2019-2020 NFL Season Review

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Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2019-2020

Season Review

Regular Season Retrospective

With shocking retirements , superstar training camp holdouts and Antonio Brown doing whatever the hell he was doing , the 2019/20 NFL off-season was full of a usual trove of tabloid-worthy headlines as the regular season approached. Is it time to start cuing up the band for Tom Brady’s swan song ? How will Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs respond after their bitter defeat to New England in the AFC Championship game ? Are the supremely talented Los Angeles Rams the next victims of a Super Bowl runner-up hangover ? These questions (and many more) were sure to be answered in the coming months of the NFL’s 2019/20 regular season.

Obviously, we couldn’t expect to get firm results to these queries after only a couple of weeks of football action but we did get to see Cam Newton “show off” his fashion chops by looking like a complete dork at pressers early in the year (which, consequently, turned out to be his biggest highlight of 2019/20). Other standout early-season stories include the controversial new addition of being able to review pass interference penalties (ratified in large part due to the terrible no-call during the Rams/Saints NFC Championship game the previous year) as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers looking completely unrecognizable after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury essentially leaving the proud franchise devoid of any real Super Bowl aspirations for the first time in like forever. Meanwhile, hot starts for former 90’s NFC powerhouses Dallas, Green Bay and San Francisco inspired hope for their ravenous fanbases for a return to the glory days while over on the AFC side, the defending champion New England Patriots displayed their usual annoying dominance by “somehow” signing the insane…ly talented Antonio Brown (after his extremely bizarre training camp and subsequent release from Oakland) and running roughshod on everyone in their path right on cue. Oh yeah… *NEWS FLASH*- the Cleveland Browns suck… AGAIN ! The NFL’s resident punching bag somehow managed to be among the league’s worst team’s despite a promising offseason that saw them acquire the mercurial Odell Beckham jr. to pair with former #1 overall pick quarterback Baker Mayfield , further proving that their team name is more associated with excrement for us naive modern day fans than it is with anything great.

As the season continued, quarterback Lamar Jackson emerged into a bonafide superstar showcasing a scary dual-threat ability of shifty running and pinpoint passing which helped lead Baltimore to the upper-echelon of the AFC and himself to the top of the MVP race. Another Super Bowl contender, the New Orleans Saints , survived an early season injury to team-leader Drew Brees by providing a new MVP threat to their impressive repertoire, wide receiver Mike Thomas who destroyed defenses routinely with excellent hands and an athletic burst reminiscent of Randy Moss. The San Francisco 49ers surprised everyone by being the NFL’s last unbeaten team led by Jimmy Garoppolo and a punishing defense though many pundits remained skeptical about their long-term chances. Oh yeah… Sam Darnold got mono and was forced to miss several weeks which was both hilarious and sad (a perfect way to describe the Jets season… or many of their seasons quite frankly). Also, blanket-corner Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for 3 draft picks (2 1st rounders and a 4th rounder) in a last-ditch effort to turn their season around after a disappointing start.

The Cleveland Browns reared themselves back into the headlines again after defeating the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in week 11 which would have been news enough in itself (pop those champagne corks Cleveland… you won a game!), however freak defensive end Myles Garrett ensured that the dawg pound stayed out in the cold by disqualifying himself for the rest of the season for bashing quarterback Mason Rudolph on the head with his own helmet during a scuffle in garbage time (never seen anything like that before). Speaking of cold… let’s all point and laugh at this season’s biggest loser- the Cincinnati Bengals who might not even be able to hang with the Ohio St. Buckeyes in their own state at this point and appear to be hibernating themselves for the #1 pick in next years draft (which will most likely turn into Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU). The Patriots finally started to show signs of vulnerability during the second half of the season after releasing Antonio Brown (amid brand new off-the-field stuff… yay!) showcasing a shoddy offense that struggled to gain yards and move the ball next to a stout defense which kept them in every contest. Then, one of New England’s video producers got in trouble for, once again filming an opponents sideline (those aforementioned Bengals as it turned out) in an inappropriate manner claiming that it was for a completely unrelated project… sure. The Raiders looked promising at times throughout the year and awful at other’s prompting Jon Gruden’s facial expression to stay in “permanent scowl” mode while adding new wrinkles to his already cavernous forehead .

