Now that the 2019-20 season is over, there’s sure to be a lot of talk about where each team stands going into next year. With that in mind, here’s the single question that will define each team’s 2020-21 season.
AFC East
New England Patriots – Is the dynasty officially over? Buffalo Bills – Was last year a fluke, or can the Bills keep building on their success? New York Jets – Will Sam Darnold see ghosts this year, or show the signs of a true franchise QB? Miami Dolphins – How quickly can a team rebuild?
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens – Can Lamar Jackson keep rolling? Pittsburgh Steelers – Will Ben Roethlisberger be back at a high level? Cleveland Browns – When does the reality show end and the football team start playing? Cincinnati Bengals – Just how good can Joe Burrow be in the NFL?
AFC South
Houston Texans – Can they be an actual contender, or will they continue to be just an early-round playoff team? Tennessee Titans – Was this season’s run a fluke or a foreshadowing? Indianapolis Colts – Can Frank Reich get this team into the playoffs? Jacksonville Jaguars – Will a full season of Gardner Minshew be a good thing?
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs – Is this truly a budding dynasty? Denver Broncos – Can they win the close games? Oakland Raiders – Will Jon Gruden’s squad make the playoffs? Los Angeles Chargers – To rebuild or not to rebuild?
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles – Can they stay healthy for a full season? Dallas Cowboys – Was Jason Garrett really the problem? New York Giants – Does the Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley formula equate to wins now? Washington Redskins – Will Dwayne Haskins be the piece to build around?
NFC North
Green Bay Packers – How much more does Aaron Rodgers have in the tank? Minnesota Vikings – Can they take the next step to being actual contenders? Chicago Bears – Does Mitchell Trubisky get benched at some point in the season? Detroit Lions – Is Matthew Stafford the way to go moving forward?
NFC South
New Orleans Saints – Who will lead the team when Drew Brees is gone? Atlanta Falcons – Do they still have 28-3 flashbacks? Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Can Jameis Winston be a consistent QB? Carolina Panthers – How far can they ride the Christian McCaffrey train?
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers – Is Jimmy Garoppolo good enough to be a Super Bowl winning QB? Seattle Seahawks – How much longer will the Super Bowl window be open? Los Angeles Rams – Did they make a mistake by betting on Jared Goff and Todd Gurley? Arizona Cardinals – Will Kyler Murray be a talking point or a footnote this season?
There you have it – our take at asking the one critical question every team will have coming its way next season. You’ll hear all these asked at one point or another; and many of them will probably be asked in the seven months between now and the 2020-21 kickoff.