The best and worst outcomes for every NFL team in 2020

Best outcome: DeAndre Hopkins aids Kyler Murray to the breakout season his fantasy managers expect, and the Cardinals slither into the playoffs. Arizona's defense does not allow for a 2017 Eagles- or 2019 49ers-esque rise, but the team finds its footing again after years out of the spotlight.

Worst outcome: The offensive line that allowed Murray to be sacked an NFL-most 48 times last season -- a unit that may have only one outside hire, third-round pick Josh Jones, added to the first-string mix -- restricts Arizona's flashy offense. GM Steve Keim may not be around to make another high draft pick in this reality.

Record prediction: 6-10

Best outcome:  Matt Ryan stays healthy, and the Julio Jones-Calvin Ridley tandem -- with some solid, not spectacular Todd Gurley contributions -- carries the former MVP back to the Pro Bowl. Raheem Morris' defense does just enough to elevate the team to a winning season.

Worst outcome: The Falcons do not hesitate to fire Dan Quinn in-season this time, with the former defensive coordinator's unit -- below average in DVOA in each of Quinn's five prior seasons -- failing Ryan and Co. again. An aging Falcon nucleus moves closer to being known only for the Super Bowl LI collapse.

Record prediction: 8-8

Best outcome: The Ravens take advantage of the NFL's easiest schedule and use their cutting-edge offense to hoist a third Super Bowl title. J.K. Dobbins takes pressure off Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram, giving this Raven run game another boost and ensuring it will be remembered as one of the NFL's all-time ground attacks.

Worst outcome: Defensive coordinators, as they did for RG3's Washington team and the Colin Kaepernick offense, figure out a way to limit Jackson. And the Ravens, missing future Hall of Fame guard Marshal Yanda's presence, make the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Record prediction: 13-3

Best outcome:  Stefon Diggs' presence helps Josh Allen take enough of a leap that he does not wreck the car the Bills' defense is driving. The Bills win their first AFC East title since 1995 and pull an upset in the AFC title game -- on an essentially neutral field, thanks to league-wide limited capacities -- to reach Super Bowl LV.

Worst outcome: The shortened offseason limits Diggs' impact and Allen's ascent, lowering the ceiling in a crucial year for the franchise. They of the No. 23 scoring offense last season, the Bills lose out on the AFC East crown to the Patriots and are again a playoff one-and-done. 

Record prediction: 11-5

Best outcome:  No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown dominates, but the Panthers are too inexperienced after their litany of offseason personnel losses that they land a top-two draft pick. Matt Rhule's lengthy rebuild begins in earnest next year, when Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields heads to Carolina.

Worst outcome: The Panthers' ex-college coordinators struggle, and Teddy Bridgewater's risk-averse style inspires few. But the veteran helps the defense-deficient team improve to the point it fails to land a pick that will net any of the top three QBs in next year's draft. 

Record prediction: 4-12

Best outcome: In a better situation than he was in Jacksonville or St. Louis, Nick Foles wins the Bears' QB job and gives the Chicago defense a path back to relevance. Slot receiver Anthony Miller puts it together over a full season, and the Bears win the NFC North in a down year for the division.

Worst outcome:  The book closes on non-Eagles Foles as a starter. He and Mitchell Trubisky take turns steering a ship with a bad O-line, squandering a key year for the Bears' defense. Khalil Mack exits his 20s without a playoff win, and the Bears hold a middle-class draft slot in desperate need of a long-term quarterback. 

Record prediction: 8-8

Best outcome: Zac Taylor looks like a viable coach after Joe Burrow runs away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. A.J. Green stays healthy, buoying Cincinnati's young quarterback like he did Andy Dalton nine years ago, and an ascending but still-sub-.500 Bengals team enters 2021 with much higher expectations.

Worst outcome: It turns out hiring the Rams' quarterbacks coach was a bad idea. Taylor again has a team with numerous vested veterans finish near the NFL's basement, with Cincinnati's understaffed O-line making Burrow development difficult. 

Record prediction: 5-11

Best outcome:  Kevin Stefanski harnesses the Browns' passing attack, and his play-action-heavy game -- centering around 2020 rushing champion Nick Chubb and overqualified sidekick Kareem Hunt -- re-establishes Baker Mayfield as an ascending passer. The Browns make the playoffs as a wild-card team.  

Worst outcome: Mayfield exits 2020 on the hot seat, with defenses again flummoxing the former No. 1 overall pick. The third-year QB's issues with play-action continue, and Stefanski (barely one season of play-calling experience) barely eclipses Freddie Kitchens' work. 

