NFL 2020 PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS PART 1

BY ADAM GREENE

They’re arbitrary. They’re objectively meaningless, but they’re a fun way to gauge out how teams stack up on a week-to-week basis. As NFL teams plan to open their training camps and hold what will surely be a very weird and historic season amid the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the rest of us have to do our part. Even if it’s just numbering teams in order of awesomeness.

A little preface before we get to the rankings. This is based on each team’s current roster and coaching staffs, but also on their performances last season. Those have to be factored in. So while I might have picked a team to finish higher or lower in my previews, the Power Rankings have nothing to do with that.

As always, as the season progresses, teams will move up and down based on the actual results on the field, or what I like to refer to as “the scientific part of the process.”

So let’s do some rankings.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (last season: 12-4, Super Bowl Champion, AFC Champion)

The Chiefs open the season the same place they closed it last year. I’m a firm believer in Ric Flair’s old adage, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” Kansas City lost nothing significant from the roster that hoisted the Super Bowl Trophy last season and, if anything, cleared up any confusion by signing their two best players to long term contracts and getting all those possible distractions out of the way. They are far and away the favorites to win the AFC as well as Super Bowl LV for a reason. In video game terms, the Chiefs are the NFL’s 2020-21 Final Boss.

2. San Francisco 49ers (last season, 13-3, NFC Champion)

While I don’t think they’ll stay near the top of these rankings once October hits, it would be unfair to put them anywhere else. Sure, they blew a double-digit lead to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but so did every other team in the postseason. The free agency hits the 49ers took they should be able to weather. It’s the injury to Deebo Samuel and the discontent of their Super Bowl run running back Raheem Mostert that might be the problem. Along with head coach Kyle Shanahan’s inability to trust quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo when it counts.

3. Houston Texans (last season: 10-6)

Here’s where I do my first bit of editorializing in the list. The Texans too will not remain here as the season progresses, but this ranking is a reflection of the talent still on this roster (in spite of Bill O’Brien’s best efforts) and specifically Deshaun Watson, who I believe is the third best quarterback in the NFL.

4. Seattle Seahawks (last season: 11-5)

Who do I rank above Watson? Well, funny you should ask. No. 1 is obviously Patrick Mahomes and no one can put forth a realistic argument against it. That No. 2 guy, he quarterbacks the No. 4 team, Russell Wilson. The Seahawks will go as far as Wilson can take them and, like the Texans, that’s pretty far. And on the right day and in the right conditions, it could be to another Super Bowl Championship.

To be continued in Part 2

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