NFL Preview: NFC South

This is the third of my eight divisional NFL previews.

1 (Tie). New Orleans Saints (9-7)

The Saints are a team that always will be a surprise going into a season. Their quarterback is pretty steady, racking up 4000 yds and probably 20-25 TD passes. The situation at running back is the surprise however. Reggie Bush, currently labeled as a bust, needs to have that breakout season soon or else he is doomed to NFL mediocrity. Luckily for him, Deuce McAllister is perpertually hurt, so Bush shouldn't worry about job security. Yet. Their wideout Colston is among the best and their line is decent. On D, their front seven are pretty good, but the secondary is so far unproven and therefore questionable. Playing in a weak division (most notably two games against the Falcons) and having the 5th easiest schedule means playoffs for Nawlins.

1 (Tie). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

The Bucs are a very good team, but unfortunately for them, most of their team is getting old. A 38 year old QB, 36 and 32 year old receivers and an old D. But, that hasn't really stopped them in the past. Jeff Garcia still posted a 94.6 passer rating and Joey Galloway raked in over 1000 yards again, so they seem to be still at the top of their game. Also, last year's deep sleeper Earnest Graham should do well again. Their line however is young and won't do well against even an average defense. On the other side, LB Barrett Ruud has really hit stride and the secondary starring Ronde Barber and Phillip Buchanon continues to shine. I see a good year for them, but playoffs will elude them this year.

3. Carolina Panthers (7-9)

The Panthers will be starting the year without star WR Steve Smith who was suspended. Delhomme, though doing well for the few games he played, is injury prone and backup Matt Moore can't carry the team. However the running back duo of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams should take pressure off Delhomme. Their defense is pretty average with no real superstars outside of Julius Peppers. But even his best years are behind him. They should look towards the draft or the trading block for some productive D-linemen to help Peppers get pressure on opposing QBs. The Panthers will almost reach .500 due to their easy schedule, but will fare poorly against the better squads.

4. Atlanta Falcons (3-13)

Definitely the worst team in the NFL, the Falcons only bright light is a guy who had been a backup for his whole career (Turner). Wideout Roddy White is only as good as the man who throws to him. Matt Ryan, despite being an elite college pro is still a rookie and unproven on the big stage. Their line is deplorable which will hurt Turner's stats and cause Ryan to go down quite a few times. The D is poor as well and will rely on John Abraham who had a respectable 10 sacks last year. As special teams go, they acquired Jason Elam whose accuracy will improve in the dome. Final thought: Rebuild through the draft. It'll be a few years before they contend.