(2020) LONG ISLAND EFL SEASON OUTLOOK

2020 LONG ISLAND EFL SEASON OUTLOOK

NFC EAST:

The entire NFC is stacked with fierce competition and stars. It is a consistently tough division, especially for AFC rivals. The Giants, Cowboys, and Redskins have to find a way to beat the Philadelphia Eagles who made a huge  comeback in 2019, with that high-powered offense led by the amazing Harold Carmichael, #2 NFC and #2 NFL all-purpose yards in his first season with (26-1786-13) and an LIEFL record-setting season with eleven 100 yard kick-returns for touchdowns!

The last time Philadelphia made it to the LIEFL playoffs was in the 2000 season. They were crowned the NFC Eastern Division Champions, and in the playoffs they beat Dallas 35-20 in the NFC Divisional Game, but the Eagles would eventually lose to Chicago 52-38, in the NFC Championship Game. The Bears would go on to win LIEFL Super Bowl XI against Miami that season 45-38 in OT. In the 2019 season, Carmichael was also the Pro Bowl MVP after returning the game-winning kickoff for a touchdown as the NFC beat the AFC 27-21. Last year's performance for Carmichael will be hard to match. The Eagles had a great showing against the Rams in the NFC Wild Card Game, losing 31-24. The East will be at war!

For the past two seasons the Cowboys have been right on the edge of transforming. The (3-4) Cowboys battled the East with Terrell Owens #12 NFC and #21 NFL went 14-1102-7TD's and 4x100-yard kick returns for TDS in 2019, and the New York Giants had one of the toughest road schedules in 2019 went (2-5). Big Blue's Rookie Shaquan Barkley, NFC #7 and NFL #13 rushed for 44-476-6TDs, had a great season for New York. Both Dallas and the NY Giants beat the AFC Champion Miami Dolphins in 2019, and we can never count the Redskins out with Tony Green #12 NFC and #22 in the NFL with 48-311-4 TDs, in the backfield .  This will once again be one of the tightest, competitive races in the LIEFL.

PREDICTION: Philadelphia Eagles

AFC EAST:

This division will pose lots of problems for both the Bills and Patriots with defending AFC Champion Miami showing a tremendous defense led by Jason Taylor and Larry Little.  But, the biggest surprise for Miami is Mark Duper who had 519 all-purpose yards against the Rams in 2019 LIEFL Super Bowl XV.  Mercury Morris broke OJ Simpsons seven game season rushing record to lead Miami (7-3) with 693 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. OJ Simpson and "The Electric Company" are still a major force, but the Buffalo Bills will be tested again, and the Patriots will compete. The Jets (1-6) in 2019, are in a rebuilding season after gaining the #1 pick in the draft for 2020, but they lost the usually reliable Bruce Harper to a torn ACL injury.  Harper is the Jets leading rusher in franchise history. In 2017, Harper had 57-1295 all-purpose yards with 6 touchdowns, 2018, 57-1013 all-purpose yards with 4 touchdowns, and in 2019, Harper was 11-89 all purpose yards with only one touchdown. The Jets need Harper, but he will be slow coming back and they would be hard pressed to rely on Le'Veon Bell to carry the offense.

PREDICTION: Miami Dolphins

 NFC NORTH:

In the past three seasons we saw the Detroit Lions make it to three NFC Championship games and back-to-back Super Bowl’s winning LIEFL Super Bowl XII, beating the AFC New England Patriots 42-17 in 2016.

In 2019, with a strong LIEFL draft, the Lions failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons losing the last three games of the season on the road to Minnesota 17-14, Denver 21-7, and Chicago 19-7, in the season finale. The Lions will still challenge in 2020, with phenom Dexter Bussy LIEFL #9 NFC and #17 NFL, who had 60-1255-6 touchdowns and all-purpose yards in 2019. He only rushed for 215 yards in 2019, something Detroit will look to improve on in 2020. Bussy is the energy of the Lions offense complimented by great receivers Herman Moore, who has 6 Super Bowl touchdowns, and Calvin Johnson #1 NFC and #1 in NFL, who set a new LIEFL receiving record last season with 6-359-5 touchdowns of 69,78 and 92 yards in 2019, making the Lions an instant threat and contender in the league! These two receivers are nearly impossible to stop and the Lions are the best passing team in our league. 

