Every year, teams will fight for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. The award has been given out for over 50 years now, and yet, some teams still find themselves having never won a Super Bowl, let alone made an appearance in the grandest game of them all.
More often than not, you have your contenders, a few long shots, and a couple of underdog stories leading the way. But once in a while, a feeble franchise will earn the right to compete for their first-ever championship. The Philadelphia Eagles were able to end their drought in 2018.
A team that is rebuilding could mean the start of something promising. It could also be another overhyped prospect or perhaps another one-year-wonder story making their presence felt. The hope is that after struggling for so long, the drought will end with a trophy. For the remaining dozen rosters looking for their first championship, 2020 could either be it or could bring another struggling season to the long list of rough years.
Which 2020 NFL team has the best chance to win their first Super Bowl?
12. Jacksonville Jaguars
Super Bowl Appearances: 0
Much like the members of the 2017 star-studded secondary, Jacksonville’s playoff chances are long gone. Jacksonville’s defense will feature Myles Jack, rookies C.J. Henderson, K’Lavon Chaisson, and loads of unproven talent. Offensively, outside of D.J. Chark and Leonard Fournette, Gardner Minshew’s second year may not be as stellar as the rookie magic.
Related | Was declining Leonard Fournette’s fifth-year option the right move for Jacksonville?
Maybe Minshew and the Jags do enough to knock themselves out of the Trevor Lawrence tank job, but don’t expect much more. Anything over five wins deserves a parade in Duval come February.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl Appearances: 2
Maybe Zac Taylor’s offense will be the saving grace in year two as Bengals head coach. Should Joe Burrow thrive in his rookie season, expect his arsenal to be the leading cause. A healthy A.J. Green and John Ross should provide production on the outside while Tyler Boyd has transformed into a reliable option in the slot. Perhaps even Tee Higgins can prove to be the next great pass-catcher from “Wide Receiver U” in a limited role.
The problem is on the defensive side. The 29th-ranked unit did little to enhance their pass rush and overpaid in the secondary. Trae Waynes is an average cornerback at best, while Vonn Bell is limited outside the traditional box role. Logan Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither might finally fix the linebacker woes, but “Who Dey” Nation could face another sluggish season.
10. Detroit Lions
Super Bowl Appearances: 0
Detroit fans are still thinking about their glory days with Barry Sanders in hopes to forget they’re a terrible franchise. Outside of one NFC Championship appearance in 1991, history is not on their side.
Related | Can the 2020 Detroit Lions surprise and make the playoffs?
The Lions should improve from their 3-12-1 record with a healthy Matthew Stafford under center. Should the offensive line improve, perhaps the run game of Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift will pair well with the emerging Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones? Defensively, Desmond Trufant and Jeff Okudah should replace the production of Darius Slay in the secondary. If the pass rush improves, maybe Detroit picks up another seven-win season.
9. Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl Appearances: 2
There’s no doubt that Carolina will contend once again in the future. Matt Rhule’s presence at Temple and Baylor helped fix two programs and transform them into winning cultures. However, one look at both school’s first season under his direction should prove this may not be the Panther’s year.
Teddy Bridgewater will be set to replace the likes of Cam Newton after a five-game stint in the Bayou. Should D.J. Moore and new speedster Robby Anderson improve, the former Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback should perform admirably. Christian McCaffrey will wow with his dual-threat ability, but will the offensive line hold? Last season, the team allowed the second-most sacks, twice as many as the New Orleans Saints’ unit.
Carolina has the pieces to be great on offense, but a weak o-line will set them back a season in a new era.
8. Arizona Cardinals
Super Bowl Appearances: 2
For the first time since 2015, there should be excitement down in the desert. With a full season under their belt, Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray should be set to take over the NFL with their air-raid style of play. By adding DeAndre Hopkins in the trade of the offseason and a decent draft, the Cardinals’ offense should be potent in 2020.
Related | DeAndre Hopkins completes the puzzle for Cardinals offense
However, let’s just pump the brakes before crowning them as contenders.
Arizona finished with the worst-ranked defense last season. Minor improvements in the front seven should help, but there’s no guarantee that their inconsistencies in coverage will be improved. The same goes for the offensive line that’s allowed 50-plus sacks in the past two seasons. Should both improve, we may expect Arizona to compete for a wild card spot but nothing further.
7. Cleveland Browns
Super Bowl Appearances: 0
From one overhyped team to another, Cleveland could be subject to that treatment again this year. The Browns front office went through an entire makeover with hopes this time is the right time. Throw in Andrew Berry’s smart offseason additions, and the potential of a playoff berth is there.
Baker Mayfield will be out of excuses with two new bookends to correct the offensive line. Austin Hooper was a red-zone machine for Atlanta last season, while Kareem Hunt will have a full 16-game season ahead. The third-year starter will also have Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., David Njoku, and Nick Chubb as weapons to improve his passer rating a lower in turnover margin.
If the young defense shows potential, the pressure will be on Mayfield to breakout. If not, add another name to the long list of former Browns quarterbacks that couldn’t get done in Believeland.
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