NFC South Predictions

By Dylan Ehle

NFC SOUTH:  It's time for my most controversial divisional picks, for the second year in a row.  The NFC South would be the most competitive division in the NFL if it wasn't for the Bucs, who will be near the bottom of the NFC.  The NFC South boasts some the most explosive offenses in the NFL, and none of the teams can really be counted out of the playoff hunt. None of them got worse this offseason, and most got better.  Here's how the stack up this year:

There may not be a more "boom or bust" team this year than the New Orleans Saints.  Some claim that Sean Payton's return won't make much of a difference, while others say it will make them Super Bowl contenders again; I definitely fall into the second group.  Brees was insane in the passing game last year (albeit throwing too many interceptions), and he'll be even better with Payton's direction.  He has so many options to spread the ball around, and I expect Graham, Colston, Moore, and Sproles to have monster seasons.  Due to a lot of holes on defense, I expect the Saints to play from behind a lot this year.  Brees will air it out like never before, and I wouldn't be surprised if he broke the single-season passing record.  Prediction:  11-5, NFC South Champions, 3rd Seed

I made this pick last year, and should have been right, but I got burned.  The Panthers are so underrated that it nauseates me.  First off, everyone says that Cam Newton had a "sophomore slump."  That's only because he was off his first few games, but he posted insane numbers after that.  Only two of their losses last year were by more than 6 points, and they were the victims of some horribly unlucky situations.  They won their final four games to end the season, and beat the Falcons once (should have been twice) and beat the Saints twice.  Luke Kuechly is the best middle linebacker in the NFL, and will be in the conversation of defensive player of the year this season.  Newton will make some big strides in this third year, which why I'm going on a limb with this pick - Prediction:  10-6, wildcard berth, 6th seed

I made this pick last year, and should have been right, but I got burned.  The Falcons are so horribly overrated that it nauseates me.  Sure, they have a great receiving tandem in Julio Jones and Roddy White.  Matt Ryan is middle of the pack, though, as is their defense.  All these Super Bowl predictions are so overblown - they're far from even being the best in their own division!  The Falcons couldn't put anyone away last year, and were the weakest team I've ever seen to start 8-0.  They consistently play down to the level of their opponents, and needed miracles to beat mighty teams like the Oakland Raiders.  They only went 3-3 in their division, and 7 of their wins came down to the last play.  Sure, you can stay that good teams find ways to win games.  That applies when the Buffalo Bills surprise the Patriots once a season and Brady comes down to the wire to win it in the final minutes.  It should be a rarity, something that happens once a season against a subpar opponent.  With the Falcons, they play down to the level of their opponents nearly every week, and that does not scream "dominance" to me.  They show all the signs of a slightly above-average team.  Prediction:  9-7, miss the playoffs. 

There's not much to look forward to this season if you're a Bucs fan.  Doug Martin should be amazing to watch, and Josh Freeman should make a few exciting long connections with deep threats Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, but this team is overshadowed by the other three in their division and has no shot at the playoffs in an NFC that hasn't been this competitive since the mid-90s.  Prediction:  6-10