Coming into the 2012 NFL season, the NFC South division looks to be quite compelling and competitive. For one, no team endured more hardships than the New Orleans Saints. The Saints will have to overcome a heap of distractions and execute on the field without their head coach. Probably considered the favorite before this all happened, how will the Saints finish in the NFC South, with teams like Atlanta and even Carolina poised to make a run.
How They’ll Finish…
Atlanta 11-5
New Orleans 10-6
Carolina 8-8
Tampa Bay 5-11
The Reasons…
We have the Atlanta Falcons winning the NFC South for the second time in three seasons. This will also be Atlanta’s third-straight trip to the postseason.
Behind quarterback Matt Ryan, the Falcons offense is going to be one of the most explosive in the league. That is in large part due to the dynamic receiving duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White, perhaps the best in the NFL. Ryan had a career season statistically in 2011, with Jones coming in his rookie season and making an instant impact. He is only expected to get better, and just might be one of the top-five receivers in the league.
Then of course we can’t forget about running back Michael Turner. Turner is still one of the premiere bacs in the league, and gets some help from Jacquizz Rodgers. Atlanta is so well-balanced on offense, that they can win football games in a number of ways. That is why we believe the Falcons will take the NFC South this season.
The New Orleans Saints could win it as well though. When you have Drew Brees, anything is possible. Brees is coming off his record-breaking season, but you can’t say for sure that the offseason penalties and distractions won’t have an effect on the field.
The Carolina Panthers will continue to make improvements, and actually are our darkhorse team to make the playoffs as a wildcard this season. But even going 8-8 would be a nice step forward for a team that had just one win two seasons ago.
We didn’t mention the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this equation as far as contenders. And for good reason. The Bucs simply do not have enough talent yet to compete and make the playoffs this season. But they could be good for some upsets and disruptions as to which team eventually goes on to take the division.
Tune in. This division race should be exciting.