SAN FRANCISCO 49ers - 2020 NFL Season Preview

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers                                          

2019 Record - 13-3-0

Head Coach - Kyle Shanahan

New Players in 2020 - Trent Williams (OL), Joe Walker (LB), Travis Benjamin (WR), Tom Compton (OL), Kerry Hyder (DL)

Players opting out for 2020 season (COVID-19) - Shon Coleman (OL), Jake Brendel (OL)


OFFENSE - Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 3,978 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season. Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard are vying for the backup spot.
The running backs are Raheem Mostert (772 yards, 5.6 ypc average and eight TD) and Tevin Coleman, who gained 544 yards rushing with six touchdowns. All-Pro tight end George Kittle led the team with 85 receptions for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns.
The wide receiving corps has Deebo Samuel (57, 802, three TD), Trent Taylor, Chris Thompson and rookie draft pick Brandon Alyuk (Arizona State). Travis Benjamin signed from the Los Angeles Chargers, but is currently listed on the injury reserve/opt-out list.
San Francisco averaged 29.9 points per game last season (second in NFL) while finishing fourth in total offense with 381 yards per game. The rushing attack was second in the league, averaging 144 yards per game.


DEFENSE - Defensive ends Nick Bosa (nine QB sacks) and Arik Armstead (ten sacks) lead the front charge, along with Dee Ford, who registered 6 1/2 sacks. Top rookie pick Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina) will likely start at one of the tackle spots. Linebackers include Kwon Alexander, Fred Warner and Dee Greenlaw.
The secondary is in good hands with corners Richard Sherman (three interceptions, one for TD) and Ahkello Witherspoon while Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Tarvarius Moore and Marcell Harris are the safeties. Reserve cornerback K'Waun Williams had two interceptions last season.
The 49ers had the top pass defense in the NFL last year, only allowing 169 passing yards per game while picking off twelve passes and getting 48 sacks. They allowed 282 yards per game, which ranked second overall while giving up 19.4 points per game.


OUTLOOK FOR 2020 - After winning their first eight games last season, the 'Niners cruised home with the NFC West title and made it to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan is entering his fourth season with the team and last season's big leap forward has definitely raised the bar for the team.
Garoppolo (two INT) took some heat for his decision making in the Super Bowl loss, especially the second half when the 49ers coughed up the lead. For the 49ers to avoid the let down of being the Super Bowl runner up, they have to maintain the defensive excellence of last year and look for the passing game to be more consistent.
There is pretty good balance on offense and San Francisco showed they can run the football, but they must also protect the quarterback, having allowed 36 sacks last season. Garoppolo has to spread the ball around more this season as Kittle was the main target and only one other receiver had more than 50 receptions.
The 49ers should be a playoff team again, but this will be a very different season around the NFL and they can ill afford to have players going on the non football injury/COVID-19 list during the season. If the offense can step up the passing game and the defense shows they mean business once again, look for another playoff appearance.


TEAM SCHEDULE
Week One - vs. Arizona
Week Two - at N.Y. Jets
Week Three - at N.Y. Giants
Week Four - vs. Philadelphia
Week Five - vs. Miami
Week Six - vs. L.A. Rams
Week Seven - at New England
Week Eight - at Seattle
Week Nine - vs. Green Bay
Week Ten - at New Orleans
Week Eleven - BYE
Week Twelve - at L.A. Rams
Week Thirteen - vs. Buffalo
Week Fourteen - vs. Washington
Week Fifteen - at Dallas
Week Sixteen - at Arizona
Week Seventeen - vs. Seattle

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS - 2020 NFL Season Preview

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS                                  

2019 Record - 12-4-0

Head Coach - Andy Reid 

New Players in 2020 - Ricky Seals-Jones (TE), Mike Remmers (OL), Antonio Hamilton (DB), Taco Charlton (DL)

Players opting out for 2020 season (COVID-19) - Damien Williams (RB), Lucas Niang (OL)


