2020 NFC Preview: How each team matches up with the 49ers

FanPost Author: TheManjot TheMythTheLegend - Looking and summarizing each team in the NFC, and making verdicts about whether they can compete with the royalty of the NFC, our 49ers.

Sep 10, 2020

San Francsico 49ers/YouTube

The San Francisco 49ers came out of nowhere to win the NFC title last season. The spectacular rise of the Niners came from a strong team on all fronts, with an elite team on both offence and defence. Now in 2020, the 49ers are the benchmark in the NFC, with every team aiming to topple them. Today we look at how each NFC team stacks up against the 49ers and establish who the true playoff contenders are. To compare a team with the 49ers I have thought about how they would go head-to-head and how much of a chance they would have in beating the Niners.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Here’s a team that has generated a lot of buzz this offseason. The franchise moved on from Jason Garrett, seeking to improve the team through new head coach Mike McCarthy. After franchise tagging quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys gave him a new weapon in rookie wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys offence is now stacked with a great WR trio in Lamb, Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper, an elite running back in Ezekiel Elliott and an elite offensive line led by Zack Martin and Tyron Smith. On defence, the Cowboys have a great D-line with Demarcus Lawrence and Everson Griffen forming a great 1-2 punch at DE. They have two great young linebackers in Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch. The Cowboys secondary needs to step up this year if they want to compete, with the loss of Byron Jones being huge.

Verdict - The Cowboys should be a playoff contender this season, especially with the best offence in terms of yards gained in 2019 getting better over the offseason and the defence getting a makeover. Their season hinges on how they perform in the big games and the performance of Dak Prescott throughout the season. I believe the Cowboys will win the NFC East at 12-4, and with their roster I think they match up really well with the 49ers.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have again been hit with the injury bug, most notably through season ending injuries to O-linemen Andre Dillard and Brandon Brooks. These injuries will probably result in Carson Wentz having less protection, which could be a worry as he is also injury-prone. The Eagles should hopefully be healthy in their skill position groups, which would be vital for Wentz to rely on. On defence the Eagles’ D-line with Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham should lead the way, with the trade for Darius Slay hopefully filling one of the cornerback spots.

Verdict - The Eagles’ season is going to be determined by how healthy they’ll be throughout the 2020 campaign. Judging on their roster and training camp reports their offensive line looks to be a liability, and Wentz would have to face more hits and be exposed to more injuries. On defence, despite the trade for Slay, Philly’s secondary still doesn’t inspire enough confidence in me to believe that they’ll be able to stop the opposition’s passing offence effectively. I believe the Eagles would probably be a 9-7 team, and looking at their roster they would not stack up well against the 49ers.

New York Giants

The Giants are in a rebuilding phase centered around quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. On offence, in addition to those two, they have nice pieces such as Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram. Their offensive line should improve through the drafting of Andrew Thomas and other players stepping up. On defence there looks to be promise in the secondary, with a safety duo of Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers and cornerback James Bradberry looking good. However, there are still quite a few holes on the roster, particularly in the trenches and at linebacker. The rebuild is probably going to continue for a few years, as there are too many holes for them to contend right now.

Verdict - The Giants are looking to be better than last year, but they still aren’t ready for the playoffs. They’ll probably be around 6-10, and they do not have a strong roster that would contend with the 49ers.

Washington Football Team

Washington is also looking to rebuild, as they have not made the playoffs since 2015. There aren’t too many bright spots on the team which earned the 2nd overall pick last season. Their best position group is their defensive line, which now has rookie Chase Young and veterans Ryan Kerrigan and Jonathan Allen. Other bright spots include 2019 rookie Terry McLaurin, who rose into their no. 1 receiver with 55 catches for 919 yards and 7 TDs in 14 games in 2019. Finally, a major storyline is the comeback of ex-49ers quarterback Alex Smith from a horrible leg injury. Smith would have to beat out Dwayne Haskins for the starting job and because of that he’d probably return later in the year.

Verdict - Washington is probably looking into what they have in their roster this season and new head coach Ron Rivera would be trying to fix the many holes in their roster. 2nd year QB Dwayne Haskins needs to develop throughout 2020 and that would be a priority for the team. Washington should be around 4-12 this season, and with their roster they don’t look like contending with the 49ers.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

The Packers were soundly beat by the 49ers in two games in 2019, including the NFC Championship Game. Part of their problem was that Aaron Rodgers had barely any receivers to throw to. So what did Green Bay do to fix this? Draft Rodgers’ replacement in Jordan Love and ignore wide receiver completely. Most of the roster is intact from last season, so they could contend again. They also strengthen their running back group by drafting AJ Dillon in the 2nd round, which was unnecessary as they have Aaron Jones. That move signalled that the Packers will attempt to copy the 49ers’ strong running game that dominated them in the NFC Championship Game.

