2010 NFL Previews - NFC South

The New Orleans Saints are the defending Super Bowl Champions and boy they sure love to party! That has been the prevailing message from Nawlins over the last 6 months. Will the Saints suffer from a Super Bowl hangover? The Atlanta Falcons finally had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. However, they still missed out on the playoffs, largely due to injuries suffered during the season by QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner. They are a sleeper team this year and could do some damage, if healthy. The Carolina Panthers had a rough season last year, mostly because of the awful play of their former QB Jake Delhomme. They now have entrusted QB Matt Moore with the starting job. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in major rebuilding mode. They should go back to their old uniforms because the level of suck they are at now has reached the level of suck they had with those jerseys.

1. Atlanta Falcons

2009 Record: 9-7, 2nd place NFC South
Head Coach: Mike Smith (3rd season Atlanta, 20-13 career)
Key Additions: LB Sean Witherspoon, CB Dunta Robinson
Key Losses: CB Chris Houston

2010 Outlook: Expectations are high in Atlanta this season after the Falcons finally got the monkey off their back and put together consecutive winning seasons. Despite having Matt Ryan and Michael Turner miss games the Falcons still won 9 games. If Ryan and Turner can stay healthy this season, there is no reason the Falcons can't win 11 games like they did two seasons ago. Ryan's numbers were down from his rookie year but injuries played a part in that. Turner also struggled at times last year but has vowed to return to the form he had in 2008. The Falcons also have the very dangerous Roddy White at receiver, and the age defying Tony Gonzalez at tight end. Defense could be better for Atlanta but they have the talent to improve. DE John Abraham was another injury causality last season, but when healthy is an absolute beast. The Falcons plucked away (bad pun) CB Dunta Robinson from the Texans in hopes of improving their 28th ranked pass defense. I don't think the injury bug will hit the Falcons like it did last season and because of that the Falcons will be the surprise winners of the NFC South.

Prediction: 11-5

2. New Orleans Saints

2009 Record: 13-3, 1st place NFC South, Super Bowl Champions
Head Coach: Sean Payton (5th season New Orleans, 42-27 career, Super Bowl winner)
Key Additions: CB Patrick Robinson, FB Jason McKie, DE Alex Brown
Key Losses: RB Mike Bell, LB Scott Fujita

2010 Outlook: No team has enjoyed a Super Bowl win quite like the Saints. For a franchise that was so awful for so many years it is understandable, but 2009 is over and it is time for the Saints to focus on 2010. Luckily for them, the schedule is really not all that difficult, and they managed to avoid major roster turnover, which can be very difficult for a defending champion. QB Drew Brees is arguably the best QB in football right now and makes everyone around him better. RB Pierre Thomas is very underrated and of course there is dangerous in his own right, Reggie Bush. Brees has tons of weapons at receiver with Marquest Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meacham, and tight end Jeremy Shockey. The Saints were susceptible to the big play on defense last year, but made more than enough big plays of their own on defense to counteract it. They were able to re-sign S Darren Sharper who had a tremendous season last year. However, the Saints have to hope that they can continue to force turovers at the rate they did last season or their defense could be exposed. Coordinator Gregg Wiliiams loves taking chances and when they pay off he looks like a genius. Those chances also lead to giving up points. I think the Saints have been far too caught up in last season, but with how easy their schedule is they will still make the playoffs.

Prediction: 11-5

3. Carolina Panthers

2009 Record: 8-8, 3rd place NFC South
Head Coach: John Fox (9th season, 76-60 career)
Key Additions: QB Jimmy Clausen, LB Jamar Williams
Key Losses: QB Jake Delhomme, WR Mushin Muhammad, G Keydrick Vincent, LB Na'il Diggs, DT Maake Kemoeatu, DE Julius Peppers

2010 Outlook: The Panthers got off to an 0-3 start in 2009 and never recovered. QB Jake Delhomme was obviously still feeling the effects of his awful playoff performance against Arizona in 2008. The Panthers decided to cut bait with him and have given the job to Matt Moore, who showed promise at the end of last season. Moore's job will be made easier because the Panthers are loaded at running back. Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart ran for over 1,000 yards last season. WR Steve Smith give's Moore a great number one option, but the rest of the receivers are unproven. While Julius Peppers could be wildly inconsistent he will definitely be missed this season. Pressure will be on DE Tyler Brayton and Everette Brown to pick up the slack. The Panthers best defensive player is now LB Jon Beason. Beason will be playing out of position for most of the season though with LB Thomas Davis out with a torn ACL. I think the Panthers found something in Moore and he will be good but with the uncertainty surrounding coach John Fox and whether or not he will be back, I don't like their chances this season. Lame duck coaches usually aren't successful and I don't think Fox and the Panthers will buck that trend.

Prediction: 7-9

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2009 Record: 3-13, last place NFC South
Head Coach: Raheem Morris (2nd season Tampa Bay, 3-13 career)
Key Additions: DT Gerald McCoy, WR Reggie Brown, S Sean Jones
Key Losses: RB Derrick Ward, WR Antonio Bryant, QB Byron Leftwich, S Will Allen, DT Chris Hovan, P Josh Bidwell

2010 Outlook: The Buccaneers were awful last season with their lone bright spot being a shocking come from behind road win against the Saints. Things don't figure to get much better this year. The team is very young and that youth movement is led by second-year QB Josh Freeman. Freeman won't have much to work with as the team's best receive Antonio Bryant left for Cincinnati (Bryant has since been released by the Bengals). TE Kellen Winslow gives him a good security blanket but his starting WRs may be rookies, Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. Former Philadelphia bust Reggie Brown will also be an option. The Buccaneers appear to be set at RB with Cadillac Williams, so much so that they recently released Derrick Ward, whom they signed to a 4-year deal in 2009. Late last season, coach Raheem Morris took over defensive play calling duties and will remain in that role this year. The Bucs are hoping Gerald McCoy, the #3 overall pick can make an immediate impact. The Bucs have a very good corner in Aqib Talib and have the always steady, although aging Ronde Barber back for another year. The Bucs are at least 3 or 4 years away from being serious contenders, and it will remain to be seen whether ownership will have the patience to ride out these lean years with Morris.

Prediction: 4-12