OFFENSE - Quarterback Patrick Mahomes put up good numbers again in 2019 following his huge  2018 season as he passed for 4,031 yards with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions and averaged 5.1 yards per carry when running the football. He also missed two games with a knee injury. Chad Henne, Shea Patterson and perhaps Ta'amu Jordan will compete for the backup spot.
The top running back will likely have to be rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire (LSU), the Chiefs top draft pick. Damien Williams opted out for the 2020 season and LeSean McCoy is with Tampa Bay now.
The tight end is Travis Kelce, who led the team with 97 receptions last year for 1,229 yards and had five touchdowns. Wide receivers include Tyreek Hill (58, 860, seven TD), Sammy Watkins (52, 673, three TD) and Mecole Hardman, who averaged 20.7 yards per catch and scored six touchdowns last season. Demarcus Robinson (32, 449, four TD) is another option for the Chiefs passing attack.


DEFENSE - Defensive tackle Chris Jones (nine QB sacks) and defensive end Frank Clark (eight sacks) lead the front seven for the Chiefs while safeties Tyrann Matheiu (four interceptions and two sacks) and Juan Thornhill (three picks) spearhead a solid secondary. The corners are Charvarius Ward (two INT) and Rashaud Breeland. Damien Wilson, Ben Niemann and Anthony Hitchens (two sacks) are the linebackers. Rookie LB Willie Gay, Jr. (Mississippi State) will look to get to his chance too.
Kansas City totaled 16 interceptions a year ago and had 45 quarterback sacks while registering a plus-8 in turnovers. The Chiefs improved dramatically in 2019 from the previous year as they allowed 19.2 points per game (7th overall) while giving up 350 yards per game. The pass defense ranked eighth overall (222 ypg) while the run defense allowed 128 yards per game, which was 26th in the NFL.


OUTLOOK FOR 2020 - As long as Mahomes stays healthy, the Chiefs have to be considered favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The offense simply hums with him at the controls and really got it going in the playoffs last season, averaging 39 points per game.
The rushing attack will face a stiff challenge with a rookie likely getting the bulk of the carries this season. Kansas City ranked 23rd last season in the league, gaining just 98 rushing yards per game. If opposing teams stack the box, Mahomes will make them pay with his talents and a wide array of top notch receivers.
Head Coach Andy Reid finally got the monkey off his back last year as the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. But if the Chiefs continue to light up the scoreboard on offense and the defense continues to get better (which it did as the 2019 season progressed) there is no reason to doubt they will once again win the AFC West division title. A tough first half of the schedule will definitely be a challenge, but as long as they stay healthy, this team could very well win a second straight Super Bowl.


TEAM SCHEDULE
Week One - vs. Houston
Week Two - at L.A. Chargers
Week Three - at Baltimore
Week Four - vs. New England
Week Five - vs. Las Vegas
Week Six - at Buffalo
Week Seven - at Denver
Week Eight - vs. N.Y. Jets
Week Nine - vs. Carolina
Week Ten - BYE
Week Eleven - at Las Vegas
Week Twelve - at Tampa Bay
Week Thirteen - vs. Denver
Week Fourteen - at Miami
Week Fifteen - at New Orleans
Week Sixteen - vs. Atlanta
Week Seventeen - vs. L.A. Chargers
 
 

Will There Be An NFL Season?

Can the NFL pull it off in 2020?

With the struggles going on around Major League Baseball with the COVID-19 virus raging again in the United States (at least in many certain states) can the NFL go about having a 16-game schedule in the 2020 season? With the travel involved and having to have so many players stay disciplined and follow proper protocol with the virus, the league faces a big challenge to get it done. Baseball has already been finding that out the hard way just one week into the 60-game schedule.

While it is definitely good to see pro sports back in action (NBA in the "bubble" in Florida and NHL playing in their version of the "bubble" in Edmonton and Toronto up in Canada) there are questions and concerns with pro football and baseball and the traveling involved across the nation. With the largest rosters in professional sports, football runs the greatest risk for outbreaks with the infectious disease occurring at some point this fall and winter.

College football is a whole other topic and they might as well bag it now because there is no way one can control the behaviors of young adults/teenagers roaming college campuses in this country. Those areas will be petri dishes for the virus, count on it.