Record prediction: 9-7

Best outcome: CeeDee Lamb further ignites the Cowboys' offense, and Mike McCarthy proves an upgrade over Jason Garrett in an NFC East championship season. Dallas effectively replaces Byron Jones, gets by without retired center Travis Frederick and reaches the Super Bowl for the first time in 25 years.

Worst outcome: Dak Prescott's second-half showing in 2019 is telling, with the high-profile quarterback falling to lead the Cowboys past the Eagles for the division crown. Dallas' secondary cannot hold off the superior passing attacks on the schedule, but this high-floor team still finishes 9-7. 

Record prediction: 11-5

Best outcome: One of the league's highest-variance teams finally exits quarterback purgatory; new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Drew Lock click by midseason. Jerry Jeudy submits the best rookie receiving season in team history, and Bradley Chubb's return catalyzes Denver's pass rush en route to a wild-card spot.

Worst outcome: The Broncos' failure to solidify their cornerback spot weakens Lock's safety net -- Vic Fangio's defense. The second-year QB cannot overcome a shortened offseason with a new OC and two rookie receivers. Denver's tough schedule ends with a last-place AFC West finish and questions (again) at quarterback.

Record prediction: 7-9

Best outcome:  In a second season under OC Darrell Bevell, Matthew Stafford picks up his QBR6 form from last year. Detroit finally finds a true ground threat in D'Andre Swift, and the Cory Undlin defensive coordinator hire pays off. A league-average defense is enough for Stafford and Co. to sneak into the playoffs.

Worst outcome:  Matt Patricia shows he is not cut out to be a head coach, becoming the latest Bill Belichick disciple to fail away from his iconic ex-boss. After back-to-back 28th-place defensive DVOA finishes, another insufficient pass rush dooms the Lions. Patricia and GM Bob Quinn receive pink slips.

Record prediction: 8-8

Best outcome: After a midseason trade for Kenny Stills, the Packers resemble a more complete lineup and book another home playoff game. Mike Pettine's defense lives up to the sum of its parts, and Green Bay exits 2020 again a piece or two away from a Super Bowl -- albeit as the Rodgers era winds down.

Worst outcome: A third playoff absence in four years. Matt LaFleur's team takes a big step back after a puzzling offseason. Green Bay's 2019 plus-63 point differential showed cracks, despite a 13-3 record, and the team pays for a draft that supplied little immediate help. 

Record prediction: 10-6

Best outcome: Bill O'Brien's middle finger goes up at the NFL establishment. Deshaun Watson uses David Johnson and the Texans' rare all-veteran wide receiver setup -- Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills -- to drag the maligned team to another AFC South title and its customary 4:30 p.m. Saturday wild-card game. 

Worst outcome: Everyone else was right about O'Brien's trades, and the Texans czar loses both his head-coaching and GM jobs at season's end. The Texans are forced to start over after another bad defensive season and with J.J. Watt nearing 32.

Record prediction: 6-10

Best outcome:  Behind the NFL's best offensive line, the Colts' Marlon Mack-Jonathan Taylor attack takes pressure off effective 39-year-old game manager Philip Rivers. The Colts' front dominates, giving Rivers a case for his second Comeback Player of the Year honor not involving injury. The Colts win the AFC South and a playoff game.

Worst outcome: Rivers is indeed finished, holding a balanced Colts roster back. With Jacoby Brissett and Jacob Eason not viable starters, the Colts -- who will almost certainly not be a bad team even in this scenario -- must get creative without a top-level draft slot.

Record prediction: 11-5

Best outcome:  The Jaguars' tank goes perfectly, but first-round picks C.J. Henderson and K'Lavon Chaisson become promising starters. Gardner Minshew crashes back to earth; he and Mike Glennon pilot the Jags to the No. 1 overall pick and Trevor Lawrence.

Worst outcome: Coming off a 21-6 TD-INT ratio, Minshew Mania strikes again. GM Dave Caldwell's gutting of the roster keeps the Jaguars well out of contention, but the popular quarterback finds a way to steal multiple games -- as he did in Denver and Oakland last year -- and leave Lawrence and Justin Fields out of reach.

Record prediction: 3-13

Best outcome: Not just a Super Bowl championship, but the undisputed best team in Chiefs history. Kansas City becomes the first franchise in 16 years to repeat, with Patrick Mahomes using his historically potent offensive setup to recapture the MVP award. 

Worst outcome: The concept of a playoff bubble gains steam, taking away one of the NFL's premier home-field advantages as the Chiefs secure the No. 2 seed. Issues on defense resurface, thanks to an undermanned cornerback corps, and Andy Reid's pre-2020 playoff luck leads to a Round 2 upset. 

