Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Dan Pompei
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* Archived columns An early look at the NFC South


This could be the year that Michael Vick and the Falcons take over this division. They were close last year in Vick's first season as a starter. The Super Bowl champion Bucs will be contenders again despite a tough schedule.

The predicted order of finish:

1. Falcons (10-6). This team has a lot of good, young players, and if the Falcons can figure out how to get past the Bucs, they can win this division.

2. Buccaneers (9-7). The only two things that can prevent the Bucs from improvement are a Super Bowl hangover and injuries. One or the other -- or both -- seems likely to occur.

3. Saints (7-9). Their defense remains suspect, and that's the biggest problem. They also have to show they can avoid a late-season collapse.

4. Panthers (6-10). Not including the expansion Texans, the Panthers had the worst offense in the NFL last season. They've made some improvements, but not enough.

Senior writer Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Sporting News. Email him at pompei@sportingnews.com.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Another Vick fanboi, and Atlanta is not overly stacked with talent. They have some good players, but not like he is making them out to be.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

A lot of these guy\'s got burned jumping on the bandwagon last year and can\'t see anything else this year. I agree with his points about us but not to the degree that they cost us a winning season. There is a lot more to this team than questions on D and two late collapses. This is a team headed up not down.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

The thing about the Saints is our offense should be even better this year. So we\'re going to out score many teams.

If the defense can hold teams to 20 points or less, then it\'s going to tough for any team to be us.

As far as the Falcons go. Vick is a strong runner without a doubt, but has not proven himself as a passer. I think he is going to be out to show he\'s a passer more this year. Which means he\'s going to get into reading defenses more. Plus, the league is more familar with him this year. This could spell a set-back for Vick....



[Edited on 27/6/2003 by BillyCarpenter1]

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Fine, we do better as underdogs anyway.
But lets look at it realistically.

Last Year:
We were 9-7 last year with a tough overall schedule.
Very young team, young QB, young RB, Young stud WR, young LB\'s and DE\'s.
3 defensive plays from being 12-4

This year:
Offense-Improved and deeper. May have top offense in league, if not at least top 5.
Fewer question marks than about 28 other teams

Defense-Definately improved over last year, arguably improved a lot! The only question mark to me is time to gel and develop chemistry. Similarly the Rams did it fast in 2000, Pats fast in 2001, but Jets overhaul took a few weeks, but look how they finished.
We should have an average to above average defense this year that will get better as the season progresses.

Special Teams-Absolutely the very best in NFL, kicking, punting, kick/punt return and coverage.

So with about the same schedule strength, another year of experience for the young guys and an...
A+ Offense,
B Defense (C+ at worst),
A+ Special Teams

How does anyone come up 7-9?
Try to put down 9 losses on our schedule.
Barring catastrophic injuries, you can\'t with a straight face.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

It happens to every team. The good one\'s get past it and continue to win. The not so good one\'s don\'t.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

But a preseason prediction cannot take that into account. He has to compare apples to apples.
What if Vick goes down. One stinkin injury and the birds are 6-10.
What if Brad Johnson goes down (last year was the 1st year he didn\'t miss major games), or Derrick Brooks? Two flippin injuries and the bucs are 7-9.

To predict the Saints to go 7-9 doesn\'t make sense, unless you think the Saints will suffer injuries and other teams won\'t. The Saints are also DEEP at almost every position.

That boobonic moron has pissed me off for the whole weekend. I may just have to switch to import beers this weekend to cool my jets.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

I agree tweeky

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

You make a good argument tweeky. I agree with you 100%.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Calm down, now, no need to do anything you might regret.
View this turd as nothing more than another \"journalist\" trying to beat the competition to print on his \"hot sports opinion\". In this field, you can\'t regurgitate something that has already been stated by another, you gotta throw somthing out that is controversial in order to keep your job.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

I tend to agree with Billy. I don\'t see how the saints record will be anything less than last year. That goes without ANY improvements to last years squad. But we made several changes most notibly to the defense at key positions. Yes I still wish for a \"QUALITY\" MLB but we have what we have and even that is \"potentially\" better than last years. Where exactly did we digress??
Offense - scored many points last year and improved this off season so that makes it look like we got better there.
Special Teams - We are/were/will be the best special team any team has...PERIOD!
Defense - struggled last year I will admit. We got rid of some slow talent and improved team speed as well as added lots of depth. I see our defense at the worst no less than last year but I feel they improved.

I\'m still trying to figure out how, with a easier schedule included, just how we digressed to 7-9????? This guy is NUTS!

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

There is no way that we will lose 9 games this year. I really cant see us losing more than 5 and I predict that we only lose 4. I know that I wear my heart on my sleeve, but come on this is ridiculous.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

I agree with coastalkid. You have to be an idiot to think we will have a losing record. We have upgraded on both sides of the ball and added quality depth at the necessary positions. I am still a little worried about the backup running back situation, but hopefully we will address this issue before the season starts. I am predicting a very close NFC South race and I believe if we don\'t win the division we will be a lock for the wild card.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Right after the draft I predicted 10 and 6. I would love to go 12 and 4.

But to predict 7 and 9 is ridiculous - this guy is definitely smoking bad grass. But that\'s good. Hopefully people will listen to this guy. And that would only help the team, not hurt it.

\"come to New Awlin\'s, don\'t prepare, they\'re pushovers anyway.. take it easy....\"

Unfortunately, NFL coaches aren\'t as stupid as this guy is.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Oh yeah... Well did any of you predict the Saints to go 7-9 after the 2000 season? Same situation... another year under a new system, more talent (they added Deuce that year), blah blah blah... same situation... or at least very similar and they ended up 7-9.