While it will be good to see the NFL season go along without a hitch, there has been problems already as some members of the Buffalo Bills (rookies it has been reported) have tested positive and are not being allowed in the team training camp until they can test negative. Other cases are sure to follow around the league and have already been reported after training camps opened on July 28.

The United States as a whole has failed miserably with the coronavirus pandemic and with people being creatures of habit, it's hard to expect folks to just all of a sudden conform to the simple safety measures of wearing a mask out in public, washing hands frequently and practicing (at least 6-foot) social distancing.

Football doesn't allow for social distancing, so look for players to eventually get infected. The players choosing to "opt out" of the 2020 season are wise as they look out for their families and loved ones as they look toward a better future regarding the disease when a vaccine can become available.

In the meantime, Heftyinfo will eventually preview the NFL teams once the rosters are set with those who will be participating this coming season. Best wishes to those choosing to play this season. Here is hoping no one gets seriously sick, whether it be players, coaches or team staff members.

Baseball Is Back - 2020 Major League Baseball Preview

It took nearly four months, but it appears there will be Major League Baseball this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic that has rocked the entire world, especially here in the United States of America, where many states (mostly in the South and West parts of the country) continue to be ravaged by the COVID-19 that has shut down the country since mid-March.
With the season being limited to just 60 games, Heftyinfo will not go into much detail about the teams gearing up for the sprint to the post-season this October. Instead, just a brief look at what to possibly expect in what will surely be a most unpredictable season. Reason being should any players (especially key players on major league rosters) go down with the COVID-19 virus, it will have a significant impact on their team and could derail a run to the playoffs.
This virus has been very tricky and with so many people not wanting to follow protocol for health and safety (wear a face mask, wash your hands and social distancing) which is really pretty easy and very basic to do. That is a big reason fans will NOT be in the stands for the games. Stop the spread of this damn virus already and MLB  (like the other major sports in America) is looking to do just that.
When Dr. Anthony Fauci throws out the ceremonial first pitch for the game between the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees on Thursday, it will mark the beginning of what should be a very interesting baseball season.
Not since the 1981 strike shortened SPLIT SEASON has MLB seen anything like what will transpire for the next two months or so.
Teams will need to get off to a good start and those teams that do flounder out to a poor start can pretty much pack it in until next spring training. That being said, most people are picking the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees to face each other in the World Series. It's what the pick was here at this site a year ago and before spring training shut down back in March, was the likely pick once again for this year.
All bets are off for this season and picking a champion will be no easy task as if it ever is in baseball.
The Dodgers and Yankees both are loaded teams and have the pitching and the depth to go all the way for sure. But the game isn't won on paper, it is won on the playing field.
Here goes nothing as Heftyinfo looks at what could happen around Major League Baseball for the (brief) 2020 season.

*(Note - MLB has changed to expand the MLB playoffs to 16 teams this season rather than the usual 10 teams that it originally planned when the 60-game schedule was set. So disregard any playoff picks previously made. Still taking Yankees over Dodgers in the World Series.)


AMERICAN LEAGUE                                              NATIONAL LEAGUE

East                                                                              East
1 - New York Yankees                                                 1 - Washington Nationals
2 - Tampa Bay Rays (wild card)                                  2 - Atlanta Braves (wild card)
3 - Boston Red Sox                                                      3 - Philadelphia Phillies
4 - Toronto Blue Jays                                                   4 - New York Mets
5 - Baltimore Orioles                                                   5 - Miami Marlins

Central                                                                          Central
1 - Minnesota Twins                                                     1 - St. Louis Cardinals
2 - Chicago White Sox (wild card)                               2 - Chicago Cubs (wild card)
3 - Cleveland Indians                                                    3 - Cincinnati Reds
4 - Kansas City Royals                                                  4 - Milwaukee Brewers
5 - Detroit Tigers                                                           5 - Pittsburgh Pirates

West                                                                               West
1 - Houston Astros                                                          1 - Los Angeles Dodgers
2 - Oakland A's                                                                2 - San Diego Padres
3 - Texas Rangers                                                            3 - Arizona Diamondbacks
4 - Los Angeles Angels                                                   4 - Colorado Rockies
5 - Seattle Mariners                                                          5 - San Francisco Giants


* Original Post-Season predictions below no longer valid due to the change in playoff format announced on Thursday, July 23, 2020 by MLB officials.  The World Series pick made still stands for this post.

