4. New Orleans
REASON TO WORRY: What are the feel-good, party-loving, defending Super Bowl champs doing on this list? Well, if you're talking about teams in prime position for a letdown, the prior season's Lombardi Trophy winner is always a strong candidate. Need we remind you that there has only been one repeat champion in the past 11 NFL seasons (2003-2004 Patriots), or that the Steelers didn't even make it back to the playoffs last year after winning in 2008?
The Saints are undoubtedly still loaded and should again be the class of the NFC South. But there are factors that should make them wary. For one, Super Bowl champs seem to consistently underestimate the impact of having the shortest offseason in the league, and in New Orleans, where the victory parades seemed to roll on into March, that disadvantage might be even more acute this year.
And then, of course, there's the potential elephant in the room. I can't help but think it's not a positive development to be dealing with the specter of New Orleans coaches Sean Payton and Joe Vitt and general manager Mickey Loomis linked to a civil lawsuit and a DEA investigation involving stolen Vicodin from the team's medicinal cabinet. If this story grows legs, it would represent the kind of first-class distraction that could blow up a season and derail any team's plans.
REASON NOT TO PANIC: Check out the New Orleans roster, then check out the NFC South. With all that talent, and with the Bucs and Panthers unlikely to be making any playoff runs this season, Atlanta is the only team capable of making the Saints really work for another division title.


Read More: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears among teams headed for rocky 2010 - Don Banks - SI.com
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