Record prediction: 13-3

Best outcome: The Raiders' top-tier offensive line lifts Josh Jacobs to a second-place rushing finish, with the ground game and a better-stocked aerial arsenal propelling Derek Carr to a second straight top-10 QBR ranking. Las Vegas finishes second in the AFC West and makes the playoffs.

Worst outcome:  Relying on rookie wideouts Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards amid the pandemic costs the Raiders, who again cannot solve their primary issue. Las Vegas' defense records an 18th straight bottom-half finish, giving Carr (and, for a few games, Marcus Mariota) too much work to do.

Record prediction: 7-9

Best outcome:  Defying expectations, Tyrod Taylor rediscovers the form that helped snap the Bills' 17-year playoff drought. The 31-year-old passer takes advantage of a strong roster, while Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram compensate for Derwin James' absence on the way to the AFC's No. 7 seed.

Worst outcome: Green-lighting a quarterback transition  in the worst possible year, the Chargers run into predictable issues that sink what studio analysts will call the most talented 5-11 team ever. Taylor looks like his Cleveland version, while first-rounder Justin Herbert plays only after the team falls out of contention late.

Record prediction: 6-10

Best outcome: Sean McVay's pandemic-season management vaults the Rams to the NFC West title and a postseason win. Jared Goff bounces back in a run-heavier offense, while Aaron Donald follows J.J. Watt and wins his third Defensive Player of the Year award in four years.

Worst outcome:  A team tagged with $36 million in dead money realizes its monster Goff contract was a mistake. Los Angeles' O-line again struggles to protect the franchise centerpiece in a sub-.500 season, while Wade Phillips' successor -- first-year defensive coordinator Brandon Staley -- oversees a noticeably worse unit.

Record prediction: 9-7

Best outcome:  The quarterback the team eyed for over a year debuts, does not suffer an injury and shows the form that allowed him to exit the college ranks a historically efficient passer. The Dolphins' upgraded offensive line protects Tua Tagovailoa down the stretch, and the team nearly reaches .500 ahead of a 2021 season when playoffs are expected.

Worst outcome: The middling Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras O-line signings, and developmental left tackle Austin Jackson learning on the job, do not cut it and Tagovailoa suffers another injury. 

Record prediction: 6-10

Best outcome: Taking advantage of a down NFC North, the Vikings secure a home playoff game. Dalvin Cook glides to an All-Pro season, raising his value in a contract year. The Danielle Hunter-Yannick Ngakoue edge-rushing duo allows the Vikings to overcome their cornerback losses and gives the team a sixth straight top-10 defensive finish.

Worst outcome: Relying on rookies at wide receiver and corner burns the Vikings, who take a somewhat expected step back. Minnesota misses the playoffs but must still retool around Kirk Cousins and his guaranteed salary in 2021.

Record prediction: 8-8

Best outcome:  Cam Newton leaves behind his injury issues, guiding fantasy teams to championships and the Patriots to a 12th straight AFC East title and Round 2 of the playoffs. Newton moves into position to sign a long-term Pats extension, changing the complexion of the division.

Worst outcome:  A quarterback that has not submitted a good season since 2015 cannot help the worst Patriots roster in over a decade back to the playoffs. Newton goes down, leaving the Pats with several Jarrett Stidham starts -- which prove too much to navigate for a team that saw key players opt out.

Record prediction: 8-8

Best outcome:  The combination of a Hall of Fame quarterback, a Hall of Fame coach and a stacked roster give the Saints enough ammo to survive a deep NFC and win their second Super Bowl. Emmanuel Sanders provides a major boost to the long-WR2-needy Saints, who exorcise their playoff demons of the 2010s.

Worst outcome: The "Tompa Bay" hype turns out to be legit, while Drew Brees' decline ahead of his 42nd birthday becomes noticeable. It is nearly impossible to envision New Orleans missing the playoffs, but the Bucs forcing the Saints to play three outdoor games to reach February football proves too much.

Record prediction: 13-3

Best outcome:  Elevated by a promising skill-position quintet, Daniel Jones builds on the successes of his rookie year (and curtails his fumbling problem) to make the Giants a must-watch team with a brighter-than-expected future. In this reality, however, Big Blue still deploys an atrocious defense. 

Worst outcome: A confusing defensive roster blueprint, depleted further by DeAndre Baker's legal trouble, results in the Giants threatening a 54-year-old franchise record for most points allowed in a season (501). Tasked with developing a new system without a true offseason, Jones takes a step back.

