Will the Carolina Panthers continue their stranglehold on the NFC South? Is this the last hurrah for the New Orleans Saints? Is Jameis Winston ready to take the next step? These are questions that will be asked during the regular season regarding the NFC South. Here's a breakdown on how the division will possibly shake out.
- Carolina Panthers: If you thought that the Panthers were dangerous as a 15-1 team, wait until they get Kelvin Benjamin back this season. Benjamin will provide a dynamic Cam Newton with another weapon, making the Panthers even more deadly. Opponents better protect the football from Carolina; the Panthers were tied for third in the NFL last season with 24 forced fumbles and had the most interceptions in the NFL with 24.
- Atlanta Falcons: Dan Quinn hopes to continue getting the Falcons back on track. One positive is Julio Jones, who had a phenomenal year last season (NFL-leading 1,871 receiving yards last year, eight touchdowns). Quinn will have to work with the Falcons on their defensive line and linebacking corps; Atlanta had the fewest team sacks in the NFL last year with 19.
- New Orleans Saints: Speaking of forced fumbles, New Orleans ranked seventh in that same category with 21. However, one problem that the Saints had were penalties; the Saints defense racked up 1,112 penalty yards, fourth-most in the NFL. One bright spot for the Saints (as usual) has been Drew Brees and the passing game. New Orleans led the league in total passing yards last year with 4,970 yards.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: New Orleans might've racked up plenty of penalty yards, but Tampa Bay was number two in that category, racking up 1,195 penalty yards. If the Bucs are to take the next step, they'll need to work on that and hope that Jameis Winston doesn't suffer any setbacks at the quarterback position.
No comments:
Post a Comment