Are the Kansas City Chiefs locks to win the AFC in 2020 after winning the first Super Bowl title of the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era last season? Can reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens get past their playoff hiccup to win the conference after recording a league-high 14 victories last season? Could Derrick Henry overpower opposing defense enough to lead Tennessee to the Promised Land or will all three teams get beat out by someone else in their quest to reach Super Bowl 55? Let’s find out right now, which five AFC teams could really’ win the Super Bowl this coming campaign so you can bet on their odds to win the Super Bowl LV.
NFL Betting Predictions – Forget the Odds…Which AFC Teams Can Really Win a Super Bowl in 2020?
No. 1 Kansas City (12-4)
The Chiefs went 12-4 last season while finishing fifth in scoring (28.2 ppg) and seventh in points allowed (19.3 ppg). More importantly, Kansas City is back, almost fully intact from last season. The Chiefs added LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the final pick in the first round of the NFL draft while addressing their offensive line needs by selecting TCU tackle Lucas Niang in the third round and signing veteran tackle Mike Remmers in free agency. The bottom line for Kansas City heading into 2020 is that, as long as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are joined at the hip, the Chiefs will be one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the league.
No. 2 Baltimore (14-2)
The Ravens might have gotten upset in their AFC divisional showdown against Tennessee a year ago, but this is still a team with as bright a future as any team in the entire NFL after finishing the 2019 campaign ranked first in scoring (33.2 ppg) and third in points allowed (17.6 ppg). Quarterback Lamar Jackson won the league’s MVP award after unleashing a campaign for the ages, but the former Louisville star still has plenty of room to grow moving forward. Baltimore got one of the steals of the draft by adding Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins in the second round while adding Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay and Mississippi tackle Tyre Phillips, both, in the third round. On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens put their franchise tag on veteran linebacker Matthew Judon while selecting LSU linebacker Patrick Queen with the 28th overall pick in the draft and backing that up by adding Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison, both in the third round. I know it’s a scary thought, but Baltimore could be even better in 2020 than they were a year ago.
No. 3 Tennessee (9-7)
The Titans are coming off a solid 9-7 season that saw them reach the playoffs and upset the 14-win Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee finished the 2019 campaign ranked 10th in scoring (25.1 ppg) and 12th in points allowed (20.7 ppg). More importantly, the Titans got a big upgrade at the quarterback after replacing former starter Marcus Mariota with veteran Ryan Tannehill. Then, there’s the fact that Tennessee has arguably the best running back in the league in powerful superstar Derick Henry (1,986 yards, 18 TD’s).
The Titans added veteran edge rusher Vic Beasley in free agency to help improve their 24th ranked pass defense from a year ago while adding a pair of rookies that could start right away in Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson and LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton. I thought Tennessee could upgrade their wide receiver position a bit more, but still, I believe the Titans are contenders in 2019, even if they aren’t one of my top two picks to win the AFC conference crown.
No. 4 New England (12-4)
The Patriots won a dozen games last season, but they will clearly be a team in transition after parting ways with the legendary Tom Brady. The good news is that New England went out and signed a former league MVP that has a huge chip on his shoulders in former Panthers star Cam Newton. New England had a modest draft on the offensive side of the ball by selecting Alabama tackle Anfernee Jennings, UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi and Virginia Teach tight end Dalton Keene, all in the third round. On the defensive side of the ball, Belichick also drafted D-II safety Kyle Dugger and Michigan defensive end Josh Uche, both, in the second round. The Pats were phenomenal on defense last season in allowing a league-low 14.1 points per game. If they can score the ball efficiently in 2020, the perennially-powerful Pats could very well challenge for the conference crown at the very least.
No. 5 Pittsburgh (8-8)
I know Pittsburgh went a modest 8-8 last season, but I genuinely believe that head coach Mike Tomlin could and possibly should have won Coach of the Year honors for his stupendous leadership in a season that saw franchise signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger miss the entire 2019 campaign. The Steelers finished 27th in scoring (18.1 ppg), but a fantastic fifth in points allowed (18.9 ppg).
Pittsburgh signed veteran guard Stefen Wisniewski, tight end Eric Ebron, fullback Derek Watt and tackle Zach Banner in free agency while selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool in the second round, Maryland running back Anthony McFarland Jr. in the fourth round and Louisiana guard Kevin Dotson in the sixth round. However, for me, the return of Roethlisberger means that Pittsburgh could easily reach double digit victories in 2020 while contending for the conference crown, even if no one is really mentioning the Steelers as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
