What every NFL team should be thankful for in 2020

The Cardinals had the guts to take a quarterback in the first round for the second consecutive year when they selected Murray first overall in 2019, and he's paid major dividends. He's a legitimate MVP candidate in his second season, leading Arizona to a 6-4 start with 19 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns. The future is extremely bright for Murray and the Cardinals.

It's been another disappointing year for the Falcons, but at least the team's offense still gives the team a chance in every game. Atlanta's offense ranks in the top 10 in yards for the seventh consecutive season, led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Now fans just have to hope owner Arthur Blank makes the right hires in the front office and coaching staff this offseason.

Jackson's performance this year has been a disappointment, but that's partly because he set the standard so high last season. The reigning MVP is still a frequent problem for defenses due to his legs, even though his success as a passer has been more sporadic. Jackson is likely to get paid after this season, but the team has a bright future with him running the offense.

The Bills failed to make the playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons before McDermott took over in 2017. He immediately led the team to the playoffs, and they returned last year. Not only are the Bills in line to make the playoffs this season, but they could be true contenders at 7-3. McDermott's defense has regressed severely in his fourth season, but the organization has finally found some consistency under his watch.

Panthers owner David Tepper handpicked Rhule, who was able to turn around college programs at Temple and Baylor. The Panthers remain a work in progress with a 3-7 start, but they've exceeded many of the expectations after so much turnover on both sides of the ball with a forward-thinking head coach.

Mack has been the star of the Bears since he was acquired in 2018, and Chicago's defense has remained elite in recent seasons. While the offense has been anemic again this year, Mack and company have kept Chicago in games. For his efforts, Mack has been terrific with 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception in 10 games.

The first overall pick in the draft, Burrow has been what the Bengals hoped so far. Despite playing behind a bad offensive line, Burrow completed more than 65 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns in his first nine games before a season-ending knee injury in Week 11. Bengals fans have reason for hope.

The Browns organization was a circus again last year as the inexperienced Freddie Kitchens led the team to another losing season. Stefanski's hiring finally have the team on the right track, leading a very talented squad to a 6-3 start. Even as third-year quarterback Baker Mayfield hasn't met expectations, the Browns could be headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Next season couldn't come soon enough for the injury-ravaged Cowboys. The team has lost Dak Prescott and nearly their entire offensive line, among others, and Mike McCarthy's first year as head coach has been a nightmare. Dallas had extremely high expectations coming into the year on a team loaded with talent, but there's always next year.

Denver is having another disappointing season, and the jury is still out on quarterback Drew Lock. The team has discovered a strength with their receivers, however. Courtland Sutton had a breakout 2019 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury early this year. Rookies Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler have stepped up in his place, along with Tim Patrick and tight end Noah Fant. No matter who starts under center next year, it will be a good situation for the quarterback.

Golladay has been injured lately, but he looked great out of the gate again with 20 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns in five games. He emerged as an elite wide receiver resembling former Lion Calvin Johnson last year with 65 catches for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns. Golladay gives Detroit fans reason to watch when he's healthy.

It was somewhat predictable, and it seems that the drafting of first-round pick Jordan Love lit a fire under Rodgers. Soon to be age 37, he's having one of his best seasons and doing it all despite multiple injuries to his prime weapons. Packers fans have had almost unmatched levels of good fortune between almost 30 season of Brett Favre and Rodgers.

Houston collapsed early this season with a difficult schedule and some questionable moves by the now jobless Bill O'Brien. Fortunately, Watson is still going strong as one of the league's premier quarterbacks, leading an offense that lost DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason. Texans fans can take solace in the thought that better days are ahead with Watson.

Before famously turning his back on the Colts, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hired Eberflus to his defensive coordinator. Frank Reich decided to retain Eberflus, and that decision has paid dividends for the Colts. Indy's defense allowed the 10th fewest points in the NFL in 2018, and after some regression last season, they rank fourth this season through 10 weeks. It's becoming more rare these days for defensive coordinators to be considered for head coaching jobs, but Eberflus is deserving.

The Jaguars curiously released former first-round pick Leonard Fournette just before the start of the season, but they seem validated in that decision based on Robinson's rookie performance. The undrafted rookie is a top Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate with 917 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns in nine games.

Chiefs fans have so much to be thankful for after their first Super Bowl in 50 years, and Mahomes leads the way. The superstar quarterback won MVP in his first year as a starter in 2018, won Super Bowl MVP last year, and is a top candidate to win league MVP again this year with his team also favored to win the Super Bowl. Having offensive mastermind Andy Reid and star receivers Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce doesn't hurt, either.

