Opinion: NFC South Title Won't Come So Easy This Year
by Dave Cariello on Sep 20, 2010 6:00 AM CDT
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PrintEvery year in the NFL there are always a handful of teams that wind up surprising fans by exceeding expectations and putting together a better-than-expected season. So far in 2010 it's looking like the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be one of those teams, coming out of the gate strong with a 2-0 start. Sophomore quarterback Josh Freeman is coming along quite nicely, much to the delight of Tampa fans everywhere. It's been five years since the Bucs ever started this well and it helped them win the division that same year.
Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Matt Ryan used his performance on the field yesterday to address all those silly rumors that went flying around last week about his potential (or lack thereof) as a quarterback. The Falcons appear to have righted the ship after a sketchy week one performance and should now be considered a significant force to be reckoned with once again.
As Saints fans I think we've all gotten comfortable with the team playing in such a mediocre division and assumed that a second straight division title is all but a lock this year. We knew the Falcons might give the Saints some trouble. Maybe. But with the Buccaneers looking competitive as well, things could get heated in the division this season.
Not that I don't think the Saints aren't the strongest team in the NFL, let alone the NFC South, but division titles don't just fall into a teams lap. Given what looks like a more competitive division, it could come down to the wire this season. Unlike last year, the Saints may not have the luxury of losing their final three games and remaining in first place unless they make sure to win even these early in-conference matchups like the one tonight against the 49ers.
As in years past, it might not be so easy to earn the division title in the NFC South this season. Ten wins would have been good enough last year but if the early indications of a tougher division have any validity than that's probably not going to cut it this year, meaning every win this season will be crucial and every loss detrimental. The Saints can absolutely repeat as NFC South champions, I just expect the road to be a little bumpier.
What do you guys think? Do you expect the Saints to coast to the title? Which team in the division, if any, scares you the most?
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Pfft...
…Tampa is 2-0 against two of the worst teams in NFL history, and I don’t think they could beat the Saints scout team. Atlanta lit up a failing Arizona team yesterday – seriously Anderson? Drew will chew up that secondary like a meat grinder chews up a piece of cheap beef.
Will it be easy? No. Atlanta does have a team to be reckoned with, and the game in week 3 will be a dogfight. But not win the NFC South. And, it’s really funny to see anyone taking Tampa seriously right now…when they win against an actual NFL team, I’ll take note, so far, they’ve beaten (and just barely week 1) two teams that are busy beating themselves.
To borrow a phrase from Chad Johnson: “Child please.”
Who Dat? TWO DAT! Do dat AGAIN!!!
ditto
In Breesus' name we play
by Breesus Christ Superstar on Sep 20, 2010 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions
No Hamburger option Dave?
You are my people, you are my crowd, this is our music, we love it loud...
i was coming here to write the same thing
write in vote for hamburgers as well
"As a Saint fan I watch ‘Gone with the Wind’ just to watch Atlanta burn" -Ralph Malbrough
by DrewBreesManCrush on Sep 20, 2010 7:43 AM CDT up reply actions
No need to worry
about the bucs. neither of our teams should..they barely beat the browns at home and carolina appears to be extremely weak this year getting blown out by the giants who got blown out by the colts last night. so TB racked up wins on some pretty weak teams. if the saints can stay healthy and drew brees avoids the “madden curse” i have yall goin 12-4 with ATL goin 11-5
New Orleans Saints: Established 2010
Totally agree!
Tampa Bay is a young improving and rebuilding team. Even they don’t expect to be in the playoffs this year. “Playoffs! Don’t talk about Playoffs! You kiddin me!” ATL is a strong team! I told everyone a while back that Matt Ryan will be an elite QB when he hits 28 – 30 years old. By elite, I mean in the top 3 of the league in time. Roddy White is proving that he is that good, he just had bad QB’s in the past. Gonzalez is a first ballot hall of famer. Turner in my opinion is still a question mark, but still good enough to be considered in the top half of RB’s in the league. The ATL defense….uhhh the jury is still out on that one. I know they had good games against Pitt and Arizona, but neither of them is exactly an offensive juggernaught!
by Saint for life on Sep 20, 2010 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Not too worried
Tampa is 2-0, but those wins came against 2 teams that could be fighting for the #1 draft position November 28th (I had to look up wether or not they played each other to see if I could predict that they both go winless.) They could string together a winning season though. They still play St. Louis, Carolina again, Arizona, and Detroit. They also play New Orleans for the last game of the season, in a game that most certainly won’t feature any of the Saints starters, so who knows what will happen there. I can see them knocking off San Fran, Washington, or maybe splitting the series with Atlanta. Tampa Bay could be the pro version of Notre Dame and get to the playoffs by virtue of playing enough teams that really really suck.
