2009 NFC South Preview

By DarrenPope | Thursday, August 06, 2009 | ( 0 )

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Well football fans, the long wait is nearly over and the 2009 NFL season is on the horizon. Over the next few days I'll preview the upcoming season with a breakdown of each division and predictions on where each team will finish. Today I'll be analyzing the NFC South.

The NFC South was one of the toughest divisions in football last year, with the 12-4 Carolina Panthers coming out on top. No team in the division finished with less than a .500 record, the Saints finished last at 8-8. Both Carolina and Atlanta made the playoffs, and Tampa Bay had no one to blame but themsleves for missing the show after a late-season meltdown. Look for the South to produce two playoff teams again this year. The same two.

A dismal performance against the Arizona Cardinals by Jake Delhomme in the second round of the playoffs has everyone questioning just how far the Carolina Panthers can go with Delhomme at the helm. Jake is no Hall of Famer by any stretch of the imagination, but he is a solid quaterback and can get the job done. Jake is a master of the late game comeback, but admittedly can be prone to costly mistakes as well. More often that not though, when the chips are down he shows confidence, and inspires it in his teammates. With the powerful ground attack combination of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, Carolina has to be considered a playoff contender, and yes, even a possible Super Bowl appearance isn't out of the question. The big question mark for Carolina is the defensive line. If they can answer the call and deliver solid play the Panthers will win the South. Predicted record: 11-5

The Atlanta Falcons surprised a lot of people last year by making the playoffs. Rookie Quarterback Matt Ryan was impressive, leading Atlanta to an 11-5 record. The Falcons lost in the first round 30-24 to eventual Super Bowl loser, the Arizona Cardinals. Yeah, that's Cardinals 2, NFC South 0. Michael Turner is one of the league's top running backs and John Abraham leads a good defensive unit that was 11th in the NFL last year in points allowed. They tend to give up a lot of yards and will have to improve on that. If Ryan can match or exceed his performance of last season the Dirty birds will be a definite playoff contender again this season. Predicted record: 10-6

The New Orleans Saints are an exciting team to watch. Quarterback Drew Brees will light it up again this year and look for the Saints to be one of the highest scoring teams in the league. Unfortunately, more often than not they will give up more points than they score, leaving New Orleans on the outside looking in when playoff time rolls around. Reggie Bush has been a bust for the most part and the defense is abysmal. If the Saints don't make the playoffs this year, and they won't, Head Coach Sean Payton probably won't be around when the 2010 season gets underway. get that resume ready Sean. Predicted record: 7-9

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were well on their way to winning the NFC South last year. They were 9-3 after 12 games and controlled their own destiny. They utterly and completely collapsed, finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs. Jeff Garcia was the bright spot on the team, but only played 12 games. Garcia was given his walking papers this off-season, leaving Byron Leftwich, Josh McCown, and rookie Josh Johnson competing for the starting QB job. My money is on Leftwich, but The Bucs will struggle. The running game is inconsistent at best and the same can be said of the defense. Tampa Bay's new Head Coach Raheem Morris will be spending January on the golf course, or the beach, or wherever he goes to forget. Predicted record: 6-10

Are you wondering how Peyton and the Colts will fare under new Head Coach Jim Caldwell? What are the Texans chances of finally making the playoffs? Will Kerry Collins continue to lead the Titans? I'll continue my 2009 preview with a look at the AFC South next.

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