NFC South Rankings

The Saints are still top in the division.

1. New Orleans Saints. The defending Super Bowl champs have a fairly easy second half schedule. They know that it’s going to be hard to repeat as champs but the Saints embrace the underdog role. Winning home field advantage will be very important to them because it’ll mean spending the entirety of the playoffs playing in front of the “Who Dat” crowd.

The Saints are determined to defend their title and proved it by inviting NBA champion Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers to give them an idea of how hard it is to win back-to-back championships. Retaining safety Darren Sharper is huge for the Saints. It was their defense that was key in last year’s Super Bowl match against the Colts.

There are many doubts if the Saints have what it takes to win their second straight title and that’s exactly what they want.

2. Atlanta Falcons. RB Michael Turner is ready to go after suffering an injury plagued season last year. QB Matt Ryan struggled in his sophomore year so expect him to bounce back. But it’s not the offense the Falcons are worried about, it’s their defense. They finished 26th in the league in sacks last year. DTs Trey Lewis and Corey Peters plan to remedy that. Both had strong training camps and plan to deliver in the season.

The Falcons have a weak secondary and head coach Mike Smith is implementing a coverage defense to mask it. They’ll make the playoffs but will get ousted in the first game.

3. Carolina Panthers. They may have lost Julius Peppers but their defense is as solid as ever. They were the top defense during the preseason. Jimmy Clausen will get time on the field this season after starter Matt Monroe stinks up the joint. For fantasy leaguer’s out there, stay away from Steve Smith. His QB’s aren’t going to be able to deliver him the ball consistently.

Panther fans better hope that their defense is as good as the preseason version because it has to win games for the offense.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are in the middle of rebuilding with QB Josh Freeman as its centerpiece. It’s going to be a long season for Raheem Morris but Tampa Bay is taking the right steps.

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