"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league.''
-- Saints coach Sean Payton, handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Drew Brees after Super Bowl 44.
well
i think at this point we can rule carolina out…no one loses that bad to the bucs at home. but yeah i agree, they might get to the playoffs just because of the teams they play. who knows, maybe the NFC South will be a three team playoff division like the NFC East was two years ago. but im hoping for an Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints NFC Championship…now that would be awsome
New Orleans Saints: Established 2010
by dirtybirds233 on Sep 20, 2010 8:14 AM CDT up reply actions
I
actually would love to see that. I believe that would be a great game. I’m not sure, would that be a NFL first 2 teams from the same division going at it in the NFCCG.
"It's about time something good like this happened." Drew Brees
by saints_r_us#9 on Sep 20, 2010 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions
Atlanta: 9-7, no playoffs.
Tampa: 6-10.
Carolina: 5-11.
Unless you think the Saints are going 8-8, I believe we have little to worry about…other than every single opponent we face. Take care of business one game at a time, and we make a trip to Dallas in February.
It was worth the wait.
I'm most worried about whoever we face this week
It's gonna be a great year.
by Hans Petersen on Sep 20, 2010 6:34 PM CDT up reply actions
and then next week, it'll be the team we face that week
nothing will be easy this year, but nothing was easy last year, either.
It's gonna be a great year.
by Hans Petersen on Sep 20, 2010 6:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Tampa Bay
had a crappy team last year, too….. but they always seem to play us well no matter what their record.
They didn't play us well in that first game last year. 31-7 I think the score was.
"It's about time something good like this happened." Drew Brees
by saints_r_us#9 on Sep 20, 2010 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions
It was 38-7.... So then we should be able to sweep them....
this season, but we didn’t last year…. or the year before that, or the year before that…. as a matter of fact we haven’t swept the Bucs since 2006. (yes, I know last year’s loss was at the end of the year and we weren’t full force). I’m not saying ATLANTA is not a better team than the Bucs, I think they are far superior, but I think the question was what team worries you the most.
by CajunCavern on Sep 20, 2010 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
Since I'll be here a lot this week
Better start making myself unpopular now.
Some of you seem to be taking the Falcons pretty lightly right now, especially after the two great games we had last season. This is an improved defense and still a dangerous offense. The Saints have some of the best weapons in the NFL, so I’m not trying to undersell the damage you can and probably will do to our secondary. But it’s definitely better. I’m curious to see how your defense looks tonight.
That said, am I predicting the Falcons to win the division? No. It’s pretty clear you’re going to repeat as division champs. But I think the Falcons will grab a Wild Card spot….and who really knows from there?
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by Dave Choate on Sep 20, 2010 11:21 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
What makes football great
is the competition from good teams and yes, the Falcons are a good team. It wouldn’t be any fun, to me anyways, if we just rolled over everyone 48-0. Looking forward to those matchups and a Saints victory.
by CajunCavern on Sep 20, 2010 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Funny...that's EXACTLY what I want
It will take a lot to make up for those early years.
It was worth the wait.
agreed
i’ll take almost every game like that. Also i think there won’t be as many drunk fans on gameday :D
Superbowl bound!!!...I know! do you?! Go Saints!!
by skinnykinney on Sep 20, 2010 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not greedy i'll except 47-0
World Champions at last
by mississippisaintsfan on Sep 20, 2010 6:38 PM CDT up reply actions
48-0 saints would be very fun for me
"As a Saint fan I watch ‘Gone with the Wind’ just to watch Atlanta burn" -Ralph Malbrough
by DrewBreesManCrush on Sep 20, 2010 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions
48-0
LOL… I guess some of you would; and I wouldn’t mind it on several occasions. Let’s go 16-0, win every playoff game, then the Superbowl that way. Then the same next season….. then the year after that. Where did the goosebumps go? Ask yourself if we were up 41 to 0 during the Superbowl, would Porter’s INT really have made you lose your freakin’ mind?
