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 I 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.
In this post I will be writing about the AFC East Division.
| Final AFC East Standings | Real Record | My Pre-Season Prediction (Predicted Div. Placement) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New England Patriots | 12-4 | 12-4 (1) |
| 2. Buffalo Bills | 10-6 | 5-11 (3) |
| 3. New York Jets | 7-9 | 9-7 (2) |
| 4. Miami Dolphins | 5-11 | 5-11 (4) |
1. New England Patriots
Real Finish: 12-4, Division Champs.
My Prediction: 12-4, Division Champs.
While it's not exactly very clever that I predicted the Patriots spot on, I still feel good about perfectly predicting their division placement and record. The Patriots did Patriots things in 2019-2020. Well, mostly, they did not get another Championship but they made the Playoffs and had another solid year as an organization. The Patriots have simply created an environment where it's almost disappointing to make the playoffs and get bounced out immediately. Sure it's disappointing to not win a Championship, but of all organizations, I think the Pats have earned a down season here or there.
If you're a Pats fan I believe you're in good hands wherever Tom Brady ends up in 2020. Bill Belichick is the GOAT of coaching.
2. Buffalo Bills
Real Finish: 10-6, Second in Division.
My Prediction: 5-11, Third in Division.
The Buffalo Bills were definitely a surprise to me this season. Their defense was way better than I thought. Quarterback Josh Allen improved and as a whole this break was very well coached. Big surprise. Good for the Bills!
Quarterback Josh Allen is a competent player. Good strong arm. Athletic, fast and has good size. Needs to improve his NFL level passing IQ, and I believe he will.
Overall though, I don't know how much better Allen can get than he is already. Not sure why I say that, it's just a gut feeling. Although I will say this, I believe he needs some more sizeable weapons to work with. If I remember correctly he has some pretty small receivers. While they're pretty good I think the Bills need some more of a mix when it comes to their pass catchers. Allen is an odd prospect. I struggle to put my finger on him. He has heart.
If the defense can remain as dominant as it has been in recent seasons and the Bills can continue to add pieces on offense, this team should compete well once again. Not a mind-blowingly good team. But a very good one at least.
3. New York Jets
Real Finish: 7-9, Third in Division.
My Prediction: 9-7, Second in Division.
By season's end it turns out I was somewhat accurate with my prediction of the New York Jets. While I thought they would improve a bit more, they did overall show improvement from a 4-12 record the previous year despite their starting quarterback missing the first four games with an illness and mini Le'Veon Bell drama.
Quarterback Sam Darnold played in thirteen games and actually was 7-6 as a starter. Decent. I like what I see from Darnold. If he can slightly improve in a couple of areas I can see him taking a big leap in year three. I can see him being the next great pocket passer in the NFL. He remind me of a Manning or a Brees. But we will see. He needs to play a full season and show continued improvement before I am fully sold on Darnold.
The Jets are a scrappy team I could see another 7-8 win season and then compete even better the following year. But this team doesn't exactly scream 'next big thing!' for me quite yet. I have no idea who their running back will be, or if Le'Veon Bell returns will he be motivated? I also am not sold on their coach Adam Gase. I have more questions than answers, but there is some potential in NYJ.
4. Miami Dolphins
Real Finish: 5-11, Last place in Division.
My Prediction: 5-11, Last in Division.
Ding ding ding, I got another one. Feels pretty nice to get another right on record. Even if it's a crappy team. Gotta take the mini wins in life sometimes LOL.
The Dolphins looked terrible to start the season. They were accused of tanking. Players were mad. Fans were depressed and mad. But by the end of the year they looked actually not too bad. It's a pretty good compliment too since they were playing with a bunch of no names.
They seem to have a quality coach in my opinion in Brian Flores. They have options at QB or they can draft one. They will have the number five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
If I am a Dolphins fan I would feel cautiously optimistic and intrigued by the next era in Miami. It will take work but there's some good ingredients in Miami. It's really just a wait and see thing in my opinion though. Its still a long way till September. Let's see who they draft and my opinion could be more solid when it comes to this team's future.
So that wraps up my thoughts on the 2019-2020 NFL season for the AFC East Division. How do you think I did? Did teams perform as you expected? What do you think of the future of this division?
Steem on everyone.