American League Playoffs

Chicago White Sox over Tampa Bay in Wild Card Game

ALDS
New York Yankees over Minnesota Twins (3-1)
Houston Astros over Chicago White Sox (3-2)

ALCS
New York Yankees over Houston Astros (4-2)



National League Playoffs

Atlanta Braves over Chicago Cubs in Wild Card Game

NLDS
Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta Braves (3-0)
St. Louis Cardinals over Washington Nationals (3-1)

NLCS
Los Angeles Dodgers over St. Louis Cardinals (4-0)


WORLD SERIES

New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-3)  

                   

COVID-19: The Return Of Lyin' Donald

After the debacle that was the daily "press briefings" of the Trump COVID-19 task force back in the
spring, we are now going to get round two of Donald Trump taking over what is supposed to be information regarding the coronavirus pandemic, which by the way he predicted would go away in April.
Trump made a complete ass of himself back in March and April before network (and local) news decided to pull the plug on the farce that was the COVID-19 "press briefings" that morphed into mini campaign  rallies for Trump.
It's all this guy knows how to do. He is not a president, he's a "celebrity" because that's all he can do.
Originally, Vice President Mike Pence was to lead the coronavirus task force but Trump can't help himself. He has to be front and center regarding everything. Look at what has been happening in Portland, Oregon with secret "police" coming in to stir up trouble among what are mostly peaceful protestors.
Add to that the Russian bounty on our American troops that resulted in the deaths of said troops overseas while Trump claimed ignorance to it all. The reporters that do show up for the nonsense Trump will provide in the coming days and weeks should hammer him with questions regarding the Russian bounty paid to foreign enemies to kill our troops. Do not let up on him because he did absolutely nothing to stop that action.
Trump insisted that people take dangerous drugs (hydroxychloroquine) as well as ingest disinfectants and drink Lysol bleach cleaning products to fight off COVID-19 and once that idiocy came forward, the briefings were stopped back in late April.
Since then, he and his administration have launched an all out attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading health expert on viral diseases, because he tells the truth regrading COVID-19 and doesn't sugar coat the fact this pandemic is not going away any time soon. However, the Trump toadies (Dr. Birk comes to mind) have escaped the wrath of the orange menace because they bow to his will.
Look for the same tired schtick from Trump and his cohorts when these "press briefings" get going and of course now that Trump and his team control the information regarding COVID-19 cases and deaths from hospitals across the country, they will spin those numbers to make themselves look good. Hospitals are no longer required to turn the information over to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) regarding COVID-19.
Trump has to always control the narrative and a big part of the problem is the media lets him get away with it time and time again. Of course, the corporate influence over the bulk of the media has a lot to do with that conformity to the Trump administration.
With his approval ratings floundering around in the high 30's (perhaps even as high as 40 percent) Trump knows he is not likely to win the election this November so he will do all he possibly can to distract people and suppress the vote.

After all, the presidential election is just a little over three months away. 

Stay tuned. 

Into The Great Unknown

If and when the professional sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) get things rolling again and actually play games that matter in the league standings, then Heftyinfo will have coverage along with thoughts and comments on those sports.
Here's hoping things go on without much damage due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic that has been wreaking havoc in the United States and all other countries around the world. People need to put differences aside and (once again it is stated) use common sense and do the right thing to try and get this virus under some sort of manageability. 


Baseball is slated to start again on July 23, the NBA on July 30 and 31, the NHL playoffs on August 1 (in Edmonton and Toronto, Canada) and the NFL training camps are looking to open up July 28.

Double Whammy For Trump

In two rulings handed down by the United States Supreme Court (7-2 decisions on each) it is determined that the Preisdent of the United States is NOT above the law and therefore Donald J. Trump has to hand over his tax returns to the New York Manhattan District.
However, expect Trump and his cronies to stonewall for as long as possible before we the people actually get to see said tax returns.
But the precedent has been set --  NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW -- not even the President of the United States.