Hi Dave. How many syllables in your last name? The way you say it, not how I say it.
And BOOM rec’d it by the way. Dangerous is the key word. Matt Ryan continues to improve.
We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity
God save little shops, china cups and virginity
Just one
Hard to spell it out phonetically, but the e is silent.
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by Dave Choate on Sep 20, 2010 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions
To quote Ed McMahon
You are correct, sir!
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I think you guys will get a wild card spot
I think that our D is going to be much improved this year also. I don’t know if we can produce as many turnovers(everyone’s probably going to be a bit more cautious against us this year as far as turnovers) but I think we can hold teams to alot less points. Throw that in with one of the best offenses in the league and i like our chances. You guys will need your D to step up this year to make the playoffs even with the O that you have
Superbowl bound!!!...I know! do you?! Go Saints!!
by skinnykinney on Sep 20, 2010 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I'll go so far as to say that the NFC South may well have 2 of the 3 best teams in the NFC.
I fully expect the Saints to become the fourth 2-0 NFC team tonight, but as of right now, who would have thought that the Bears and Bucs would be the only undefeated teams in the NFC other than the Packers? Obviously a lot can change between now and the end of the season, but I don’t see any compelling evidence there is anyone any better than the Saints, Packers and Falcons.
All three should be in the NFC playoffs. Who the other three teams will be is anybody’s guess.
Its a 2 horse race for the division and the conference
Saints and Falcons for the NFC South
Saints and Packers for the NFC
I think the Falcons will probably snag a wildcard
Eagles are showing some life with Vick as well.
In Breesus' name we play
by Breesus Christ Superstar on Sep 20, 2010 12:58 PM CDT reply actions
I don’t put too much stock in the Eagles. Reid has already announced that Kolb is still the starter. Although Vick did well yesterday, keep in mind he was playing the Lions and they barely won a very high scoring game. The Eagles have issues on defense regardless of who the QB is.
Right now, I’d say the Redskins have a decent shot at winning a division that isn’t looking very “beastly” at the moment.
Reid also said he wasn't going to trade Mcnabb
I’m just saying with Vick they look like they have a wilcard chance. Their D will be no match for us
In Breesus' name we play
by Breesus Christ Superstar on Sep 20, 2010 1:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Are you saying Andy is a liar????
Philly probably has as good of a chance at making the playoffs as anyone else in the NFC East, but It’s beginning to look like the real competition will be coming from the NFC South and North. The West will have somebody in the post-season only because there is no way to avoid it.
agreed
Assuming we beat the 49ers tonight. The NFC couldn’t be shaping up any better for the Saints. Especially if we take care of those dirty birds on a short week
In Breesus' name we play
by Breesus Christ Superstar on Sep 20, 2010 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions
Tampa Bay? Really!!!
I agree that Josh Freeman is better than expected and could become a force when he has sufficient weapons around him. Please note that I said “when he has sufficient weapons around him”! They beat the Browns and Panthers. These 2 teams are near the bottome of every power ranking I can find. They are improving and will have a decent record because of the weak schedule, but a contender for the south? No way! Atlanta is another story. I have been watching the birds all offseason and they scare me! Matt Ryan has legit weapons in Gonzalez & White. If Turner returns to form and the secondary can play well, they’ll give us a run for our money!
Ok, who voted for the Panthers?
People that didn’t see “Hamburgers” as a choice?
"I don't think we're the team with the target on our backs. They're not gunning for us, we're gunning for them. We're the ones with the scope." - Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis
Sorry this thread is retarded
Nothing has changed. Tampa Bay beat two bad teams. Atlanta lost a very winnable game and the one dark horse in the division (Carolina) forgot that they have the best running back tandem in the league. So it is what we thought it was. One decent team. One 8-8 team. and One team that looks headed for a top 6-7 pick.
So we lose one winnable game and we're no better than decent?
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divisional games are always the toughest..
still.. the falcons (also known as “the sparrows” when they play on the road..) are pretty much in the same place they were all along.. looking at our offense and scratching their heads.. they seem to be a media favorite a lot like san diego, god knows why.. tampa will continue to improve.. although i expect the saints to dismantle them limb-by-limb for almost costing us a no. 1 seed.. panthers are close to extinction.. imo..
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