Record prediction: 4-12

Best outcome:  The bevy of offensive line investments pays off, and the Jets see consistency from Sam Darnold. The third-year quarterback impresses despite a low-end skill-position group, giving the sub.-500 Jets more optimism about their current plan.

Worst outcome:  Adam Gase's string of post-Peyton Manning struggles continues, with Darnold constantly under pressure due to a lack of reliable targets. A defense that lost its top two players -- Jamal Adams and C.J. Mosley -- is unable to impede passing games, and Joe Douglas is faced with a January decision to fire Gase -- who helped him land the GM gig.

Record prediction: 4-12

Best outcome:  Carson Wentz, who carried a 27-7 TD-INT ratio into the playoffs despite an all-time-depleted receiving corps, finally recaptures his MVP form. The Eagles' receiving corps is collectively back by October, and Darius Slay enhances their defensive capabilities. Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks again surmounts an Achilles tear, returning in December for a Super Bowl-bound Philly squad.

Worst outcome:  The injuries to Brooks, left tackle Andre Dillard and Philly's receivers leave too much work for Wentz and Zach Ertz. The Eagles go .500 and miss the seven-team playoff bracket, leaving an aging Super Bowl LII nucleus at a crossroads.

Record prediction: 10-6

Best outcome:  The NFL's 2020 variance kingpins receive a full season of Ben Roethlisberger, lean on a healthy James Conner and validate their 2019 defensive resurgence. The Steelers win the AFC North and upset the Chiefs -- who lack a true home-field advantage amid the pandemic -- en route to a stunning Super Bowl run. 

Worst outcome: A 38-year-old, injury-prone quarterback who looked shaky in the Steelers' post-Antonio Brown quarters last season cannot overcome his elbow malady. Pittsburgh pays for not investing in a competent QB2, misses the playoffs and is caught between eras -- carrying a strong defense but needing a Big Ben successor.

Record prediction: 10-6

Best outcome:  Nick Bosa wins Defensive Player of the Year after a 19-sack season, and Richard Sherman delivers a final elite campaign at age 32 to give the 49ers the NFL's No. 1 defense. This protects Jimmy Garoppolo, who progresses in Year 4 under Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers finish what they could not last season by winning a sixth Super Bowl. 

Worst outcome:  Deebo Samuel cannot overcome his foot fracture, and Trent Williams' injury history resurfaces to limit San Francisco's offense. While the 49ers' defense powers them to a wild-card berth, they miss DeForest Buckner's presence throughout and lose in Round 1.

Record prediction: 11-5

Best outcome:  The Jamal Adams and Quinton Dunbar additions help cover up Seattle's edge-rushing deficiency, and D.K. Metcalf threatens Steve Largent's 35-year-old single-season receiving record (1,287 yards). The Seahawks again overcome a seemingly overmatched offensive line and advance to the NFC title game after a 19-15 Round 2 win.

Worst outcome: Failure to devote sufficient resources toward their offensive and defensive lines burns the Seahawks, who narrowly miss the playoffs despite a typically reliable Russell Wilson season. 

Record prediction: 10-6

Best outcome:  The best set of weapons Tom Brady has enjoyed since maybe 2007 opens the door for the 43-year-old legend to bounce back from an apparent decline, and Brady's efficiency benefits a Bucs defense coming off a fifth-place DVOA season. The Bucs become the first team to win the Super Bowl on their home field.

Worst outcome:  It turns out asking a 21st-year passer and an unretired WWE performer to spearhead a revival in a pandemic-reshaped offseason was too much. Brady and Rob Gronkowski cannot recapture their Patriots form, and the Bucs narrowly miss the playoffs.

Record prediction: 10-6

Best outcome:  Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith engineers a Ryan Tannehill encore and a star-making A.J. Brown season en route to a 2021 head-coaching job. The Titans' pass defense improves thanks to key additions/injury recoveries, and the team returns to the AFC championship game. 

Worst outcome:  Performance- and injury-related setbacks befall Tannehill, whose knee cannot hold up during a season in which his performance also regresses. Tennessee misses defensive coordinator Dean Pees and right tackle Jack Conklin and then misses the playoffs. 

Record prediction: 9-7 (again!)

Best outcome:  Ron Rivera helps clean up the mess of the past decade, and Washington's defensive line creates weekly havoc. Chase Young runs away with Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim, and former Ohio State teammate Dwayne Haskins shows enough glimpses -- despite perhaps the league's worst skill group -- to book another year as a starter. 

Worst outcome: Washington's failure to provide Haskins enough at all three skill spots translates to another horrid year for the former first-round pick. But Washington's defensive line plays well enough it lifts the team out of the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.

Record prediction: 3-13