2021 NFC South Predictions

The NFC South is home to the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs led by Tom Brady cruised past their division rivals to take the division in 2021. With 2 quarterback changes, will this impact the chances of the Bucs repeating this again? 

Division Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hoping to repeat as Super Bowl Champions in 2022, the Bucs are one of the favorites entering the season. The Bucs should have no problem taking care of business in their division as the remaining 3 teams who didn’t have much of a chance to begin with each got worse in their own ways during the offseason. The Bucs have also gotten better with addition of Giovanni Bernard for more running back depth and having a fully healthy trio of tight ends who bolster their offensive talent. The Bucs should have no problem winning the division again in 2022, their biggest challenge will be repeating as Super Bowl Champs. 

2nd Place in Division: Atlanta Falcons

After the Buccaneers, it’s tough to say who will finish 2nd, having to pick a team we opt for the Atlanta Falcons on most occasions. Atlanta has been a bit underwhelming in recent years, but their offense is still one of the better scoring units in the league. Matt Ryan is past his prime, Julio is gone, and Gurley didn’t last long, but there is hope for the future with Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts to not drop off too much from where they were before. Mike Davis should bring a veteran presence at running back that could spark new life into a position that Atlanta is desperate for help.

3rd Place in Division: New Orleans Saints

In the first season without Drew Brees in well over a decade, the Saints are in need of a new face of the franchise. Rather than getting someone via trade, draft, or free agency, the Saints have confidence in Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill after seeing how they performed when Brees was injured for some time. Neither option is super appealing for the long term and with #1 wide receiver Michael Thomas out for the majority of the season, they aren’t very appealing in the short term either. With the Saints regressing in 2022, the next draft will be an important one for their future. 

Last Place in Division: Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are in a weird limbo in the division as they have potential to be good, but also have many things holding back against them at the same time. The Panthers have multiple deep threat receivers, top NFL player Christian McCaffrey, and a couple young defensive specialists. The Panthers moved on from Teddy Bridgewater as he was not the answer and traded for Sam Darnold which we believe should give them a little boost, but their offensive line and defense isn’t going to allow Darnold to succeed in his first year with a new team. The Panthers could end up being the 2nd or 3rd best, but from where things stand today, they sit right outside of that at the bottom of the NFC South.