The Raiders patience with Carr is paying off this year. The quarterback has his team on a 6-3 start, with 16/2 TD/INT over that time. He's clearly on pace for a career year.

The Chargers drafting of Herbert sixth overall received some criticism due in part to his so-so stats at Oregon, but his performance couldn't be much better so far. Since stepping in during Week 2, Herbert has 2,333 yards and 19/6 TD/INT in his first eight starts. Chargers fans have seen more close game torture this season, but Herbert gives them reason to smile about the future.

McVay made the Rams instantly competitive when he was hired at age 31 in 2017, and the team hasn't stopped winning. LA did regress last season after representing the NFC in Super Bowl in 2018, but they seem back on track in 2020 despite big personnel changes.

It's becoming more clear that the Dolphins made a good decision in hiring Flores last year. The team was able to win five games in his first season, a year in which the team tanked, and are already in playoff contention after an aggressive offseason. Defense is Flores' counting card after coaching that side of the ball with New England, and Miami's defense has been very good in 2020.

Durability has been an issue for Cook during his career, but he's resembled former Vikings star Adrian Peterson when healthy. After gaining more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns last season, Cook leads the NFL with 1,143 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns through Week 10. He's helped make a tough start tolerable for the Vikes.

The Patriots are facing tall odds of a playoff berth, and it would be just the third time in the Belichick-Patriots era and first time since 2008 that the team wouldn't be playing in the tournament. That speaks to New England's dominance under Belichick, including his six Super Bowl wins and nine appearances. Despite the down year, Patriots fans should feel indebted to Belichick.

Rib injuries and a collapsed lung are sidelining Brees currently, but the Saints were atop the NFC South standings again through 10 weeks. There have been some ups and downs since Brees joined Payton in New Orleans back in 2006, but the team has made the playoffs eight times with one Super Bowl victory in that time. After Brees returns, the duo has a shot at another championship.

It's been another disastrous season for the Giants, and yet they aren't out of contention in the NFC East. In fact, they were in second place at 3-7 through 10 weeks, just trailing the 3-5-1 Eagles. That's despite a new head coach, injured star running back, poor offensive line play, and controversy in their coaching staff over the last week that resulted in the firing of offensive line coach Marc Colombo. Thanks to the terrible division, games in December could still count for something.

The Jets could be looking at a winless season, and it's become only a matter of time before they move on from head coach Adam Gase and former first-round pick Sam Darnold. Fortunately, the team is loaded with draft picks for 2021 in what should be a rebuild, including the potential first overall draft choice and Seattle's first and third-round picks. Thank goodness for next year.

Philadelphia could hardly have more injuries in terms of quality and quantity than they do this season, and yet the team finds itself in first place again through 10 weeks. The play of Carson Wentz has been poor with a banged up supporting cast, and Pederson has also been under fire. Despite all the issues, Pederson is well on track for his fourth consecutive playoff appearance as head coach of the Eagles, and has added stability after the brutal Chip Kelly era.

Sometimes you don't know what you have until its gone. Pittsburgh found that out last year when Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2, and the offense couldn't move the ball for the rest of the season. Now with Big Ben back, the team is 9-0 through 10 weeks and a legitimate Super Bowl contender again. At age 38, it remains to be seen how much longer Roethlisberger has playing at this level, but Steelers fans can enjoy it now.

The 49ers just fell short in last year's Super Bowl, and their prospects of returning this season look bleak due to injuries and COVID-19 issues. Still, the organization looks strong beyond this year with Shanahan at the helm. He orchestrated the franchise turnaround last year, and continues to architect one of the most creative offenses in the league.

Wilson rarely gets the respect he deserves outside of Seattle, though that could change this season as a top MVP candidate. He's led an offense that has thrown more often this season and is among the league leaders in every major passing stat.

The hype went through the roof when the Bucs were able to land Brady in the offseason, and he's matched the hype. With the help of a strong supporting cast, Brady led the team to a 7-3 start with big passing numbers. The prospect of the playoffs with Brady under center is exciting for Tampa Bay.

The Titans have grown a hard-nosed reputation since Vrabel was hired in 2018, and they went on a strong playoff run as a No. 6 seed last year. The organization has had major hiccups this year, overcoming a COVID-19 outbreak to begin the year 6-3. Like last year, the team has the potential to get on a run with their seemingly magical ability to win close games.

Rivera knew he was taking on a rebuild when Washington hired him, but the COVID-19 pandemic and his own cancer scare have added even bigger challenges. Through it all, Rivera has shown guts and leadership, benching 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins, and now getting good play out of Alex Smith under center. Washington hopes its finally found the right head coach after so many changes under owner Daniel Snyder, and the early decisions have shown a level of independence not present under previous Snyder hires.