Perhaps only the late great NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle is smiling somewhere above at the NFC South. If you love parity as much as Rozelle did the NFC South is your favorite division in football. However, if you like quality football, then turn your head away from the South.
Epic Ineptitude
The top two teams in the NFC South are the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. These old southern arch rivals dating back to 1967 have records of 5-7 and one of them is likely to end up as the “champion” of this garbage division and earn a playoff spot. The winner of the NFC South would be rewarded with home field advantage against a potential NFC wild card team with a winning record.
Panthers in Free Fall
The 3-8-1 Carolina Panthers in particular have suffered an epic collapse after looking like an up and coming team of the future last year when they went 12-4 and won the NFC South going away. Carolina paid the price for that success with a much tougher schedule this year, but their problems go far deeper than that.
Last year, the Panthers had a defense that was one of the best in the NFL. This year, Carolina’s defense has been missing in action and ranks 17th overall in the NFL while ranking 29th for points allowed. Considering that head coach Ron Rivera is a former defensive coordinator, that does not speak well to his long-term job security. Beyond that, special teams have been a key liability that has made the difference in several Carolina losses this season.
Then there is the saga of Cam Newton, who has taken not one but two steps back in 2014. Newton has a QB rating of 78.9 with a 13/11 TD-to-INT ratio. On one hand Newton can be defended due to numerous key injuries on offense but his poor decision making and lack of ball security is inexcusable.
Top running back DeAngelo Williams has been out far more than in the lineup with injuries and now has a finger issue that may sideline him this week. The offense ranks 21st overall in the NFL and 27th for scoring. Luckily, putrid Tampa Bay is 2-10 and likely to remain in the NFC South basement.
Will Saints go Marching In?
New Orleans is 5-7 but can at least boast the NFL’s second ranked overall offense triggered by future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees. The problem is that the Saints defense has reverted back to its form of 2012 when it was the worst stop unit in the history of the franchise. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is looking more like a one hit wonder with a unit that ranks next to last overall in the NFL. The Saints are like a run and gun basketball team as evidenced by going over the total in nine out of 12 games.
Falcons ready for Flight
Perhaps the team to watch in the NFC South is the Atlanta Falcons, who was the team picked to win this division last year but failed to deliver the goods due to an injury plagued and sub-par 2013 campaign. Atlanta may prove to be the classic case of a beaten favorite coming through with a second chance. Atlanta is the “hottest” team in the NFC South with three wins in their last four games. The Falcons share the same problem as New Orleans however as their defense ranks dead last in the NFL overall.
The one asset Atlanta has is QB Matt Ryan who, much like Brees of New Orleans, must carry the offense. Ryan has a 93.7 QB rating with a 21/10 TD-to-INT ratio, which is even more impressive when you consider the lack of a reliable running game with the Falcons.
Default Winner
When you look at such a flawed group of teams that lack reliable defenses it must come down to the QB position which is where New Orleans will stand apart and “win” the NFC South.
