Just one game left now that the 2020 Pro Bowl is a wrap: Super Bowl LIV. At last, I will take a look back at all 32 NFL teams from this past season now that we have the winners of the AFC and NFC.
NE – The Patriots had the best pass defense in the NFL, allowing a passer rating of 62.8. That was the best mark in the NFL since the 2009 season. The Patriots will need to upgrade their offensive line after a Wild Card loss.
BUF – The Bills had the third-best pass defense in the NFL this past season, with CB Tre’Davious White leading the NFL with six INTs. The Bills also should upgrade the offensive line after allowing three sacks in a Wild Card loss.
NYJ – The Jets had the second-worst run offense in the league. RB Le’Veon Bell averaged only 3.2 yards per rush, and none of his 245 attempts gained at least 20 yards.
MIA – No team had fewer rushing yards in 2019 than the Dolphins. RB Kalen Ballage led the team with only 74 rushing attempts, and he somehow averaged only 1.8 yards per rush, with none of his attempts gaining more than eight yards.
BAL – Baltimore led the league in rushing yards per attempt, highlighted by RB Mark Ingram rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 10 rushing TDs while QB Lamar Jackson had a record-setting 1,206 rushing yards. The Ravens need to upgrade the pass rush after the front seven failed to get a sack in the Divisional.
PIT – QB Ben Roethlisberger (66.0 passer rating) was injured in Week 2, forcing Pittsburgh to start inadequate backup QBs Mason Rudolph (82.0 passer rating) and Devlin Hodges (71.4 passer rating). The Steelers had the second-worst pass offense in the NFL.
CLE – The Browns had the 3rd-worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 5.0 yards per rush. Cleveland replaced head coach Freddie Kitchens with Minnesota offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski.
CIN – This season saw the Bengals bench QB Andy Dalton to no avail (QB Ryan Finley wasn’t ready) while WR AJ Green never played. Cincinnati had the 3rd-worst passer rating in the NFL.
HOU – The Texans got a career year from RB Carlos Hyde (1,070 rushing yards, 4.4 average) that was bolstered by the rushing of QB Deshaun Watson (413 rushing yards, team-leading 7 TDs, 5.0 average). The pass rush was great in the Wild Card, but like most of the regular season when the Texans had a bottom-five sack rate, the pass rush was missing in the Divisional.
TEN – Tennessee had the leading rusher in RB Derrick Henry, the engine behind the league’s second-best run offense by average yards per attempt. Tennessee won up front in the Wild Card, capped by CB Logan Ryan’s pick-six. In the Divisional, Tennessee’s offensive line dominated, belying their poor regular season pass protection. But Tennessee’s pass defense failed them in the AFC Championship.
IND – The Colts had a bottom-ten pass defense in 2019. FS Malik Hooker (123.7 passer rating allowed) and SS Clayton Geathers (128.1 passer rating allowed) especially struggled.
JAX – The Jaguars had the second-worst run defense in the league, allowing 5.1 yards per rush. Jacksonville allowed more than 190 rushing yards in five games.
KC – Even with QB Patrick Mahomes missing two starts due to a knee injury, the Chiefs allowed the third-fewest sacks in the NFL. That strong offensive line held up while the Chiefs erased a 24-0 deficit in the Divisional, and Kansas City’s pass offense was outstanding in the AFC Championship. Kansas City has a bottom-five run defense that they will be trying to hide in Super Bowl LIV.
DEN – The Broncos wound up losing QB Joe Flacco to injured reserve after a 2-6 start, trading WR Emmanuel Sanders midseason, and QB Brandon Allen had to start three games before rookie QB Drew Lock was ready. Denver finished 22nd in passer rating.
OAK – The Raiders had the second-worst pass defense in the NFL. FS Lamarcus Joyner failed to intercept a pass while allowing a 109.8 passer rating in coverage.
LAC – Despite the presence of DEs Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, the Chargers finished 28th in sacks in 2019. Bosa and Ingram had 18.5 sacks, while every other player combined for only 11.5 sacks.
Winning Pro Bowl units:
AFC pass offense (TE Mark Andrews)
PHI – The Eagles had a top-ten defense, ranking 12th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. By time the Wild Card came, Philadelphia had very few threats in the pass offense, and the Eagles need speed on both sides of the ball.
DAL – Dallas choked away the top offense in the NFL by failing to make plays in pass defense. The Cowboys had only seven INTs all season defensively. Former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy now assumes that role in Dallas, replacing Jason Garrett.
NYG – 2019 was yet another season that saw the Giants part ways with a defensive back midseason – this time, it was CB Janoris Jenkins. The Giants had the fifth-worst passer rating allowed in 2019, and Jenkins was the only defensive back with multiple INTs all season. Head coach Pat Shurmur was fired and replaced by New England special teams coordinator Joe Judge.
WAS – Look, the NFC Least couldn’t cover passes. Washington was the worst of the quartet, finishing 30th in passer rating allowed. CB Josh Norman was especially bad, allowing 7 TD passes and a 129.0 passer rating in coverage. Washington hired former Carolina head coach Ron Rivera.
GB – The Packers ranked 6th in passer rating allowed in 2019. The offensive line was great in the Divisional, but the pass rush wasn’t able to make a mark in the NFC Championship.
MIN – The Vikings were 6th in fewest sacks allowed, and they got a Wild Card road win on the strength of the run game. Minnesota’s run defense was mediocre during the regular season, and it was exposed in the Divisional.
CHI – Chicago had the fourth-worst run offense in the NFL, averaging only 3.7 yards per attempt as a team.
DET – The Lions only had 28 sacks, with a mere 13 of them coming from defensive linemen.
NO – WR Michael Thomas led a New Orleans pass offense that was the best in the league in 2019. The Saints wore down in run defense in the Wild Card.
ATL – The Falcons were tied for 29th in the NFL with only 28 sacks in 2019.
TB – While Tampa Bay’s quarterback situation with Jameis Winston was extremely volatile, the team’s run offense was simply bad all season. While RB Ronald Jones averaged 4.2 yards per rush on 172 attempts, RB Peyton Barber averaged only 3.1 yards per rush on 154 attempts. Overall, the Buccaneers ranked 28th in rush yards per attempt.
CAR – No team was worse against the run on a per play basis than the Panthers. Carolina hired Baylor head coach Matt Rhule.
SF – Defensive linemen Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner and Dee Ford combined for 33 of San Francisco’s 48 sacks this season. The 49ers ranked 5th in sacks in 2019, while using a strong run game and offensive line to blow by the Divisional and NFC Championship. The 49ers were a bottom-ten run defense, so that may be a factor in Super Bowl LIV.
SEA – The Seahawks ranked fourth in passer rating in 2019, with QB Russell Wilson throwing 31 TD passes and a career-low five INTs. Seattle’s pass defense was good in the Wild Card, but the pass rush was nonexistent in the Divisional, much like the regular season.
LA – The Rams averaged only 3.7 yards per rush, a steep decline from the 4.9 average from the 2018 season.
ARI – The Cardinals had the worst pass defense in the NFL, allowing a passer rating of 109.9. CB Byron Murphy allowed nine TD passes in coverage.