Predicting the NFC South Divisional Race: Who will come out on top?

August 19th, 2024

There is no doubt that the NFC South is one of the most intriguing divisions in the NFL, especially due to the mix of veteran players and emerging talents. Predicting the outcome of the divisional winner is a guessing game, however there are some key factors to consider making educated guesses. These include the team performance, players statistics, coaching strategies, and head-to-head matchups.

It can also be worth looking into the playing conditions for the games. You could investigate details such as the weather, the quality of the field, whether the stadium uses a line marking robot for optimized conditions, and much more. This article will dive into the four teams of the NFC South and discuss their chances of winning.

Atlanta Falcons

To many fans, the Falcons are seen as an overhyped team. However, due to the level of engagement in the NFC South, the Falcons look like they might win. It might not be the strongest team in the country, but they will be sufficient for a playoff game. However, the Falcons are facing a challenge with Cousins, who is a key player on the team, but he is also just coming off an Achilles injury, meaning he cannot be held to the same level of expectations as before.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The quarterback player Mayfield just received a big contract, but the team also ensured Minshew, providing some valuable talent for the upcoming season. However, the Buccaneers do not seem to be investing much in going for a Super Bowl win. This is despite the fact that the team won the title in 2021, and one would assume the team is thirsty for more.

New Orleans Saints

Right now, the Saints are in the worst cap situation in the NFL. They have already exceeded the cap by 60-70 million dollars in 2025, which was due to their signing of Chase Young. Even though many think the Saints are overspending even though they are not real contenders, it is worth noting that their defense has improved after trading Young. However, until the team gets their cap situation under control, the Saints will be looking at a decline.

Carolina Panthers

In the past season, CJ Stroud was a quarterback of highest value. But at the same time, the team also had one of the worst quarterbacks on their team, namely Bryce Young. The team gave up a lot to get Young, and after that the Panthers lacked draft picks. They ended up investing heavily in expensive guards, which came at the expense of the defense where a big decline in pass rush was seen.