2014 NFC South Projections

X-New Orleans Saints 10-6

Last year the New Orleans Saints made their fourth playoff appearance in the last five years. In 2014, Saints head coach Sean Payton is hopeful that his team can return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2009.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has passed for more than 5,000 yards in the last three seasons and you can expect another campaign like that this season due to the rules in the National Football League that protect quarterbacks and wide receivers alike. Bress and the Saints will miss running back Darren Sproles who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. Sproles was huge coming out of the backfield as a receiver on third down. The Saints will look to Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas to be their workhorse running backs this season.

The Saints still have tight end Jimmy Graham who is a match-up nightmare for opponents and he will once again be Brees’s go-to-guy.

Rob Ryan is entering his second year as the Saints defensive coordinator and he is starting to get his type of players to be in the 3-4 defense. Saints strong safety Kenny Vaccarro is returning from injury and he will be a player that will flourish under Ryan in 2014. Vaccarro had 62 tackles last season before an injury ended his campaign.

Of the Saints first six opponents this season none of them had a winning record in 2013 which bodes well for New Orleans as they will try to get off to a fast start which could allow them to get a home game for the postseason.

Carolina Panthers 9-7

With his job on the line last season, Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera guided his squad to the postseason for the first time since 2008. Rivera is a defensive minded head coach that relies on a tough defensive club which he currently has. The Panthers had the second ranked defense in the National Football League last season as they were led by middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. Kuechly is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and he simply tackles anything that crosses his path.

But for the Panthers to have success this season it cannot simply be just about their defense. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is entering his fourth season in Charlotte and he has done some good things there. But more than ever Newton needs to have a stud wide receiver to throw the football to. The Panthers drafted wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the first round of the NFL Draft this past spring which was a reach as he lacks explosion. The Panthers also released longtime wide receiver Steve Smith who was a security blanket for Newton in years past. Newton is also coming off of off-season ankle surgery and he may not be as mobile in 2014 as he has been previously which could put more of a strain on Carolina’s offense.

If the Panthers fail to make the playoffs in 2014 it will be hard for me to see Rivera returning to Charlotte in 2015.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9

The Greg Schiano era was a disaster from the start which is why former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith is now running the show for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In nine years as the head coach of the Bears, Smith compiled a record of 81-63 which was highlighted by him leading Chicago to the Super Bowl following the 2006 NFL season. Smith has a past life in Tampa as from 1996-2000 as he was the Buccaneers linebackers coach. The Cover 2 defense that has at times has been referred to as the “Tampa 2” will once again be prevalent with Smith running the show, but does he have the pieces for it to be successful this season?

Defensively the Bucs have a defensive line that features defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and defensive ends Adrian Clayborn, Michael Johnson, and William Gholston. McCoy, middle linebacker Mason Foster, and strong safety Mark Barron will be vital because the strength of the Cover 2 is right up the middle of the defense and it remains to be seen whether or not the Buccaneers will be up for the challenge defensively.

Quarterback Josh McCown is set to join his sixth NFL team this season with the Bucs. McCown was a backup quarterback for the Bears during Smith’s last year there in 2012 which means that there is some familiarity between them. McCown has talent around him with some very big wide receivers in Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans. The Buccaneers could also have an impact made by their trio of tight ends in Brandon Myers, Luke Stocker, and rookie Austin Seferian-Jenkins who will be mainly a receiving tight end.

The Buccaneers recently acquired guard Logan Mankins from the New England Patriots who will be a veteran presence on an offensive line that struggled at times last year in Tampa and this team must get better in the trenches.

The Bucs first two games of the season are at home as they’ll host the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams respectively. Even if the Buccaneers start off slow this season, Smith will not allow his squad to get down on themselves as he’ll preach focus and determination.

Atlanta Falcons 5-11

Like any other sport there are championship windows that teams have in the National Football League. While the window can be bigger for some teams rather than others you still must make the most of you opportunity. Mike Smith took over as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2008 and in four of his six seasons there he has led the club to the postseason. Twice the Falcons have finished the regular season with the best record in the NFC, but over that stretch they have only been able to win one playoff game. Last year the Falcons had their worst season since 2007 as they went 4-12 and they are hopeful for a quick turnaround this year.

Quarterback Matt Ryan is set to begin his seventh season with the Falcons and he has done some tremendous things there. Ryan is already the Falcons all-time franchise leader in passing yards while compiling a record of 60-34 as a starting quarterback. Last year Ryan was done in by the injury bug as the Falcons team around him crumbled but he is hoping for a different outcome this year.

Last year the Falcons offensive line was in shambles. The Falcons drafted offensive tackle Jake Matthews early in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft as he is expected to anchor their o-line at left tackle. When healthy Falcons wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White are one of the best combinations in football and Ryan needs the pair to be available for the entire 2014 campaign. Last year the Falcons were dead last in the NFL in rushing. This past spring Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff drafted running back Devonta Freeman in the fourth round, but it will be tough for him to come in immediately and fill that void in Atlanta’s struggling running game. Tight ends Bear Pascoe and Levine Toilolo will have their hands full in replacing tight end Tony Gonzalez who retired.

Last year the Falcons defense was tied for 27th in the league and by not adding any major impact players I do not see the unit improving that much for the upcoming season.

The Falcons will begin the season against a pair of playoff teams from last season in the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals respectively and this season could get away from Atlanta even before it really starts.

Source: Pro-football-reference.com

X-Clinched Division