At the moment, the New Orleans Saints appear to be the most well-rounded team. Drew Brees is still in top form, but the clock is ticking for the 39-year-old quarterback.
The Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers have some work to do on offense, with the former hoping to get back the explosiveness it had in 2016 and the latter looking to be more consistent behind Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey.
These three teams have a good chance of making it back to the playoffs, but don’t count on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting to that level this year. Jameis Winston’s off-field issues continue to be a distraction and will cause him to miss the first three games of the season because of a suspension. That means journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick will have to hold down the fort during that time, facing a killer start to the schedule against the Saints, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.
This season will have a bevy of matchups and players to watch in the NFC South. Here is what you should look for:
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
Kamara was a pleasant surprise last season, keeping pace with fellow tailback Mark Ingram. The duo became the first pair of teammates in the NFL to each have more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage in the same season. With Ingram suspended for the first four games for violating the league’s PED policy, Kamara has a huge opportunity to avoid a sophomore slump and become the star running back in New Orleans.
IMPACT ROOKIE:
D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers
The first-round pick out of Maryland shined in the first preseason game, posting a game-high 75 yards with a long catch of 32 yards. He hasn’t been targeted since and is currently behind Devin Funchess and Torrey Smith on the depth chart, but he could be a great asset for Newton. At 5-11 and 210 pounds, Moore ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at NFL Scouting Combine.
COACH ON THE HOT SEAT:
Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers
Koetter’s tenure has been filled with more downs than ups, and this season probably won’t be much better. According to some bookmakers, Koetter has the best odds of being the first NFL coach fired this season. Even though the Buccaneers went 9-7 during his first year in 2016, they were a sad 5-11 last season. The beginning of their schedule won’t set them up for success, either.
KEY MATCHUP:
Panthers, Weeks 15-17
Rather than a single game, the Panthers face a crucial season-ending division stretch in which they’ll face the Saints, Falcons and Saints again. The Saints defeated the Panthers three times last season, including in the playoffs, and Atlanta have bested Carolina in three of their last four matchups. If this season is anything like last year, these three games could indicate who wins the division and who is playoff-bound.
PREDICTED FINISH:
Saints: 13-3
Falcons: 10-6
Panthers: 10-6
Buccaneers: 6-10
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