Revisiting The 2019 NFL Season
It has been five years since the start of the 2019 NFL season, which was the last season before the COVID-19 pandemic and saw an uprising of new stars and familiar faces. While the NFL is very different now, it is always interesting to look back and see what happened in 2019 and how the league compares to today. So, for fun, let's look back at the 2019-20 National Football League season.
Recap Of The 2019 Offseason
Entering the offseason, several teams made considerable changes in free agency, including the Jacksonville Jaguars moving on from Blake Bortles and giving former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles a huge $88 million, four-year contract. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell left Pittsburgh for New York, and the Green Bay Packers made splashes with safety Adrian Amos and linebacker Za'Darius Smith.
The Cleveland Browns "won the offseason" after trading for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and adding running back Kareem Hunt alongside a few others. The Steelers moved on from Antonio Brown and sent him to the Oakland Raiders, a team he never played a down for. Quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill also found new teams, and tight end Rob Gronkowski retired for the first time.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray first overall, followed by the 49ers selecting Nick Bosa. Later in the draft, the Giants picked Daniel Jones sixth overall, and some hidden gems were found in A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel. This offseason welcomed head coaches Matt LaFleur and Zac Taylor to the league.
Recap Of The Regular Season
The start of the NFL's 100th season began with the Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers in Week One. While it was not as exciting as the matchup the year before, the Packers won a close 10-3 battle.
The Jaguars hosted a game in London, as usual. The Rams, Raiders, and Chargers also took a trip overseas. Los Angeles hosted Kansas City in Mexico City, falling 24-17.
After the Buffalo Bills defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the world took notice of quarterback Josh Allen and the uprising of the Bills. The season ended with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks fighting for the NFC West crown on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers ended up winning that game 26-21.
The Baltimore Ravens finished with the best record in the league at 14-2, with Lamar Jackson taking home MVP. Behind them in the AFC were the Chiefs (12-4), Patriots (12-4), and Texans (10-6), with the Bills and Titans as the wildcards. In the NFC, the 49ers (13-3) and Packers (13-3) secured first-round byes while the Saints (13-3), Eagles (9-7), Seahawks (11-5) and Vikings (10-6) rounded off the NFC.
2019-2020 Playoff Recap
In the first round, the Titans upset the Patriots in Tom Brady's last game in New England. The Vikings also upset the Saints in overtime. In the Divisional Round, the Texans blew a 24-0 lead and lost 51-31 to the Chiefs, while the Titans completely shut down the red-hot Ravens 28-6 on the road. San Francisco and Green Bay also advanced.
In the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs took care of business, sending Patrick Mahomes to his first Super Bowl. The NFC Championship Game featured the breakout of running back Raheem Mostert, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl after four rushing touchdowns.
In Super Bowl LIV, the Kansas City Chiefs would win the first of three eventual Super Bowl championships under Patrick Mahomes. In the first of two Super Bowl matchups against the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City scored 21 unanswered points to take down San Francisco 31-20. Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP.
Other Notes From The 2019-20 Season
At the 2020 NFL Honors, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was named Most Valuable Player, and Baltimore's Jim Harbaugh was named Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, Saints receiver Michael Thomas and Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore also took home OPOTY and DPOTY.
2019 would be the last season played by future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates Sr, linebacker Luke Keuechly, future Hall of Fame quarterback Eli Manning, tackle Joe Staley, and guard Marshal Yanda. It was also the last NFL season not affected by COVID-19 until 2022.
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