As the season pressed into its final weeks, most teams jockeyed for postseason position and divisional supremacy in their usual aggressive manner except for the NFC EAST which decided to forego tradition and send a playoff representative that “sucked the least” (the Philadelphia Eagles as it turned out). Those same skeptics who questioned the 49ers legitimacy as a true contender sealed their lips after they defeated the New Orleans Saints 48-46 in what could be considered the “game of the season”. Jameis Winston set a new single-season record for interceptions (30) which certainly had Bucs fans wanting him to walk the plank for a new option at quarterback. Running back Marshawn Lynch returned to the Seahawks in week 17 to help with their Super Bowl dreams after a devastating duo of injuries to Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise however it wasn’t enough to overcome San Francisco in an epic regular-season finale as they literally fell just inches short on the last play of the game which put the final touches on the playoff positioning. To the postseason…

Favorite Team Spotlight

A season that started off with so much promise ended promptly and painfully with yet another 8-8 finish which seems to be par for the course nowadays for this once stalwart franchise. To start with, Cowboys fans were filled to the brim with hope during the offseason after Jerry Jones opened up the vault to re-sign several key players (including defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence , linebacker Jaylon Smith and running back Ezekiel Elliott ) as well as convince their greatest ever tight end, Jason Witten to give up his cushy announcing gig for another shot at Super Bowl glory after a one-year hiatus. Combining all of these factors with the Cowboys recent success was enough for many of us to see the Vince Lombardi trophy in our future and those sentiments felt somewhat confirmed after the team’s 3-0 start to the year. Not to mention, quarterback Dak Prescott looked like a real MVP candidate while wide receiver Michael Gallup emerged into a true threat to pair with Amari Cooper giving Dallas a star-powered offense in every facet. All signs were certainly pointed in the right direction and if the season had ended there, then perhaps our dreams may have come true but unfortunately we still had a ton of wiggle room to shoot ourselves in the foot like we usually do.

3 consecutive losses after our 3-0 start brought us right back down to our usual place among the mediocre as the Cowboys struggled to string together any kind of consistency for the rest of the year… save for Jason Garrett’s persistent clapping that is . Even superstition was allowed to creep in as a literal black cat interrupted a Monday Night Football game between Dallas and the New York Giants which seemed to sort of “set the tone” for the rest of the season as they went on to lose 4 of their next 5 games. Lucky enough for them however, the rest of the clumsy NFC EAST teams hadn’t taken advantage of the Cowboys blunders which somehow still kept them at the top of the division right into the final weeks of the season. Still, my Super Bowl hope for this talented team had truly been deflated earlier in the year (can’t get over losing to the Jets!) so I wouldn’t have had much enthusiasm had we even made the playoffs… which we didn’t. A crucial loss to divisional nemesis Philadelphia in week 16 essentially put the final nail in the coffin on a completely forgettable season which had (coincidentally enough) started out as promising as any other that I can remember in a long time. Oh well, at least at this point I don’t think I could possibly be any more numb when it comes to the prospects of the Cowboys as I’ve literally experienced it all in my tenure as a fan though it would be kind of nice if they decided to actually shock me and do something good for a change (…like that’s going to happen)!

Regular Season Standings

EAST

#1

W/L/T: 12-4-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 6-2

#2

W/L/T: 10-6-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 6-2

#3

W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#4

W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 2-6

WEST

#1

W/L/T: 12-4-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 7-1

#2

W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#3

W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#4

W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5

NORTH

#1

W/L/T: 14-2-0
Home: 7-1 Away: 7-1

#2

W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 3-5

#3

W/L/T: 6-10-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 2-6

#4

W/L/T: 2-14-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 0-8

SOUTH

#1

W/L: 10-6-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 5-3

#2

W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 5-3

#3

W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#4

W/L/T: 6-10-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 3-5

EAST

#1

W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 4-4

#2

W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 3-5

#3

W/L/T: 4-12-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 2-6

#4

W/L/T: 3-13-0
Home: 1-7 Away: 2-6

WEST

#1

W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1

#2

W/L/T: 11-5-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 7-1

#3

W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 4-4

#4

W/L/T: 5-10-1
Home: 2-5 Away: 3-5

NORTH

#1

W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 7-1 Away: 6-2

#2

W/L/T: 10-6-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 4-4

#3

W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 4-4

#4

W/L/T: 3-12-1
Home: 2-6 Away: 1-6

SOUTH

#1

W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1

#2

W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 4-4

#3

W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 5-3

#4

W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5

Notable League Leaders

QB Rating

Ryan Tannehill

116.5
(TD: 20 INT: 6)

Yards Rushing

Nick Chubb

1453
(5.1 avg.)