This year the Minnesota Vikings missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, but they will be knocking on the door again in 2020 with Adrian Peterson #8 NFC and #11 NFL with all-purpose play of 66-1386-8 total touchdowns, and two 100 kick returns for touchdowns leading the way for the Vikings, and the rebuilding Packers were the big surprise with the best defense in the NFC with 85 Points Allowed. Even though the Pack lost to the Panthers 42-20 in the Wild Card Game, they showed great promise for 2020 after Packers running back Jim Taylor ran for 160 yards in the Wild Card game against the almighty Panthers defensive line. 

The Chicago Bears finished strong with three straight wins beating Dallas 17-14 in OT, Kansas City 17-14, and Detroit 19-7, to end the 2019 season with their 2018 #1 draft pick in Don Hampton, showing great promise for 2020. The Bears will open the 2020 season up at Detroit and they are just six wins away from becoming the 4th team in LIEFL history to win 100 games. For us, it is historic! Chicago has been rebuilding and they should make a strong showing in 2020 with Walter Payton, #10 in the NFC and #16 in the NFL had 45-416 with 7 touchdowns, and special teams return man Willie Gault #15 NFC and #27 NFL with 19-823-3x100 yard kick returns for touchdowns leading the way!

PREDICTION: Green Bay Packers

 AFC NORTH:

The AFC North is a division that showed great promise, but it is also one of the most unpredictable in the LIEFL.  The Bengals are on the verge of making a huge comeback with Icky Woods  #7 AFC and #17 NFL rushed for 56-412-5 TD's and first time LIEFL All-Pro Chad “Ocho Cinco” 4-161-2 TDs #4 AFC and #8 NFL, and three-time LIEFL All-Pro Tackle Brian Blados will pave the way for Cincinnati.

The Steelers got a slow start and it cost them, but that tough Steeler defense led by "Mean" Joe Greene and LIEFL AFC First-Team Pro-Bowl Starter Tackle John Kolb (10 Tackles) are ready for 2020. Pittsburgh got a late start filling in the holes for the “Bus” Jerome Bettis. Bettis #14 AFC and #30 in the NFL is expected to have a big year for the Steelers after being the comeback player of the AFC last season with 44-712-8TDs all-purpose play for the Steelers. Bettis needs to carry the ball more.

The Browns were stable considering the darkest day in franchise history in 2017, when the Buffalo Bills romped them 42-14 in the AFC playoffs. Cleveland just missed the playoffs last season with Jim Brown leading the way. Brown was the #5 all-purpose player in the AFC last season with 59-1370-6 touchdowns and 4 x100 yard kick returns for touchdowns, so he cannot be ignored, but his best skill is the special teams kick returns.

The Ravens are the story! They are consistent, lethal, unpredictable at times, and they have been an offensive storm with an emerging group of stars with LIEFL All-Pro Derrick Mason (25-1318-7/4X100TD’s), and the Lewis boys, Jamal and Ray in 2020, Baltimore will make a strong run for the AFC title.

PREDICTION: Baltimore Ravens

NFC WEST:
The NFC West was the most productive division in the LIEFL in 2019 with a 19-9 record and the best offensive division in the LIEFL with 519 points. The fireworks blasted off early on and throughout the season with the West producing 70 touchdowns.  The 49ers were beast as they fell just short of their goal like everyone else who played the Rams, losing 38-34 in the NFC Divisional Championship Game. 49ers stud Ricky Watters rushed for an LIEFL record-setting 925 yards with 18 TD’s in the new 7 game-season format! The Rams are the team to beat, emerging as the Wild Card Team and eventual Super Bowl XV Champion for the second straight season.

This Rams team is for real! Isaac Bruce, Wendell Tyler, and the Fabulous Five will go for a three-peat in 2020. Tyler broke New Orleans Tony Galbraith's LIEFL Super Bowl IV 1979, record of 60 yards with his 61 yard run  from scrimmage against Miami in LIEFL Super Bowl XV. Los Angeles also beat the Panthers two straight seasons to win the NFC and the only thing standing in their way is the LA Rams. The Cardinals continue to be competitive but need to get that “monkey off their back” after the best start in the LIEFL in 2019, winning five straight before losing the last two games of the season to Seattle 17-14, and the LA Rams 17-14. They even beat the Carolina Panthers 14-10 during the regular season in a war, and then they were crushed in the NFC Divisional Championship Game by Carolina 49-35. The Seahawks will add to this already competitive division and they will make this the toughest division in football. The Rams stand in everyone’s way in the LIEFL.  Any team who heads west is in for a battle!

