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NFL power rankings: 2020 edition – Super Bowl champion Chiefs at No. 1, 49ers, Ravens in hot pursuit

By Russell S. Baxter

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs talks with Patrick Mahomes #15 against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs talks with Patrick Mahomes #15 against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 05: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Danielle Hunter #99 of the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 05: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Danielle Hunter #99 of the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

4. New Orleans Saints (13-4)

1st Place, NFC South

Reached NFC Wild Card Playoffs

Season Review: In Week 2, the defending NFC South champions watched quarterback Drew Brees go down with a thumb injury. He would be supplanted by backup Teddy Bridgewater for five games and the Saints prevailed in each contest. The veteran signal-caller would return to for the remainder of the season and while he had a few ups and downs, he came up with more than his share of clutch moments late in games. Allen’s defense struggled a bit down the stretch. And a team that set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (8) coughed up the ball twice in a frustrating overtime playoff loss to the Vikings.

2019 Turning Point: When you lose only four times all season, including the playoffs, finding a definitive moment may be easier said than done. But a wild 48-46 home loss to the Super Bowl-bound 49ers in Week 14 was an indication that perhaps the team’s defense wasn’t quite as sound as it needed to be.

2020 Priorities: So will Brees return for his 15th season with the franchise or opt for retirement? Keep in mind that Bridgewater is also set to become an unrestricted free agent come mid-March. Former first-round blocker Andrus Peat and safety Von Bell may also be attractive targets for teams if made available.

3. Baltimore Ravens (14-3)

1st Place, AFC North

Reached AFC Divisional Playoffs

Season Review: This past offseason, the Ravens promoted Greg Roman to offensive coordinator and he built an attack designed to take full advantage of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s skills. The results were stunning as Baltimore established a new NFL record for rushing yards in a season by a team, Jackson set a new league mark for rushing yards by a quarterback and John Harbaugh’s club led the NFL in scoring with 531 points. A midseason trade for cornerback Marcus Peters paid huge dividends as a shaky defense showed improvement. But the team was a stunning no-show in the home playoff loss to Tennessee.

2019 Turning Point: Harbaugh’s club won its first two games but then stumbled in consecutive weeks against the Chiefs and Browns and needed overtime to defeat the Steelers. In Week 6, the Ravens headed to Seattle and an impressive 30-16 triumph was the start of a franchise-record 12-game winning streak.

2020 Priorities: While general manager Eric DeCosta certainly has his share of potential free agents to make decisions on, the Ravens did lock up Peters to a long-term deal in January. As far as those veterans, Matt Judon led the team with 9.5 sacks but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him re-signed before March 18.

Next: Nos. 2 and 1

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