NFL Teams Set to Improve in 2020

Change is constant. As the sands of time trickle away, people, environments, anything really, all change. The same can be said for the NFL. Each year brings new opportunities that teams can either take advantage of or completely blow. Some teams take the leap from utter mediocrity to the upper echelons of contention. Last year’s Baltimore Ravens are a great example of this, going from a respectable 10-6 team to an absolute juggernaut that held the best record in the league at 14-2. Some teams can also take a step or two back. The 2019 Rams were a far cry from the team that made the Super Bowl the year before. However, the new league year is a time for hope, so instead of pointing out the teams who could tumble I’ll focus on those who look to move up in the NFL food chain.

Improvement is subjective. Improving could mean making the playoffs after missing out the year before, going from a Wild Card round exit to the Super Bowl, or even just winning one more game than last season. In order to make things clear I’ll define improvement as winning four more games than the year prior. Why four games? Well, as evidenced by Baltimore, four games is the difference between respectable and scary. While the teams I highlight in this article might not become the absolute force the Ravens were, they’ll at least experience a similar leap. Let’s jump right in.

Cleveland Browns

The 2020 Cleveland Browns remind me of the 2019 San Francisco 49ers. Now before anyone goes ballistic, no I’m not saying the Browns will make the Super Bowl this season, but I am saying that they’ll make the playoffs. Way back in the 2018 offseason, the San Francisco 49ers were touted as the breakout candidate of the year. The team was ravaged by injuries and went on to have a disappointing season. When the 2019 offseason rolled around, the 49er hype train had died down. Once it was actually time to play games though, the 49ers proved to be a dominant force and made it all the way to the Super Bowl. It seemed reasonable to assume that the team would break out, but after they failed to show up when the hype was there for them in 2018, the national media payed less attention.

As I said, the hype train had left the 49ers during the 2019 offseason, the team that inherited all that excitement was the Cleveland Browns. After nearly two decades of being the laughingstock of the NFL, it seemed that the Browns finally put together a roster flush with talent that was ready to compete. The pieces were there, the execution, not so much. There were quite a few moments throughout the season where Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens seemed in over his head, his play calling was consistently questionable, and it seemed that he had lost the faith of his locker room early on. Kitchens went on to lead Cleveland to a pitiful 6-10 record. Put simply, Kitchens was just not the man for the job.

Now Kitchens is out, and former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski is in. Last year, Stefanski’s run heavy scheme that made running back Dalvin Cook the focal point of the offense, led the Vikings to the playoffs. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was a huge beneficiary of said scheme, the run heavy approach forced defenses to key in on Cook and allowed Cousins to put up incredible numbers, especially on play-action passes. All this helped Cousins break the narrative that he wasn’t a clutch quarterback when he beat the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs.

Stefanski can bring that same scheme to Cleveland to help Baker Mayfield rehabilitate his image. Mayfield was often criticized for being a “one read” quarterback who had a hard time going through his progressions. The play-action game Stefanski brings will make things easier for Mayfield and he’ll likely experience an improvement similar to Cousins. The pieces Stefanski needs are already in place. The roles held by Cook, Cousins, Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph will now be held by Nick Chubb, Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and Austin Hooper. The two groups share a lot of similarities and Cleveland’s is arguably more talented. The potent offensive attack that fans hoped the Browns would field in 2019, might just arrive a year late. But hey, at least they’ll be there.

Miami Dolphins

Last year’s Miami Dolphins were probably the least talented team the NFL had seen in a long time. Though, that was by design. In the 2019 offseason the Miami Dolphins decided they would embark on a true rebuild. This would include a season of tanking in an effort to secure the number one pick in the draft where they could then add potential franchise signal caller Tua Tagovailoa. Fans dubbed the strategy as “Tank for Tua”. In order to ensure a losing season, the Dolphins traded away some of their most talented players such as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Laremy Tunsil, and Kenny Stills. However, those trades did land them premium draft choices that they can use to expedite the rebuilding process.

In a shocking turn of events, the Dolphins actually won five games. Doing so was a huge accomplishment for head coach Brian Flores. He took an unimpressive roster with early season locker room issues, and turned it into a five-win team, including a win over the New England Patriots. Five wins seems disappointing, it’s not even a winning record, but you have to remember that this team was expected to go 0-16. The fact that Flores was able to weather the storm, shows that he is fully capable of coaching a competitive team.

Now that 2019 is over, the Dolphins appear to be moving forward in their rebuild by acquiring veteran talent in free agency. After finishing with the least amount of sacks in the league, the team signed edge rushers Shaq Lawson and Emanuel Ogbah, both of whom would’ve led the team in sacks last year. Miami also signed Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy, and several other veterans to fill out some of the holes in their roster. The next phase of their rebuild will include utilizing their league leading 14 draft picks to fill their roster with young talent that can develop and learn alongside the veterans they’ve already added. It also seems that one of those picks will still be Tagovailoa. Winning five games means the Dolphins failed to secure the number one pick, but a mix of Joe Burrow’s breakout season and injury concerns surrounding Tua, has caused the Alabama prospect’s draft stock to fall just enough for the Dolphins to be able to scoop him up.

The influx of talent in Miami all but guarantees a better record than last year, add in Flores’ exceptional coaching and this Miami team may even make the playoffs next season. With the playoff field expanding to seven seeds, that possibility seems even more likely. Flores has shown he’s a true leader of men, perhaps now he’ll get the chance to prove that in games that actually matter.

Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck’s surprising retirement defined the Indianapolis Colt’s 2019 season. The first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft decided to call it quits after seven years in the league. Nagging injuries and extensive rehab forced Luck to make the decision, and it left the Colts in an odd spot. The team was prepared to vie for a championship with Luck at the helm in 2019, but his retirement changed those plans. Jacoby Brissett, the team’s backup, was named the new starter and came in with mixed expectations. Brissett had starting experience during the 2017 season, when Luck was dealing with a shoulder injury, but his ceiling was clearly limited.

Brisset started the season out strong, but a game manager play style prevented him from taking the Colts to the next level. He consistently failed to push the ball downfield which allowed defenses to key in on a rushing attack that the Colts heavily relied on. This offensive imbalance put pressure on a defense that ranked 18^th in the league. They were solid at creating turnovers and sacks, but the offense couldn’t do much with the extra opportunities. The Colts faded in the second half of the year and finished with a 7-9 record. As a result, Indianapolis’ front office chose not to commit to Brissett as the team’s starter in 2020.

As expected, the Colts signed quarterback Philip Rivers in free agency. Rivers should be the team’s starter in 2020 and brings in the gunslinger mentality that Brissett lacked. Last year, River’s play seemed to fall off, this is to be expected from an aging quarterback, but some could argue that it’s because the former Charger was doing too much to try to keep his team in games. Rivers comes into a situation that should put less pressure on him to create. The Colt’s have a top 10 offensive line and rushing attack. Not to mention, they also have downfield threats in T.Y. Hilton and sophomore Parris Campbell. This should allow Rivers to play a game that comes naturally to him, instead of trying to force things in an effort to get his team out of a hole.

A trade for defensive tackle Deforest Buckner should also improve a defensive unit that is highly underrated. The Colt’s defense likely would’ve placed higher in the league had it not been for their anemic offense. If the 2020 Colts can consistently put points on the board, it would put pressure on opposing offenses and allow Indy’s defense to play more aggressively. The balance that Indianapolis looks to reach in 2020 could lead to a playoff berth and even a division title.