PREDICTION: LA Rams

AFC WEST

The West was shocking in 2019 because we thought the Chiefs would surprise, and they did, just that they went 1-6 in 2019, but they will be back stronger than ever with their top Draft picks for 2020.  The Chargers are the team to beat in the West and this might be their year as LaDainian Tomlinson exploded for a league leading 1779 yards and 16 TD’s last season. The Chargers lost to the Rams in 2018 LIEFL Super Bowl XVI 31-28, falling just short of a second AFC title in 2019, losing to Buffalo 49-48 in a super close game. 

The Raiders played well and lost in the AFC Divisional Championship Game to Miami 38-31, but Oakland’s unstoppable five-time LIEFL All-Pro Starter and Super Bowl XI MVP Dave Casper had his best season yet, as the #1 kick returner in the AFC with 1323 yards and 7, 100-yard kick returns for TD’s.

The biggest surprise this season might be the Broncos who played great right to the end of their last regular season game losing to the explosive Chargers 14-13. The Broncos had the #1 defense in our league in 2019 with 77 points allowed, only to fall just shy of making the playoffs. It's time for the Broncos to bring on the offensive and fight for the division again after two seasons of rebuilding! The Chargers are primed to get themselves back to the Super Bowl!

PREDICTION: Los Angeles Chargers

NFC SOUTH:

This division is the perfect storm with fierce competition.  The Bucs played great in 2019, and they just missed the playoffs losing to the AFC Jacksonville Jaguars 13-10 in OT to eliminate them from the post-season. The Falcons were unreal as they too fell just short of making the playoffs losing to division rival New Orleans 26-21 in an OT stupor!

The "Beast" of the South, Atlanta’s Gerald Riggs continues to set and break LIEFL records setting a never before seven game-season or 7-GS record with 2339 total all-purpose yards with 21 TD’s, tearing the league up. Riggs lead the league in many categories and he now has a LIEFL career 7,429 all-purpose yards and 54 touchdowns along with three-time NFC and LIEFL Player of the Year Awards for the Falcons. The Dirty Birds are vying for a championship, but still missed the playoffs in this tremendous league stacked with stars. The Falcons will be back strong in this powerhouse division to compete against the Panthers who might be the 2^nd best team in the NFL, losing for the second straight year to the Rams in the NFC title game 45-38. 

The Panthers are hungry, and they will be back just as strong as the rest of the league continues to improve making no Sunday safe in the league.  Carolina’s DeShaun Foster was a beast (2019 52-570-11/69TD) as a top-five NFC rusher. Perhaps the most intriguing story is the comeback New Orleans Saints who showed great promise in 2019 as they knocked the AFC Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons from the playoffs in their last two games of the LIEFL regular season. The Saints may pull off some huge wins this season and reestablish themselves for a playoff run if they can win the close games, but the almighty Panthers stand in their way.

PREDICTION: Carolina Panthers

AFC SOUTH:

The South is an exciting division which had an up and down 2019 with the Colts and Titans battling for the top spot in the AFC playoffs. The Colts and Superstar Joseph Addai #3 in the AFC and #7 in the NFL in all-purpose yards with (2019 62-1533-11/83,99 yards returns), had an amazing playoff run but the Colts finished just short of their goal to get to the AFC title game losing to Oakland in the AFC Wild Card game 38-34, even with Addai’s spectacular performance of 26-560, all-purpose yards with 4 touchdowns. The Colts are so close to being at the top of the AFC!  The Titans continue to beat good teams and their mysterious winning ways in the big games keeps them an interesting team with Eddie George back and running. They need consistency. The Jaguars and Texans will be back strong!  We can never underestimate super runners like Jags Freddy Taylor #7 AFC and #14 NFL (2019 69-1367-6/4x100TD) all-purpose yards, or Texans Ron Dayne #2 in the AFC and #5 NFL with (2019 62-1607-10/3X100TD, and LIEFL record setting 84 yard run from scrimmage in 2019. 

PREDICTION: Indianapolis Colts

December 15, 2020 Super Bowl XVI in Tampa, Florida Prediction: AFC Los Angeles Chargers vs. NFC Los Angeles Rams in a rematch.