Verdict - The Packers have not really addressed their glaring hole at WR or strengthened a defence that was average in 2019. This might come back to haunt them and cost them a few games. Overall, I still think the Packers should win the North at 11-5, but they still have quite a few issues that would stop them from truly competing with the 49ers.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings retooled their roster on the fly during the offseason, replacing Stefon Diggs at WR with rookie Justin Jefferson and Everson Griffen in the defensive line with Yannick Ngakoue. The Vikings return a lot of their starters on both sides of the ball, and their roster still looks great on offence and defence. The offensive trio of Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen have to step up this season to ensure that Minnesota can move the ball effectively. On defence, the Vikings were good in 2019, and have many stars such as Ngakoue, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith who will all attempt to keep the Vikings in the top 10 in points and turnovers.

Verdict - The Vikings are a hard team to read at the moment. Kirk Cousins alleviated some concerns of his ability to perform in big games by leading the Vikings to a win in the Wild Card Round last season. However, he still has struggled in primetime games, and despite his great statistics it’s hard to trust him because of his struggles under the bright lights. Minnesota has a playoff contender on paper, and I think they’ll go 10-6 and make the playoffs as a wild card. As for if they can contend with the 49ers, that would be answered on the play of Cousins, and my answer would be no due to the concerns above.

Chicago Bears

The Bears still have an elite defence that led them to a postseason berth in 2018. Led by Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan and Akiem Hicks they went 11-5 and lost in the Wild Card Round. Their offence was decent too, but they eventually cost them a playoff berth in 2019 due to poor play from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky’s fifth year option was declined this offseason and the team traded for Super Bowl winning QB Nick Foles. Despite all this against him, Trubisky was named the starting quarterback for Week 1. This is a make or break year for him and the Bears, as they seek not to waste the great potential of their defence.

Verdict - The Bears have so much potential to be great in 2020, but ultimately I think Trubisky will hold them back from ever truly contending. The Bears should finish around the 8-8 mark and miss the playoffs. I think their defence could compete with the 49ers, but they have too many flaws on offence to ever truly contend with the NFC champs.

Detroit Lions

The Lions and head coach Matt Patricia have been attempting to mold the team around the New England Patriots system since Patricia arrived in 2018. However, this has not translated into success for Detroit, with the team going 6-10 in 2018 and 3-12-1 in 2019. The Lions only have a few years of quarterback Matthew Stafford left and they have wasted his promising career continually rebuilding. The Lions have a decent offence with the running back trio of D’Andre Swift, Kerryon Johnson and Adrian Peterson looking alright and a great no. 1 receiver in Kenny Golladay. The defence, with key additions being Jamie Collins and Jeff Okudah, need to step up if the Lions have any chance of playoff contention.

Verdict - Sadly for the Lions, 2020 will probably be another wasted year of Stafford’s career. Stafford should have another great season if he does not get injured again, but the defence will probably hold the Lions back this year. I’m predicting a 5-11 record for Detroit, and I believe they wouldn’t hold their own against the 49ers.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Congratulations Tampa Bay for winning the 2020 NFL offseason. The Bucs added future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, convinced his recently retired New England teammate Rob Gronkowski to reunite with him, and also got the surprisingly available Leonard Fournette off the waiver wire. That was a brief look into the moves Tampa Bay made this offseason, but the value these players add to an already talented Buccaneers team should put them firmly in playoff contention. Brady has targets like tight ends Gronkowski, OJ Howard and Cameron Brate, and wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to throw to. In addition the Bucs have Fournette to run the ball behind an offensive line that added rookie first round pick Tristan Wirfs and has left tackle Donovan Smith, who has started 79 out of a possible 80 games in his 5 year career. On defence the Buccaneers return most of their starters that helped the team record the top ranked rushing defence in 2019 in terms of yards allowed. Their pass defence needs to improve on being the 30th ranked in yards allowed, but they should be able to as their defence was hindered last year by erratic play from then-quarterback Jameis Winston on the offence.

Verdict - The Buccaneers look like a great team on paper, however similar teams have failed in one aspect: chemistry. The Buccaneers season is really dependent on the chemistry the players have with one another, and so far it looks to be going well. Looking at the talent they have, the Buccaneers should be around the 12-4 mark this year, and they can compete with the 49ers because they are loaded on both sides of the ball.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints have lost on the last play of the game in 3 straight playoff series. If there’s any team as hungry for revenge as the Niners are, it’s probably New Orleans. The Saints have a great offence led by quarterback Drew Brees, running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Michael Thomas, who broke the record for most catches in a season last year. The Saints added Emmanuel Sanders to their WR group, and he should play a big role as their 2nd receiver. On defence the Saints are solid, with defensive linemen Cameron Jordan, Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport, linebacker Kiko Alonso and a defensive backfield with Marshon Lattimore, Janoris Jenkins, Marcus Williams and new signing Malcolm Jenkins.

