2010 NFL NFC South Division Preview
The NFC South is home to the defending Super Bowl Champions, but we have to ask if they will be able to defend their NFC South title and become the first team in the South to repeat as division champs.
Since realignment in 2002, no team has been able repeat as divisional champions, and this year the New Orleans Saints are 1/2 favorites to be the first. New Orleans will need to improve their defense to hold off the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons dealt with too many injuries in 2009 to be competitive but with a healthy roster should make things tough for the Saints.
The Carolina Panthers have said goodbye to the Jake Delhomme era and will most likely saying goodbye to the John Fox era in 2010. At the bottom of the NFC South is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as they were bad in 2009 but should be a little better in 2010. Let’s have a look at each team’s odds and how each team will place in the NFC South Division.
To win the NFC South Division:
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Atlanta Falcons:
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-150 |
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New Orleans Saints:
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+120
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Carolina Panthers:
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+1600
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
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+1800
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The Atlanta Falcons finished 2009 with their first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. It says a lot as they battled injuries to Matt Ryan and Michael Turner among others. Both players are healthy and they still have Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White providing Ryan fantastic targets. Unlike the Saints, the Falcons improved their defense with a big upgrade at cornerback by adding Dunta Robinson. The Falcons were 28th against the pass in 2009; Robinson will be a difference maker. The Falcons have a much easier schedule in 2010 and that will be the difference that makes a difference for Atlanta, as they reclaim the top spot in the NFC South.
By way of being the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Saints are the 2/3 favorites to win the NFC South but without major improvements to the defense, the Saints will be hard pressed to repeat. You can’t deny the Saints have an offense that plays like Madden on Rookie Mode but the defense is still a mystery. Greg Williams had them playing the great takeaway football but when they couldn’t force turnovers, the Saints were vulnerable. Brees and the offense will be awesome once again but I see them losing more close games than they win this season. The Saints are still a playoff team; they will just have to earn their spot as a Wildcard team.
The Carolina Panthers enter the season without two longtime Panthers, Jake Delhomme and Julius Peppers. One can be replaced, the other not so much. The Panthers will rely on the arm of Matt Moore this season, at least until Jimmy Clausen is ready to step in as the full time QB. The Panthers are still a run-heavy team; DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both capable of putting up huge rushing numbers. It might all be for not though as the loss of Peppers creates an irreplaceable hole in the pass rush. In what will likely be John Fox’s last season with Carolina, not a lot will be expected from the Panthers and with huge holes on the defense; it will likely be an ugly season.
The Raheem Morris experiment went horribly wrong in 2009 but head coach Morris is back in 2010 wearing two titles, adding defensive coordinator to his job title. The Bucs drafted huge defensive tackle Gerald McCoy who will fit nicely on the line and Josh Freeman took some steps forward last season but like the rest of the Buccaneers will suffer more growing pains in 2010. They are building through the draft but it will be the basement of the NFC South for the next couple of seasons until then.
MAKE YOUR BETS NOW 
