The NFL season kicks off in less than two weeks, when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs raise their banner against the Houston Texans, who had the Chiefs on the ropes in the playoffs last year, only to see a 24-0 lead evaporate before halftime. Heading into 2020 both teams have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations once again, but they're far from the only ones.
On top of the usual NFL parity, the postseason now features the addition of a seventh team in each conference, meaning 14 of the league's 32 teams will make the playoffs. Out of that group, there are clear favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Here are the top five that are likeliest to do so:
5) Dallas Cowboys: There were a couple of teams who could fit here, and history has shown this could come back to haunt me, but here it is: the Cowboys have the talent to win the Super Bowl. Dak Prescott didn't sign a mega-extension, instead settling for the franchise tag, but at least he's still in Dallas and has a loaded offense around him. Ezekiel Elliott signed a six-year, $90-million extension last December to carry the load in the backfield. Amari Cooper and 2019 breakout Michael Gallup highlight a 1-2 receiver punch as good as any in the league, and they added to it with first-round pick CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma.
The money spent on the offense did come at a cost to the defense, as Byron Jones left in free agency, leaving a hole in the secondary. The linebackers (Jaylon Smith, Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch) are all very good, but health is always a question mark. Up front, can Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith stay out of trouble? Can DeMarcus Lawrence and newly acquired Eversen Griffen combine for 15 (or more) sacks? If health and potential both point in the right direction, it could lift Dallas over the top.
4) New Orleans Saints: Every year we collectively go "Is this it for the Saints?" and the answer, at least to this point, is "Not yet". Drew Brees reportedly flirted with retirement before ultimately signing a two-year deal in March, keeping him under contract through age 43. He missed five games a season ago, but that's the only meaningful time he's missed in 14 years with the organization, and he still nearly threw for 3,000 yards and led the league in completion percentage. Brees is still throwing to Michael Thomas (149 receptions, 1,729 yards in 2019) and Jared Cook, while the team added Emmanuel Sanders. Alvin Kamara's reported absence from camp due to his contractual situation is of concern, but you'd assume he won't miss any game time.
On the other side of the ball Marshon Lattimore is one of the league's best cornerbacks, although there are question marks at the position outside of the Pro Bowler. There are a bunch of players returning from injury within the front seven - can the likes of Kiko Alonso, Alex Anzalone, Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins stay healthy and return to form?
3) San Francisco 49ers: The fourth quarter of the Super Bowl will sting for a long time, and doesn't take away from the fact that the Niners are still the NFC favorites heading into 2020. More of the load will be placed on Jimmy Garoppolo's shoulders given the receiver situation - Emmanuel Sanders is gone, Deebo Samuel has a fractured foot, Jalen Hurd a torn ACL and rookie Brandon Aiyuk will be thrust into a big role - but George Kittle just signed an extension, the run game still has Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman and the line replaced one Pro Bowler (Joe Staley) with another (Trent Williams).
Defensively, Nick Bosa has the talent to win Defensive Player of the Year and although trading DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis hurts, that freed money helped keep Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward. The front seven might be the best in the league, and San Francisco can beat you in a variety of ways.
2) Baltimore Ravens: No team has done a better job of shaping the entire organization around their star's skillset, and Baltimore reaped the rewards in 2019. Lamar Jackson's eye-popping season (3,127 passing yards and a league-best 36 TDs, plus 1,206 yards and 7 TDs rushing) ended with unanimous MVP honors and a 14-2 record. While Jackson may not replicate those numbers in 2020, he's still the most dynamic player in the league and has the perfect pieces around him. The run game will take a hit with the retirement of future Hall of Fame guard Marshal Yanda, but it's still going to be one of the best in the league between Jackson, Mark Ingram and rookie J.K. Dobbins. The defense loses Earl Thomas, but is still a top-five unit in the league.
The only real question - which, frankly, might not be fair - is the postseason. Last year's stunning loss against the Titans exposed a few flaws. Until Jackson wins a playoff game, it's going to linger.
1) Kansas City Chiefs: It's hard to repeat, especially in today's game, when the salary cap means players performing well usually means some become too expensive to retain. The Chiefs, at least for 2020, are as setup as any champ in recent memory. Of their 22 starters from a year ago, 18 are back, including the new richest quarterback ever in Patrick Mahomes, who is a few weeks shy of his 25th birthday. With him under center and Andy Reid on the sideline, clearly no deficit appears too large to overcome (just ask the Texans...) Add in a weird offseason with limited practice time, and having a stable core, plus the best quarterback on the planet, means it's going to be awfully difficult to knock the Chiefs off the throne.
