2020 NFL preview: Full schedule breakdowns, division winners, predictions, more

For those four months sports fans trudged through without athletics, they’re certainly getting their fix now.

The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans kick off the 2020 NFL season on Thursday night, which will add to an already-jam-packed schedule that features the NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs along with Major League Baseball.

We’ll get an immediate look at the Chiefs’ title defense, which is expected to be a strong one considering their overwhelming offensive attack led by Patrick Mahomes.

Meanwhile, a bevy of other serious contenders will look to knock Kansas City off its perch — whether it’s the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, or New Orleans Saints.

But one of the most intriguing teams that will be put under the microscope this year is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had a monster offseason by signing Tom Brady after a two-decade, six-championship run with the New England Patriots and his No. 1 target, Rob Gronkowski. It immediately catapulted them toward contending status in the NFC, and things got that much more interesting just days before the start of the season when they picked up running back Leonard Fournette.

As we slowly build our way back toward normalcy, NFL Sundays will certainly help lift some spirits. So let’s try and break down how the 2020 season will play out:

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

2. Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

3. NY Giants (4-12)

4. Washington (2-14)

Washington- W

Rams- W

Bengals- W

49ers- L

Steelers- L

Ravens- L

Giants- W

Cowboys- W

Giants- W

Browns- W

Seahawks- L

Packers- L

Saints- L

Cardinals- W

Cowboys- W

Washington- W

Rams- L

Falcons- W

Seahawks- W

Browns- W

Giants- W

Cardinals- W

Washington- W

Eagles- L

Steelers- L

Vikings- W

Washington- W

Ravens- L

Bengals- W

49ers- W

Eagles- L

Giants- L

Steelers- L

Bears- L

49ers- L

Rams- W

Cowboys- L

Washington- W

Eagles- L

Bucs- L

Washington- L

Eagles- L

Bengals- W

Seahawks- L

Cardinals- L

Browns- L

Ravens- L

Cowboys- W

Eagles- L

Cardinals- L

Browns- L

Ravens- L

Rams- L

Giants- L

Cowboys- L

Giants- W

Lions- L

Bengals- L

Cowboys- L

Steelers- L

49ers- L

Seahawks- L

Panthers- W

Eagles- L

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (10-6)

2. Minnesota Vikings (9-7)

3. Detroit Lions (9-7)

4. Chicago Bears (6-10)

Vikings- L

Lions- W

Saints- L

Falcons- W

Bucs- L

Texans- W

Vikings- W

49ers- L

Jaguars- W

Colts- W

Bears- W

Eagles- W

Lions- L

Panthers- W

Titans- W

Bears- L

Packers- W

Colts- W

Titans- W

Texans- W

Seahawks- L

Falcons- W

Packers- L

Lions- W

Bears- L

Cowboys- L

Panthers- W

Jaguars- W

Bucs- L

Bears- W

Saints- L

Lions- L

Bears- W

Packers- L

Cardinals- L

Saints- L

Jaguars- W

Falcons- L

Colts- W

Vikings- L

Washington- W

Panthers- W

Texans- L

Bears- L

Packers- W

Titans- L

Bucs- W

Vikings- W

Lions- L

Giants- W

Falcons- L

Colts- L

Bucs- L

Panthers- L

Rams- W

Saints- L

Titans- L

Vikings- W

Packers- L

Lions- W

Texans- L

Vikings- L

Jaguars- W

Packers- W

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints (12-4)

2. Tampa Bay Bucs (12-4)

3. Atlanta Falcons (6-10)

4. Carolina Panthers (4-12)

Buccaneers- W

Raiders- L

Packers- W

Lions- W

Chargers- W

Panthers- W

Bears- W

Bucs- L

49ers- L

Falcons- W

Broncos- W

Falcons- L

Eagles- W

Chiefs- W

Vikings- W

Panthers- W

Saints- L

Panthers- W

Broncos- W

Chargers- W

Bears- W

Packers- W

Raiders- W

Giants- W

Saints- W

Panthers- W

Rams- W

Chiefs- L

Vikings- W

Falcons- L

Lions- L

Falcons- W

Seahawks- L

Cowboys- L

Bears- W

Packers- L

Panthers- W

Vikings- L

Lions- W

Panthers- L

Broncos- W

Saints- L

Raiders- L

Saints- W

Chargers- L

Bucs- W

Chiefs- L

Bucs- L

Raiders- W

Bucs- L

Chargers- L

Cardinals- W

Falcons- L

Bears- W

Saints- L

Falcons- W

Chiefs- L

Bucs- L

Lions- L

Vikings- L

Broncos- W

Packers- L

Washington- L

Saints- L

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

2. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)

3. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)

4. LA Rams (7-9)

Falcons- W

Patriots- W

Cowboys- L

Dolphins- W

Vikings- W

Cardinals- W

49ers- W

Bills- L

Rams- L

Cardinals- W

Eagles- W

Giants- W

Jets- W

Washington- W

Rams- W

49ers- W

Cardinals- W

Jets- W

Giants- W

Eagles- W

Dolphins- W

Rams- W

Patriots- W

Seahawks- L

Packers- W

Saints- W

Rams- W

Bills- W

Washington- W

Cowboys- L

Cardinals- W

Seahawks- L

49ers- L

Washington- W

Lions- W

Panthers- L

Jets- W

Cowboys- L

Seahawks- L

Dolphins- W

Bills- W

Seahawks- L

Patriots- L

Rams- W

Giants- W

Eagles- L

49ers- L

Rams- L

Cowboys- W

Eagles- L

Bills- W

Giants- L

Washington- W

49ers- L

Bears- L

Dolphins- W

Rams- W

Bucs- L

49ers- L

Cardinals- L

Patriots- L

Jets- W

Seahawks- L

Cardinals- W

AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (10-6)

