The NFC South - Predictions

WhoDat · 09-06-2004, 10:16 AM

So, the preseason is over, now its time to start bucking up and making those predictions that we'll all regret making in 17 short weeks.

I've watched every team in the division play and the good news is, we all have question marks - no one is a sure bet. In the hopes of being fair, I'm going to do a little break down of each and tell you the best, worst, and most probable (IMO) finish for each team.

Carolina
Carolina will not be as good this year, period. On offense, they will suffer a setback mostly b/c their O-line is really shaky. Jake isn't real mobile and pressure will hurt him. More of those prayers he tosses up will be picked this season. At RB, Stephen Davis is good, but IMO, the best thing that could happen for them is for Davis to get hurt. Yep, you heard it. I think DeShaun Foster is a more complete back. He can make a guy miss and has some power. Stephen Davis is like Ricky Williams - he needs a big hole to run through and all he can do is put his head down and run over you. With a shaky line, he won't see many big holes. Give the ball to DeShaun.

On D, they will still be good, but they'll falter their too. Their run D will be real solid, but if you can pick up their pass rush, their secondary will get shredded. They will definitely give up more points this year. Carolina is the only team I see that is really unlikely to finish well below .500. At worst I see them 7-9. Likewise, I cannot see them being real good. The best I see on the upside for the Panthers is 10-6, maybe 11-5. Realistically, 8-8 or 9-7.

Atlanta
I don't care what you say, the Falcons are a much better team with Vick on the field. They have talent everywhere on offense now, and they are installing a system that will work well. Vick in the west coast may well end up being like Young in the west coast, except when Vick runs, it's like LaDanian Tomlinson in the open field. Still, it will take some time for that offense to start clicking.

Their defense was just plain bad last year, and I don't see it getting much better. Of course, it was probably not as bad as we all thought. Think of the positions that offense put the defense in. That won't happen again this season. I expect their defense to be middle of the pack around 18th or so. Atlanta is kind of a mystery to me and the spread I have for them is all over the place. Worst: 5-11, Best: 10-6, Prediction: 7-9.

Tampa Bay
Man, that offense has looked pretty bad at times and pretty darn efficient at others. To me, it depends mostly on two things: 1) if any RB will emerge there as even a decent threat, and 2) who their QB will be. I'll tell you one thing, Simms is the guy long term. He's smooth, athletic, calm in the pocket, and makes smart decisions. In the long term, he's a guy Saints fans may grow to hate.

On defense, they look real good again. Earlier I said I thought TB's D would fade, now I'm not so sure. Maybe the guys who were around last year were really there b/c of their names and not their play. That defense looks to be faster than ours, it flies all over the place, and attacks. Looking at their LBs and comparing them to ours makes me sick to the stomach. Their starting 3: Derrick Brooks, Ian Gold, Shelton Quarrles. What I wouldn't give for that... Still, there are a lot of people thinking they will falter. Maybe, but I'm not so sure anymore. We'll see if Chucky is really a worthy coach this season. I think Tampa may be the second best team in the division. Worst: 6-10, Best: 10-6, Predition: 9-7.

Saints
Aahh, our Saints. Where do I begin? The short and sweet of it: the o-line looks really questionable, I hope Brooks is healthy and stays that way, our WRs better catch the ball.

On D, well, let's just say the D needs to step it up all around. We all know the arguments on both sides of the ball here. The Saints are the most talented team in the division by far, but there is a major disconnect b/w their talent and their play. The good news is this is the only team I see being a true contender. The bad news is they have had the talent to be a contender for a while now. It makes for a tough call. Worst: 7-9, Best: 11-5, Prediction: 10-6 (I'm going positive this year).

So the recap looks like this:
Saints 10-6
Tampa 9-7
Carolina 9-7
Atlanta 7-9

Go Saints go. What do you guys think?

09-06-2004, 10:16 AM	#1
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	The NFC South - Predictions So, the preseason is over, now its time to start bucking up and making those predictions that we'll all regret making in 17 short weeks. I've watched every team in the division play and the good news is, we all have question marks - no one is a sure bet. In the hopes of being fair, I'm going to do a little break down of each and tell you the best, worst, and most probable (IMO) finish for each team. Carolina Carolina will not be as good this year, period. On offense, they will suffer a setback mostly b/c their O-line is really shaky. Jake isn't real mobile and pressure will hurt him. More of those prayers he tosses up will be picked this season. At RB, Stephen Davis is good, but IMO, the best thing that could happen for them is for Davis to get hurt. Yep, you heard it. I think DeShaun Foster is a more complete back. He can make a guy miss and has some power. Stephen Davis is like Ricky Williams - he needs a big hole to run through and all he can do is put his head down and run over you. With a shaky line, he won't see many big holes. Give the ball to DeShaun. On D, they will still be good, but they'll falter their too. Their run D will be real solid, but if you can pick up their pass rush, their secondary will get shredded. They will definitely give up more points this year. Carolina is the only team I see that is really unlikely to finish well below .500. At worst I see them 7-9. Likewise, I cannot see them being real good. The best I see on the upside for the Panthers is 10-6, maybe 11-5. Realistically, 8-8 or 9-7. Atlanta I don't care what you say, the Falcons are a much better team with Vick on the field. They have talent everywhere on offense now, and they are installing a system that will work well. Vick in the west coast may well end up being like Young in the west coast, except when Vick runs, it's like LaDanian Tomlinson in the open field. Still, it will take some time for that offense to start clicking. Their defense was just plain bad last year, and I don't see it getting much better. Of course, it was probably not as bad as we all thought. Think of the positions that offense put the defense in. That won't happen again this season. I expect their defense to be middle of the pack around 18th or so. Atlanta is kind of a mystery to me and the spread I have for them is all over the place. Worst: 5-11, Best: 10-6, Prediction: 7-9. Tampa Bay Man, that offense has looked pretty bad at times and pretty darn efficient at others. To me, it depends mostly on two things: 1) if any RB will emerge there as even a decent threat, and 2) who their QB will be. I'll tell you one thing, Simms is the guy long term. He's smooth, athletic, calm in the pocket, and makes smart decisions. In the long term, he's a guy Saints fans may grow to hate. On defense, they look real good again. Earlier I said I thought TB's D would fade, now I'm not so sure. Maybe the guys who were around last year were really there b/c of their names and not their play. That defense looks to be faster than ours, it flies all over the place, and attacks. Looking at their LBs and comparing them to ours makes me sick to the stomach. Their starting 3: Derrick Brooks, Ian Gold, Shelton Quarrles. What I wouldn't give for that... Still, there are a lot of people thinking they will falter. Maybe, but I'm not so sure anymore. We'll see if Chucky is really a worthy coach this season. I think Tampa may be the second best team in the division. Worst: 6-10, Best: 10-6, Predition: 9-7. Saints Aahh, our Saints. Where do I begin? The short and sweet of it: the o-line looks really questionable, I hope Brooks is healthy and stays that way, our WRs better catch the ball. On D, well, let's just say the D needs to step it up all around. We all know the arguments on both sides of the ball here. The Saints are the most talented team in the division by far, but there is a major disconnect b/w their talent and their play. The good news is this is the only team I see being a true contender. The bad news is they have had the talent to be a contender for a while now. It makes for a tough call. Worst: 7-9, Best: 11-5, Prediction: 10-6 (I'm going positive this year). So the recap looks like this: Saints 10-6 Tampa 9-7 Carolina 9-7 Atlanta 7-9 Go Saints go. What do you guys think?
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