NFL Teams Set to Take Off in 2020 Season's 2nd Half

The sprint to the conclusion of the 2020 NFL campaign will feature head-turning performances. 

This is the case every year, but it could be especially noticeable this season, with some teams starting slowly in part because of a summer stretch that featured an altered training camp and no preseason games amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It should be fun to watch squads making big pushes over the final eight or so games. Team health and schedules play a role in determining which ones could take off over the second half of the season. Others could turn the corner by figuring out a scheme or by finally finding their chemistry.

Below, we'll look at teams set for big second halves based on the above factors, excluding teams that have already established their status this year, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history, and the Seattle Seahawks.      

Minnesota Vikings

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The NFL is about to get a full dose of the Dalvin Cook show. 

Cook's Minnesota Vikings started 1-5, raising the question of whether head coach Mike Zimmer should be on the hot seat. But they have rattled off wins in each of the last two weeks, upsetting the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and taking down the Detroit Lions at home. 

It appears as though Cook is going to drag the Vikings out of top-10 draft territory. He returned from a groin injury against the Packers and ran for 163 yards and three scores while averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Against Detroit, he recorded 206 yards on the ground and two scores while averaging 9.4 yards per tote.

He's rushed for 858 yards and a league-leading 12 scores on the ground while averaging six yards per carry over just seven games. 

Kirk Cousins hasn't been amazing, but he is completing 65.6 percent of his passes and averaging a league-leading 8.9 yards per attempt. That's the highest yards-per-attempt average of his career if you exclude his rookie campaign in which he had just 48 pass attempts.

It also helps that breakout rookie wideout Justin Jefferson is averaging 18.4 yards per reception and has a catch rate of 77.3 percent on 44 targets.

The Vikings defense will have it easier too. The unit has the benefit of a defensive guru in Zimmer, and team's remaining strength of schedule is a cozy eighth-easiest.

Not only do the Vikings get to play Jacksonville (1-7), Dallas (2-7), Carolina (3-6) and Detroit (3-5), but the two tougher games against 5-4 Chicago also aren't as bad as they seem. The Bears have the league's worst rushing offense, have recorded the fourth-fewest yards per game and have scored the fourth-fewest points per game.    

Things are only going to get colder for Minnesota opponents, especially for defenses lining up opposite Cook. 

Baltimore Ravens

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On one hand, you could wave off the Baltimore Ravens as contenders and move on.

On the other, the 6-2 Ravens are 1-1 out of their Week 7 bye and have greatly benefited from a soft schedule, picking up wins over Houston (2-6), Washington (2-6), Cincinnati (2-5-1) and Philadelphia (3-4-1).

Despite his team's victories, Lamar Jackson has said other teams have known his offense's calls. 

Normally, the idea that defensive coordinators have figured out Jackson and the Ravens offense would be concerning. Jackson's yards-per-pass-attempt rate has dropped from 7.8 to 7.1, and he's on pace to throw just 24 touchdowns compared to his league-leading 36 in 2019.

But as offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted, it's not unusual for an opposing defense to call out plays. And the Ravens have the fifth-easiest schedule the rest of the way, including another game against Cincinnati plus Jacksonville (1-7), Dallas (2-7), New England (3-5) and the New York Giants (2-7).

There's no reason to think Baltimore won't be able to tweak its scheme to confuse defenses, and the ones remaining aren't dynamic enough to counter Jackson. Some of their opponents could also start turning their eye toward the draft, leading to a boost for the Ravens.

This will be a tune-up stretch for a contender with issues to iron out.                           

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another team with serious question marks.

Tom Brady and Co. have been swept by the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South, with a 34-23 loss in the season opener and a 38-3 humiliation at home in Week 9.

Technically, the Buccaneers are still in the playoff race thanks to their 6-3 record. But a one-point loss to Chicago and only a two-point win over the Giants seem like cause for concern.

While Brady has just a 65.3 percent completion rate with 20 touchdowns against seven interceptions, he will likely improve as he gets better acclimated to his new team.

It also feels like Mike Evans hasn't been utilized to his full potential. The 27-year-old was targeted just two times in two of his last four games, yet he leads the team with 437 receiving yards. 

The Buccaneers have one of the 10 easiest schedules the rest of the way, and they will get 3-6 Atlanta twice, a 3-6 Carolina team they already smacked around 31-17, plus 3-5 Detroit. 

Las Vegas Raiders

David Richard/Associated Press

It's all coming together for the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Despite missing both starting offensive tackles, the Raiders finished a two-game road stretch with a 2-0 mark to get to 5-3 on the season.

The team should have left tackle Kolton Miller (ankle) back soon, and Derek Carr has been able to improvise well, completing 69.8 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns against just two interceptions. 

Head coach Jon Gruden and Co. have opened up the offense for Carr as a runner too. The seventh-year quarterback has recorded 108 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt with 10 first downs. That's complemented running back Josh Jacobs, who, despite consistent injuries to line in front of him, has rushed for 588 yards and six scores.

The Raiders will continue to get closer to full strength, and they've already powered through the NFL's toughest schedule through seven weeks, according to Football Outsiders (h/t Kenneth Arthur of Silver and Black Pride).

Las Vegas will have the sixth-easiest schedule the rest of the way, including two games against Denver (3-5) and one game against Atlanta (3-6), the Los Angeles Chargers (2-6) and New York Jets (0-9). There are also winnable games against Indianapolis and Miami, and the Raiders already took down the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in Week 5. They'll have a chance to sweep that rivalry at home in Week 11.  

Miami Dolphins

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Brian Flores plan is clearly working for the Miami Dolphins. 

After tallying just five wins a season ago, the Dolphins have matched that same total over just eight games. And it hasn't just been due to a soft schedule either. They were predicted to have the third-toughest slate heading into the year.

While wins over the Jaguars and Jets aren't a lot to brag about, taking down the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals in back-to-back weeks is a great sign. 

Flores made the switch to Tua Tagovailoa under center in Week 8, and the rookie first-rounder has completed 65.4 percent of his 52 pass attempts, throwing for three touchdowns and no picks. The multi-season rebuilding plan has made for a suitable learning-on-the-fly environment, highlighted by a defense that's allowing the fourth-fewest points per game (20.1).

From here, Miami's ninth-easiest schedule will pair nicely with Tagovailoa's expected upswing as he gains experience. The Dolphins get the Jets (0-9) and Patriots (3-5) again, plus Denver (3-5), Cincinnati (2-5-1) and the Chargers (2-6). The fact that the Dolphins lost to Seattle by just eight points and the Buffalo Bills by only three hints that the tougher rematch against the Bills is winnable. 

Before the season, it was hard to suggest the Dolphins would be in contention for the playoffs and even the AFC East crown. Yet this is something to keep an eye on during the second half of the season.