaign. We will see how the Seahawks fare as they will take on the Los Angeles Rams this weekend in the playoffs.
#5
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Previous Rank – 5
Season MVP – T.J. Watt
I’m not upset about the loss. I’m upset how it happened though. Throughout this game, so many missed penalties occurred to give the Browns the win. The NFL wants what the NFL wants I guess, but overall with starters out, this wasn’t a bad showing for Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph aside from the interception played decently well taking some shots down the field. The Steelers now will face the Browns again Sunday night in the playoffs, but will have all their starters ready to go this time.
#4
New Orleans Saints (12-4)
Previous Rank – 4
Season MVP – Alvin Kamara
So Brees still has it huh? I was honestly shocked given how bad they beat the Panthers with Michael Thomas, and basically their entire running back core out. However, Brees was able to get the win, and the defense certainly helped as well. Hopefully, their team can get healthy when they have to go and take on the Chicago Bears in the playoffs.
#3
Green Bay Packers (13-3)
Previous Rank – 3
Season MVP – Aaron Rodgers
Speaking of the Bears, the Green Bay Packers turned on the heat in snowy conditions and absolutely throttled them. Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in this one, and was just two shy of throwing 50 touchdowns this season. Man was I wrong about him going into the 2020 season. The Packers now secure the number one seed in the NFC and will have a bye week to see the wild card matches.
#2
Buffalo Bills (13-3)
Previous Rank – 2
Season MVP – Josh Allen
Am I making my case for Josh Allen as the 2020 MVP. You bet your ass I am. This kid played his heart and soul out this season, and with the addition of Stefon Diggs this team was incredible this year. Even with their B-squad in, they managed to knock the Miami Dolphins out of the playoff chatter and win the AFC East as well. All good things are in order for the Bills, and they will face the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.
#1
Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
Previous Rank – 1
Season MVP – Patrick Mahomes
Even with the loss to the Chargers, the Chiefs had the best overall record in the 2020 season, and they sat all their major star players. They also received the AFC first seed and will rest on a bye week to see who faces them after the wild card matchups. The Super Bowl champions now will wait and see, and I know Patrick Mahomes is itching to see who the Chiefs will compete against.
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