Too Early NFC South Preview
Spencer Richardson
If Vegas is any indication, the NFC South shouldn’t be much of a competition.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-300) have by far the best odds to win the division, per FanDuel. And it’s not hard to understand why.
But do any of the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons stand a shot at dethroning Tom Brady & Company?
It’s a daunting task, but not impossible.
Let’s jump in with an early look at the division.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As long as Tom Brady is under center for your team, you have to feel pretty good about your chances. He’ll go down as one of the best players in NFL history, probably the best player at the game’s most important position.
So this season should be a cakewalk for the Bucs, right?
Not so fast.
I’ll spare you the evergreen discussions about whether this is the season Tom Brady’s heroics aren’t enough. This has nothing to do with Brady’s undeniable talent.
Well, sort of.
Let’s acknowledge that Brady, while great, is not the same player capable of lifting a team past opponents by sheer force of will.
Elsewhere on the roster, questions remain. Chris Godwin should come back after missing last season with an ACL injury. But will he recapture the explosiveness fans saw pre-injury? How does Gronk’s retirement affect Brady, even from a comfort-blanket standpoint? Antonio Brown isn’t coming back, either. The Bucs also have a rough start to the season as they head to Dallas to open the season in prime time against the Cowboys. Want to get an early look on how that game will play out? Check out PicksforTonight’s NFL game simulations where you can find out who to pick before the game even begins.
And how will Todd Bowles fare as head coach? Aside from a strong first season leading the New York Jets, his resume as the head coach leaves a lot to be desired.
Maybe it’s the wildly short odds, but the NFC will be far from a cakewalk this season.
- New Orleans Saints
Let’s move to the team I think poses the greatest threat to the Buccaneers: New Orleans. At 4-1 to win the division, the Saints have great value from a betting perspective.
Like Tampa, the Saints enter the 2022-23 season under new management. Sean Payton is no longer prowling the sidelines; instead, Dennis Allen will lead the team. And like Bowles, Allen scuffled in his first head coaching gig, going 8-24 in two seasons in Oakland.
In the offseason, New Orleans addressed a real need at receiver, drafting Ohio State star Chris Olave in the first round before signing former LSU star and NFL veteran Jarvis Landry. The two of them join Marquez Callaway and Michael Thomas to reinvigorate New Orleans’ offense.
Defensively, the Saints boast stars at every position. But depth could be a real issue down the stretch, especially if the team struggles with injuries.
But let’s not bury the lead: this team will go as far as Jameis Winston will take them. It’s a scary proposition, considering Winston is a mega-talented but injury-prone signal caller.
Yet last season, Winston was on track to have an excellent first season in New Orleans before he was bitten by the injury bug. Can he find that form again?
- Carolina Panthers
There’s a question uniting both the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, who appear last on this list: who is playing quarterback?
The Panthers currently have Sam Darnold and PJ Washington in the quarterback room, along with 2022 Draft Pick Matt Corral. But rumors linking Baker Mayfield to the Panthers haven’t subsided. A deal for the former Browns quarterback would make an already crowded QB corps even stuffier.
But unlike the Saints and Buccaneers, the person playing QB for the Panthers likely doesn’t matter in terms of season-long success. That’s because the Panthers just have far too many holes in the lineup.
At just about every position, the Panthers could use help. That includes the head coach position.
Matt Rhule’s tenure in charge has been nothing short of disastrous. He’s failed to steady the ship ever since Cam Newton left in free agency. Swings and misses on guys like Sam Darnold didn’t help, either.
While the Panthers can still hang their hats on guys like Brian Burns, Christian McCaffrey, and Jeremy Chinn, the team needs a real overhaul to be competitive again.
Right now, they’re rudderless at sea, with moves not making much sense and leaving the organization without a sense of direction.
- Atlanta Falcons
Who is lining up under center for the Falcons?
For a minute, it looked like those honors would go to Marcus Mariota, former Tennessee Titan, and Las Vegas Raiders. Mariota showed flashes with the Raiders when he played, which wasn’t often as he backed up Derek Carr.
Then the Falcons drafted Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder. Atlanta didn’t expect a high pick on Ridder, so there’s little pressure for him to start right away. But Ridder has already impressed coaches with his sky-high football IQ and grasp of the playbook.
The Falcons will also be without one of their offensive weapons in Calvin Ridley, who was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for gambling on NFL games last season.
But the Falcons do boast big-time receiving threats in 2021 first-round pick TE Kyle Pitts and 2022 first-round pick WR Drake London.
But the defense is still wildly unproven and lacking blue-chip talent. Atlanta’s goal heading into 2022-23 should be to develop the offensive assets it currently possesses and keep an eye on next year’s defensive talent in the draft.
You think you know who will win the NFC South? Why don’t you place a bet on it and put your pride and money on the line, well maybe not your own money. You can get free bets from sportsbooks just for being a new user, so make sure you take them up on their offer and bet with their money to start the season! You can sign up for a new sportsbook when basketball season hits full stride in February, but make sure you check out the NBA computer simulation picks from PicksforTonight when you are ready!
