thebdj

2013 NFL predictions: Falcons, Packers, 49ers will reign in NFC - NFL.com

So I like to try not to be biased. That is very difficult when you support a team in any sport. I have both the Falcons and the Saints as 11-5 in the NFC South. Most on the board have us whitewashing everyone Regardless, see this article .....

The NFC South, according to the experts is not even a 2 horse race. They have Falcons with addition of Steven Jackson as an even better team than they were last season and we are a team that still has a terrible defence and will struggle.

Here comes the biased bit. I see the Falcons, it pains me to say, as a very good outfit. Offensively they are better with the addition of Jackson and defensively they 'should' have improved. Having said that, Jackson is getting on and I would not be surprised if he takes a firm hit or two that could jeopardise his season. The O-line has had trouble on paper and then looked like swiss cheese against the Titans. The secondary has been less than stellar in pre-season.

The Saints. Offensively the group had few or no problems yet the RB corps looks more pumped and ready to go with even greater depth. The WR corps is ridiculous and everyone is clicking. When you could have Andy Tanner as your sixth, read it, SIXTH choice WR you are in good stead. Backup TE is strong addition and best TE in the league is mended. O-line will face tests and may need to gel at Tackle but middle 3 are very solid.

Defensively the team is in transition. We know that. Will it be as bad as last year? No way. Will it still be bad? Maybe. Personnel are not stellar but I loved the reference in another post to the famous 'No-Name Defense'. Having said that, Vacarro is looking like a solid draft. Humber has stepped up, Foster has stepped up, Cameron Jordan is starting to convince me he is one of the best in the game amongst some other VERY solid names. Last year's secondary was only abysmal because there was NO pressure up top. There will be this year.

Saints went 7-9 in a forgettable campaign. A horrendous home game against KC could easily have gone the other way even in OT. A horrendous game on the road in Atlanta could easily have been a blowout win with just a couple more things going our way. That would have seen the season, a terrible season, end at 9-7.

So are we really so far away from being the best in the NFC South?