Less than a week away from football, and we are nearing the end of our look at every division in the NFL. We’ve already looked at the NFC East and NFC West, amongst others, and today we turn our attention to a division that will be defined by which once-great team(s) can return to form to challenge the New Orleans Saints.
Read on for more on this intriguing division and get ready to cash in on another action-packed season in the league with our NFL win totals lines.
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2014 NFC South Preview
Can the Carolina Panthers win back-to-back division titles?
As mentioned in our 2014 Carolina Panthers Preview, the team will have a rough ride in its bid to win NFC South in 2014 after its roster was ripped apart during the offseason.
The Carolina Panthers failed to retain their top four wide receivers of 2013 as they released Steve Smith after a decline in performance last season, while Brandaon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon all left for more lucrative offers elsewhere.
With the top four wide receivers gone, quarterback Cam Newton has lost some valuable targets to open up his passing game, which could see Carolina’s already horrid passing offense (29th in the league last season) take an even deeper plunge. Newton will also have to deal with a possible drop in pass protection after the retirement of his excellent left tackle, Jordan Gross.
The Panthers moved to plug in their holes at receiver with the acquisitions of Jerricho Cotchery (Pittsburgh) and Tiquan Underwood (Tampa Bay), but these players will require some time to get used to their new environment. Carolina also has the added challenge of playing in a tough NFC South, a division which has seen three different champions in the past three years.
Will the Atlanta Falcons bounce back after an injury-laden 2013?
The Atlanta Falcons will be aiming for a better year after a disappointing 4-12 SU record in 2013.
Despite missing his top target Julio Jones for much of the season, quarterback Matt Ryan still finished with a career high in completions (439) and ranked fourth in the NFL in both completion percentage (67.4%) and passing yards (4,515). Jones will be coming back from a fractured right foot to continue his stellar 2012 performance, alongside fellow receiver, Roddy White. However, Ryan will miss the dependable target of tight end Tony Gonzalez, who finally retired in the offseason.
Even though Ryan and his receivers are capable of carrying the team’s offense, they will have a hard time doing so if the offensive line continues to struggle. The horrible offensive line was to blame for the Falcons’ second-worst rushing offense in the league. The ineptitude of the offensive line also led to Ryan being sacked a career-high 44 times.
Equally as bad was the Falcons’ defensive line which failed to stop the rushing attack of their opponents, nor put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They allowed 135.8 rushing yards per game and sacked opposing quarterbacks 32 times the entire season. Even with a healthy cast of wide receivers, the Falcons will struggle as their offensive and defensive lines leave openings for their opponents to exploit.
Despite their struggles, the Atlanta Falcons are +400 to win NFC South.
The New Orleans Saints have been consistent in making the playoffs in the Drew Brees era. The Saints’ franchise quarterback has shown no signs of slowing down entering his 14th season. In fact, he is fresh off his third-consecutive 5,000-yard season, finishing 2013 with 446 completed passes for 5,162 yards.
With Brees returning to head the Saints’ offense for the 2014 NFL Season, New Orleans is a +675 favorite to win the NFC Championship for a trip to Super Bowl XLIX.
Key Game – Thursday, October 30 – New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
In a battle of recent NFC South champions, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have their sights set when they pay a visit to the Carolina Panthers on October 30. The Saints will be bringing in a stronger defensive line which will test a patched-up Carolina defense. On the other hand, Carolina will be hoping that their new acquisitions had enough time getting used to their new team leading to this pivotal NFC South showdown.
The winner of this game will likely be contenders for the NFC Championship as well as Super Bowl XLIX, thus making this a very intriguing matchup.
Writer’s Prediction
The New Orleans Saints will clinch NFC South with a 12-4 SU record for another playoffs appearance. Create a betting account now and enjoy betting on your favorite football teams.