Now, I don\'t agree with this guy either, but it is NOT outside the realm of possibility. What if Brooks can\'t fully come back? What is Ruff is a dud. What is Rodgers get hurt. What if Allen, Sullivan, Kenny Smith, and Mitchell (all the first year starters) can\'t play like they\'re supposed to.

The bottom line right now guys is that this team still has a TON of question marks, it\'s in the toughest division in football, and it chokes down the stretch.... don\'t expect to see many analysts predicting 11-5 or 12-4 and first place in the division for this team. I\'d say 9-7 and second is about the best you\'re gonna get.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Sure that could happen but they could also go 15-1/14-2/13-3, etc. Some people are optimists and some are pesimists. I am an optimist. And well, we know what you are.
Your prediciton is only a guess as are all others. Why be so negitive towards a team that you seem to like so much?

I think any self respecting fan thinks their team will go to the superbowl every year.

If what your saying is so ovious, should the Saints players be thinking the samething? Should Tampa have thought that last year. Or the Patriots a couple of years back. If not now when?

[Edited on 28/6/2003 by BillyCarpenter1]

[Edited on 28/6/2003 by BillyCarpenter1]

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

THAT is the mot ridiculous thing I\'ve ever heard. You just said the equivalent of this \"Cincinnati Bengal fans should be stoked about their team going to the Superbowl this year!!\"

btw, I think this years team should lose no less than 6 games....even with our new defense.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

That\'s right buddy. The bengals fans should say that. You see it\'s like this. First you have to beleive you can or you never will.

To quote Chris Berman on ESPN......\'THAT\'S WHY THE PLAY THE GAMES\"

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Winning is why we are here. I see alot of post actually seeming satisfied that we won\'t be worse than last year. I picked us to be 9-7. I still think we have alot of questions. But to be honest each team has questions seeing nothing serious has happened with the season. As fans and as the team all should be prepared(justly) for the comments regarding late season declines of two years. The point is each preseason,you review your weaknesses and addreess them. I hope we have. I hope Ruff is a surprise. I hope Brooks grows up. I even hope they find a place for Stinkycomb. Also minus a key WR loss, the Panthers are the underdog. Really look at what they have gained.....I thought they did a fine job.
Deuce is good.receivers good..qb decent...Defense........hmmmm. After ateam has soooooo many losing seasons it appears that they have reached their watermark.....getting past that has to happen this season.



[Edited on 28/6/2003 by subguy]

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Billy... there\'s a big difference between being a REALIST and a PESSIMIST. Let me ask you a question... should the 2002 Saints have made the playoffs? Damn right.... but did they? And that\'s the difference... I don\'t give a sh!t what this team SHOULD do. I care what they will do...

You can talk all you want about how stacked we are, blah blah blah. If you reread my post you\'ll see that I didn\'t make any predictions about our record this year. I said that you will not see many \"experts\" predicting us being much better than 9-7.

I mean for christ\'s sake man... you just threw out numbers like 15-1... can you please say something intelligent? Please. Make a statement that is based in some fundamental football knowledge and an opinion based in reality... please... once you do that I\'ll continue to respond to you.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

WhoDat,

What you said is you see them finishing no better than 9-7 this year. And this is based on fundamental football knowledge?? Why, because that\'s what they did last year?
That was last year. Get over it. This is a new season. If our defense improves only 25%, then we could easily go 12-4 or whatever!!!

You can analyze all you want to but the fact is this isn\'t a science. You prefer to be negitive with your opinions and I don\'t.

Your not being a realist, your expecting the worst. Hell, the worst record I cand see the Saints possibly haveing is 9-7.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

For WhoDat.... A couple times in this thread you have said 9-7. Ok, I can buy that. I see that happening with a good degree of probability, though I\'m sticking to my original prediction of 10-6. 9-7 is certainly possilbe this year, I think.

But 9-7 is significantly different from what the \"expert\" at the top of this thread is predicting. Hence the berating we\'ve been giving him.

WhoDat, I understand your position, I really do follow what you\'re saying. But is it relevant? Is it relevant to the topic of this original thread? Regarding this particular thread, I feel you don\'t have to agree with the expert above (or support his position, rather), if you don\'t feel that his prediction is particularly accurate or likely.

I personally (and I\'ve certainly been wrong more than my share of times) feel that the expert with his expert prediction is a fool. May fortune show that I am right rather than wrong. For a change.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

\"...don\'t expect to see many analysts predicting 11-5 or 12-4 and first place in the division for this team. I\'d say 9-7 and second is about the best you\'re gonna get. \"

Maybe I need to clarify... 9-7 is about the best you\'re going to get FROM THE OUT OF MARKET ANALYSTS... not me.

My point is that you guys are getting worked up about what the \"experts\" are saying. Since Haslett got here they picked us to be last with a losing record - oh yeah we were 10-6 and won the division, winning record and fighting for the SB - 7-9, didn\'t make the playoffs, and who knows last year, they changed their tunes back and forth so many times I couldn\'t keep track. Not good, Great, not good...

Iif anything, seeing an analyst say 7-9 should make you boys happy. They\'ve been totally wrong for as long as I can remember. 7-9 means we\'ve got a real chance.

Pompei predicts the NFC South
 

Thanks for the clarification.

Yes, agreed about the analyst low-balling. I mentioned that in my original post. That can only help the team, not hurt it.