Verdict - The Saints are loaded on both sides of the ball, with a pretty balanced offence and a strong looking defence. The problem with the Saints would have to be their tendency to choke away playoff games, and that could hold them back this year. I think the Saints will also go 12-4, and they should definitely be able to compete with the Niners.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons still have quite a bit of the roster that went to the Super Bowl in 2016, however this team has disappointed since the moment they led 28-3 on the Patriots. Without Kyle Shanahan the Falcons offence is still productive but nowhere near

reaching the heights they reached in 2016, despite not losing much of their offensive starters until recently. Atlanta is a team that seems to be stuck in the middle, with great pieces on offence such as QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones and center Alex Mack. However, the defence, while having talented players, has a lot of injury prone players, and this has been a reason for the Falcons’ decline. The Falcons need everything to go their way this season to make the playoffs, or else they need to clean house.

Verdict - This is a make or break year for head coach Dan Quinn, as he is under pressure to get the ship sailing in the right direction in Atlanta. In a very tough NFC South, and NFC in general, the Falcons will find it hard to make the playoffs. I think they’ll go 8-8, and with their roster I think they wouldn’t be able to beat the 49ers, but it could be close.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have started out well in the last couple of years, with winning records at the halfway point of the season. From there, the Panthers faded out in 2018 and 2019, which ultimately led to Ron Rivera’s firing and the release of Cam Newton. This season is about rebuilding a roster through new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on offence, and nurturing a young defence they spent all of their selections on in the 2020 NFL Draft. A lot of players will be playing for their futures under new coach Matt Rhule, and with an interrupted offseason it would take time for the team to adjust to Rhule’s schemes.

Verdict - The Panthers are going to struggle this season, with the team embarking on their rebuild. I think they’ll probably get a record of 4-12 and their roster has too many holes to really contend with the 49ers. On a brighter note, Christian McCaffrey should be great again, and the offence should run through him.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are a team that needs to establish how well they will be early in the season. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been carrying Seattle to the playoffs for a while now, with a subpar roster around him to really get past the Divisional round. This year the Seahawks traded for star safety Jamal Adams, but they let Jadeveon Clowney go when they really needed to build a D-line. Running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny return from injury, and Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf form a formidable receiving duo. On defence they still have linebacker duo Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright plus the aforementioned Adams. The team still needs to improve in the trenches to be true Super Bowl contenders.

Verdict - The Seahawks are going to the playoffs again, mainly because of Russell Wilson. However, I don’t see them going far because they still don’t have the personnel to win the Super Bowl. They’ll be an 11-5 team and I think they would match up well with the 49ers because of Wilson and the fact that it's a divisional rivalry.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals got a gift in the offseason when they got a top-3 receiver in Deandre Hopkins for only a 2nd round pick. Since then Arizona has received a lot of hype as the new surprise team of the NFL. On offence, 2nd year QB Kyler Murray has Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald to throw to and can be supported by the run game led by Kenyan Drake. However, Arizona has not really done much to fix the issues on the offensive line last year. Instead of using their first rounder on an offensive lineman, they decided to pick up versatile defender Isaiah Simmons from Clemson. Simmons should be a good piece on their D, along with recently re-signed safety Budda Baker, defensive end Chandler Jones and cornerback Patrick Peterson. However, like the offence, there are many holes in the defence, and this will hinder Arizona’s ability to go far in the playoffs if they make it there.

Verdict - The Cardinals look to be on the bubble of the playoffs this year. I think it’s still a year too early for them to really contend in the playoffs, and they might not make it based on how tough the NFC West is and how incomplete the roster still looks. I think the Cardinals will go 8-8 and I think they wouldn’t beat the Niners head to head.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams just re-signed Jalen Ramsey, further signalling that they intend to keep their all-in approach to roster construction. The Rams haven’t picked in the 1st round since taking Jared Goff in 2016, and this might be the year their strategy might start to fail them. The Rams are still only a year or two removed from their Super Bowl appearance, and they still have Goff, WR duo Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, and offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth on their offence. On defence they have Ramsey and Aaron Donald, but a lot of holes as well. This year will say a lot about the direction of the Rams.

Verdict - I think the Rams are going into freefall, as the lack of first round talent at a low price is going to catch up with them. They should be around the 7-9 mark this year, and I think they wouldn’t match up well with the 49ers head-to-head.

Looking at the other 15 NFC teams I think the 49ers will still be favourites. For the teams that I think would match up with the Niners head-to-head, namely the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Saints, and the Seahawks, I think that they are the 49ers’ true contenders for the NFC title this year. While the comparison between them and the 49ers might seem flawed, I will also rank the teams by playoff seeding as followed:

49ers 13-3
Saints 12-4
Cowboys 12-4
Packers 11-5
Buccaneers 12-4
Seahawks 11-5
Vikings 10-6

Special thanks to TheManjotTheMythTheLegend for this fanpost - if you want to pitch an idea for a post or submit one, email us at fortheniners@gmail.com! Or contact us on Twitter. This post also highlights our international community, our poster is from Australia!

Leave a like and comment to support us if you like the article and our content, or if you have criticism, or simply for discussion. Check out our best content, including Part 1 and Part 2 of an in-depth look into Jimmy Garoppolo, where we look at what his issues were last season, and a in-depth look into the Kittle vs. Kelce argument.

For The Niners

Discussion about this post