Way back over the summer I began predicting how I thought the 2019-2020 NFL season would pan out. I literally went through week by week how each matchup would go. It was pretty tedious. It was pretty fun too!
Check out my predictions from a few months back here.
Now that the season is practically over, I thought it would be fun to see how accurate or in-accurate I was. You never know how a season will go year in and year out! I know I was way off on several teams. This should be interesting. I will use these posts I have written to hopefully be more accurate next season.
To begin this series I'll start with the NFC South.
| Final NFC South Standings | Real Record | My Pre-Season Prediction (Predicted Div. Placement) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New Orleans Saints | 13-3 | 11-5 (1) |
| 2. Atlanta Falcons | 7-9 | 11-5 (2) |
| 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-9 | 2-14 (4) |
| 4. Carolina Panthers | 5-11 | 9-7 (3) |
1. New Orleans Saints
Real Finish: 13-3, Division Champs.
My Prediction: 11-5, Division Champs.
Its safe to say I was pretty spot on for the most part when it comes to the Saints. Another strong year for the organization! Drew Brees may be declining a bit, but hes still a very good QB. The offense as a whole is still very efficient and strong. Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara continue to be great. Not many bad things to say about this team. Its a shame they still haven't won a ring over these past 4-5 seasons. They've been so close! Soon it will be time to transition from Brees. Its up in the air at this point if he comes back at all. Strong future overall in New Orleans especially with a solid coach in Sean Payton, but there are some questions.
2. Atlanta Falcons
Real Finish: 7-9, 2nd in Division.
My Prediction: 11-5, 2nd in Division.
Another pretty disappointing year in Atlanta. Some teams certainly wouldn't mind a 7-9 record, but considering Atlanta's recent Super Bowl appearance and overall some good pieces on the roster many people cant help but be pretty confused as to what is going on in Atlanta. This team should be better to me. They need a legit running back. Off the top of my head I can't think of their running back. Probably not a good thing. Get a running back, and a better defense, and I really feel like this team could easily be a playoff team. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, a better running game and defense? That SHOULD work.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Real Finish: 7-9, Third in Division.
My Prediction: 2-14, Fourth in Division
I will give the Bucs some props, they finished with five more wins than I thought they would. But honestoy, otherwise I was not very impressed with their season overall. They had a so-so defense and sometimes Jameis played not so terribly but honestly, quarterback Jameis Winston needs to go. They should just stop the bleeding and move on. Five years is enough. I know there are a lot of Jameis fans that say he has got a lot of potential because of his crazy high passing yardage and his gunslinger type of skills, but the guy's decision making is TERRIBLE. Straight garbage. So many picks. Jameis is exciting because ya never know if his throw will be a TD or a pick. So for selfish reasons I wouldnt mind seeing a couple more crazy seasons out of Winston. But if you're a Bucs fan you should probably be screaming for another QB.
4. Carolina Panthers
Real Finish: 5-11, Fourth in Division.
My Prediction: 9-7, Third in Division.
Well I was pretty wrong about the 2019 Carolina Panthers. I definitely thought they would have a more competitive season. Instead this team went through a rollercoaster of a season. The most rollercoaster-ey five win season ever. They started 0-2 with Cam Newton, until it was revealed he was injured and he underwent season ending surgery. Hope was lost for the team then until unknown backup quarterback Kyle Allen came in and briefly provided some hope for the season. For a minute this season people actually thought Allen could be the future in Carolina. But, somewhat mysteriously, Allen started to really struggle. He got benched. The team at one point was 5-3. Their last win coming against my Titans. That would indeed be theor last win. This team is kind a mess/mystery goin into next year. QB question and a new rookie Head Coach they payed a bunch of money. I'm interested in seeing how it all plays out.
Well, that about sums up my post. I was pretty in accurate on this division. But I got the Saints right! Although that wasn't too hard to predict.
What are your thoughts as to how this division played out? How do you think these teams will do in the future?
I will have more season concluding posts in the near future.
Steem on everyone!