Yards Receiving

Mike Thomas

1725
(149 rec.)

Sacks

Chandler Jones

19.0
(51 tkl.)

Interceptions

Stephon Gilmore

6
(pd 20)

Anthony Harris

6
(pd 11)

Tre’Davious White

6
(pd 17)

Award Winners

MVP

Lamar Jackson (QB)

113.3 QB rating
3127 passing yds.
1206 rushing yds.
43 TD’s (pass: 36 run: 7)

Offensive Player Of The Year

Mike Thomas (WR)

1725 receiving yds.
149 receptions
9 TD’s

Defensive Player Of The Year

Stephon Gilmore (CB)

6 interceptions
20 passes defended
2 defensive TD’s

Offensive Rookie Of The Year

Kyler Murray (QB)

87.4 QB rating
3722 passing yds.
544 rushing yds.
24 TD’s (pass: 20 run: 4)

Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Nick Bosa (DE)

47 tackles
9 sacks
1 forced fumble
2 fumble recoveries
1 interception

Playoff Results

Wildcard

vs.
#5 Buffalo Bills @ #4 Houston Texans
BUF: 19 HOU: 22 (ot.)

Wildcard

vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #3 New England Patriots
TEN: 20 NE: 13

Wildcard

vs.
#5 Seattle Seahawks @ #4 Philadelphia Eagles
SEA: 17 PHI: 9

Wildcard

vs.
#6 Minnesota Vikings @ #3 New Orleans Saints
MIN: 26 NO: 20 (ot.)

Divisional Round

vs.
#4 Houston Texans @ #2 Kansas City Chiefs
HOU: 31 KC: 51

Divisional Round

vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #1 Baltimore Ravens
TEN: 28 BAL: 12

Divisional Round

vs.
#5 Seattle Seahawks @ #2 Green Bay Packers
SEA: 23 GB: 28

Divisional Round

vs.
#6 Minnesota Vikings @ #1 San Francisco 49ers
MIN: 10 SF: 27

vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #2 Kansas City Chiefs
TEN: 24 KC: 35

vs.
#2 Green Bay Packers @ #1 San Francisco 49ers
GB: 20 SF: 37

Super Bowl LIV (54)
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, FL

vs.
Kansas City Cheifs @ San Francisco 49ers
KC: 31 SF: 20

Super Bowl Champions

Super Bowl LIV MVP

Patrick Mahomes (QB)

286 passing yds.
29 rushing yds.
3 TD’s (pass: 2 run: 1)

Playoff Retrospective

With Super Bowl LIV now in the rear-view mirror, the Kansas City Chiefs stand tall as the new champions of the NFL after a playoff run fraught with comeback wins at every turn. Led by perhaps the leagues next great superstar, quarterback Patrick Mahomes , Kansas City finally ended the 50-year drought of disappointment that had befallen the franchise while simultaneously catapulting head coach Andy Reid into the pantheon of greatness after receiving his first ever Lombardi Trophy following a long career of “almost/not-quite” seasons. Meanwhile, a young and up-and-coming San Francisco 49ers squad will need to go back to the drawing board after a tough loss in the “big game” following a dream season which nobody would have predicted. Leading Kansas City by 10 points in the second half of the Super Bowl, San Francisco appeared poised enough to finish the job and usher in a new era of franchise greatness until a stunning Chiefs rally shell-shocked the ‘Niners and gave Kyle Shanahan critics (if their is any I suppose) a point of emphasis by drawing a parallel to his previous stint as offensive coordinator in Atlanta (when they famously blew a 28-3 lead to Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl LI). Besides the final two teams though, there was plenty of intrigue across the NFL postseason landscape to keep things interesting throughout.

Derrick “King” Henry emerged into arguably the best running back in the league after a series of dominating playoff performances that helped his Tennessee Titans gain 2 consecutive very impressive victories over the almost-always defending champion New England Patriots and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens who boasted a league-best 14-2 regular season win/loss record. The 10-6 Minnesota Vikings sent the 13-3 New Orleans Saints went home early in the wildcard round after an impressive resurgence in overtime that was no doubt unexpected from most football pundits. The Houston Texans played their usual bit of “talented-underachiever” after a great comeback win over the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round was paired with a bitter 51-31 defeat to the eventual-champion Chiefs in the divisional. While the Green Bay Packers certainly would have loved to make it even further than they did, there can be no denying that head coach Matt LaFleur had a successful start to his career with a conference championship appearance now under his resume. Tune in next NFL season for another re-cap of events!