2. NE Patriots (8-8)

3. Miami Dolphins (4-12)

4. NY Jets (3-13)

Jets- W

Dolphins- W

Rams- L

Raiders- W

Titans- W

Chiefs- L

Jets- L

Patriots- W

Seahawks- W

Cardinals- L

Chargers- W

49ers- L

Steelers- W

Broncos- W

Patriots- L

Dolphins- W

Seahawks- L

Raiders- W

Chiefs- L

Broncos- W

49ers- L

Bills- L

Jets- L

Ravens- W

Texans- L

Cardinals- W

Chargers- L

Rams- W

Dolphins- L

Bills- W

Jets- W

Patriots- L

Bills- L

Jaguars- L

Seahawks- L

49ers- L

Broncos- L

Chargers- W

Rams- L

Cardinals- L

Jets- W

Jets- L

Bengals- W

Chiefs- L

Patriots- W

Raiders- L

Bills- L

49ers- L

Colts- L

Broncos- L

Cardinals- L

Chargers- L

Bills- W

Chiefs- L

Patriots- W

Dolphins- L

Dolphins- W

Raiders- L

Seahawks- L

Rams- L

Browns- L

Patriots- L

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (14-2)

2. Pitt. Steelers (11-5)

3. Cleveland Browns (8-8)

4. Cincinnati Bengals (2-14)

Browns- W

Texans- W

Chiefs- W

Washington- W

Bengals- W

Eagles- W

Steelers- W

Colts- W

Patriots- L

Titans- W

Steelers- L

Cowboys- W

Browns- W

Jaguars- W

Giants- W

Bengals- W

Giants- W

Broncos- L

Texans- L

Titans- L

Eagles- W

Browns- W

Ravens- L

Cowboys- W

Bengals- W

Jaguars- W

Ravens- W

Washington- W

Bills- L

Bengals- W

Colts- W

Browns- W

Ravens- L

Bengals- W

Washington- W

Cowboys- L

Colts- L

Steelers- L

Bengals- W

Raiders- W

Texans- W

Eagles- L

Jaguars- W

Titans- L

Ravens- L

Giants- W

Jets- W

Steelers- L

Chargers- L

Browns- L

Eagles- L

Jaguars- W

Ravens- L

Colts- L

Browns- L

Titans- L

Steelers- L

Washington- W

Giants- L

Dolphins- L

Cowboys- L

Steelers- L

Texans- L

Ravens- L

AFC South

1. Tenn. Titans (10-6)

2. Indy Colts (9-7)

3. Houston Texans (9-7)

4. Jax. Jaguars (1-15)

Broncos- W

Jaguars- W

Vikings- L

Steelers- W

Bills- L

Texans- W

Bengals- W

Bears- W

Colts- W

Ravens- L

Colts- L

Browns- W

Jaguars- W

Lions- W

Packers- L

Texans- L

Jaguars- W

Vikings- L

Jets- W

Bears- W

Browns- W

Bengals- W

Lions- L

Ravens- L

Titans- L

Packers- L

Titans- W

Texans- L

Raiders-W

Texans- W

Steelers- L

Jaguars- W

Chiefs- L

Ravens- L

Steelers- W

Vikings- L

Jaguars- W

Titans- L

Packers- L

Jaguars- W

Browns- L

Patriots- W

Lions- W

Colts- W

Bears- W

Colts- L

Bengals- W

Titans- W

Colts- L

Titans- L

Dolphins- W

Bengals- L

Texans- L

Lions- L

Chargers- L

Texans- L

Packers- L

Steelers- L

Browns- L

Vikings- L

Titans- L

Ravens- L

Bears- L

Colts- L

AFC West

1. KC Chiefs (14-2)

2. LA Chargers (8-8)

3. Las Vegas Raiders (6-10)

4. Denver Broncos (4-12)

Texans- W

Chargers- W

Ravens- L

Patriots- W

Raiders- W

Bills- W

Broncos- W

Jets- W

Panthers- W

Raiders- W

Buccaneers- W

Broncos- W

Dolphins- W

Saints- L

Falcons- W

Chargers- W

Bengals- W

Chiefs- L

Panthers- W

Buccaneers- L

Saints- L

Jets- W

Dolphins- L

Jaguars- W

Raiders- W

Broncos- L

Bills- L

Patriots- W

Falcons- W

Raiders- L

Broncos- W

Chiefs- L

Panthers- L

Saints- W

Patriots- L

Bills- L

Chiefs- L

Buccaneers- L

Browns- L

Chargers- L

Broncos- W

Chiefs- L

Falcons- W

Jets- W

Colts- L

Chargers- W

Dolphins- W

Broncos- W

Titans- L

Steelers- W

Bucs- L

Jets- W

Patriots- L

Dolphins- W

Chiefs- L

Falcons- L

Raiders- L

Chargers- W

Saints- L

Chiefs- L

Panthers- L

Bills- L

Chargers- L

Broncos- L

Playoff, Super Bowl Predictions

This season, an extra team makes the postseason in each conference, meaning there will be 14 teams in total. Rather than the top two seeds getting byes into the Divisional Round, only one will this season, as Wild Card Week gets a slight revamp:

AFC Wild Card Round