2007 NFL Division Ranking: #5 - NFC South

Coming in at #5 on my division countdown is the NFC South. At the beginning of last year, I had the NFC South as at least the toughest division in the NFC and possibly the entire NFL. Last year, hopes were extremely high for all save one team: the division winning New Orleans Saints. Beyond the Saints, this division was actually competitive last year. Competition was fierce for which team could be the most disappointing. A year later, this division still appears to have one or maybe two contenders, but mostly some major question marks.

The New Orleans Saints gave official notice last year that they are no longer the “Aints.” Surprising everyone — I would assume themselves included – the Saints rolled up victory after victory. Eventually getting to the playoffs and loosing in the NFC Championship game, they were definitely the Cinderella story of 2006. Drew Brees came back from a shoulder injury stronger than ever last year and has to be considered a top five quarterback in the league. He didn’t single-handedly transpose the Saints from worst to first – but he sure was a big part of it.

The Running back tandem worked brilliantly last year. McAllister has always been a threatening back and adding in the versatility of a back like Reggie Bush is almost unfair to the defenses in this division. While the Saints appear solid on offense, their defense still needs some tweaking. Chicago racked up nearly 200 rushing yards in the championship game against them last year. In the NFL, if you can’t stop the run, you have little chance of winning a game. They definitely deserve the “S” on the front of their name now. I think they are going to narrowly defend their division and be a threat in the playoffs.

The Carolina Panthers perhaps had the most disappointing season of any of these teams last year. They were nearly the undisputed favorites to represent the NFC in the Superbowl last year. An 8-8 campaign fell well short of that goal. However, if you look at their record last year, they were an amazing 5-1 against their own division. They even swept the Saints last year. However, they scheduled out last year against a tough NFC division in the NFC East. They were 0-4 against this division.

I see the Panthers rebounding this year. I also think that Delhomme may have a bit of a shorter leash this year, now that they have acquired one of the better back-ups in David Carr. Carolina has always been true to the winning football combination of running on offense and stopping the run on defense. They aren’t overly flashy (with the exception of Steve Smith), but they are a tough team to play. Also on the line this year is the job of head coach John Fox. If this team does not make the play-offs and go fairly deep, I believe that he will loose his job. This is one of the few jobs that I believe Bill Cowher would be interested in next year.

The recently breaking new of Michael Vick’s federal indictment has placed a cloud over an Atlanta Falcon season which showed some promise. Vick has finally gotten the receivers and the system in place to prove that he can be the superstar quarterback that everyone wants us to believe that he is. It is disappointing for the team, however, I feel no compassion toward Vick or any sports player (or celebrity) that think they are above the law. Again, that may be a topic for another article.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, they are preparing to start the Bobby Petrino era, with or without Mike. So far I have been impressed by what I have seen by Bobby Petrino, but then again, training camp hasn’t even opened. I think that Falcons fans are a bit concerned with the possibility that Joey Harrington may be the opening day starter. I don’t think he is any worse than Schaub, in fact I think he is better. Joe Horn adds a veteran receiver that has been needed on this team for years. Warrick Dunn is one of the more amazing backs in the league and his backup in Norwood seems to be the same kind of back. Under Mora, this defense showed flashes of dominance, but struggled with consistency. It will be interesting to see if Petrino can get a better performance from these players. I think that while the Falcons will be a decent team, they will fall short of the playoffs this year. With the implementation of a new system as well as the Michael Vick experience distraction, this appears to be more of a transitional year for the Falcons.

While, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the potential to surprise people this year, someone has to be picked last in this division. Recent history provides a strong case that the Bucs are a good choice for the division doormat. The once stifling defense seems to erode a little more as the years pass. There are continued losses in this unit due to age and free agency. It is still a decent defense, but falls short of its glory years.

Having Jeff Garcia as the starter represents a significant upgrade at the position. I appreciate the loyalty that the Eagles have shown Donovan McNabb and I don’t especially feel that Garcia is the better quarterback. But, Garcia single handedly thrust the Eagles into the playoffs, seemingly by will alone. Garcia may not have the measurables, but he has proven to be a winner. His presence alone will account for a few more wins. However, when you are improving on a 4-win season, a few more wins still results in a losing season. This is definitely Gruden’s last season barring a miraculous run to the playoffs which just isn’t going to happen.

So the contenders in this division appear to be the Saints and the Panthers. The Falcons will field a good team, but have to many distractions to be consistent. The Buccaneers will continue to flounder and will be in complete rebuild mode next year.