1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They’ve been placed back on the map for these last three years. It was a nice run for them. They signed Tom Brady in 2020, won their second Super Bowl that same year and after that, they won the NFC South two years in a row. They could never get into a rhythm in 2022. The offense was inconsistent and could never get much going. Coming into last year, they were by far the best team in the division. They still won the NFC South but clinched the division with a losing record. Now, Tom has officially retired (for good). It’s a new chapter of football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They signed Baker Mayfield to their roster. It’s year two for Head Coach Todd Bowles after replacing Bruce Arians after he announced he was stepping down to move to a front office role.
2. Carolina Panthers: After a 1-4 start, the Panthers parted ways with Matt Rhule. He was replaced by Steve Wilks who actually had the team headed in a good direction. I just saw a Panther team that played hard and showed more effort under Coach Wilks. At one time, they were competing to win the division title, but that fell short when they lost to the Bucs later in the season. This off-season, they hired Frank Reich to be their next Head Coach. After trading with the Bears to obtain the number one pick in the NFL Draft, they selected Bryce Young with the first overall pick. They also signed Adam Thielen and Hayden Hurst to add to their passing attack. D.J. Moore was traded to Chicago in the swap of draft picks which makes their receiving core a bit weaker. This Carolina defense should be fun to watch with Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn and Vonn Bell.
3. New Orleans Saints: You had to know they’d have a hard time sustaining any consistency at Quarterback these last few seasons. After Drew Brees retired in 2021, they’ve struggled to keep one starter under center. Jameis Winston played some good football but couldn’t stay healthy. Taysom Hill was under center for a few games and Andy Dalton was QB1 for most of last season. This year, former Raider Derek Carr was released by Las Vegas and signed with the Saints in the off-season. He brings that veteran experience and most importantly, leadership which left with Drew. Last season, the Saints lost ten games which was their most since the 2005 season. It’s year two of the Dennis Allen tenure.
4. Atlanta Falcons: They could be a sleeper to some this year. The Falcons loaded up on the defensive side of the football in the off-season. Atlanta hasn’t had an elite defense since 2017, the last time they qualified for the postseason. That was also the last season they won more than eight games as well. Signing Jessie Bates, David Onyemata and Kaden Elliss should pay big dividends. Where the biggest question marks reside on the other side of the football. We all know Drake London and Kyle Pitts are more than capable of being reliable receivers. Could Desmond Ridder get them the football effectively? Let’s not forget about Bijan Robinson who they drafted at eight in the Spring.
2023 Predictions
1. Saints (11-6)
2. Falcons (8-9)
3. Panthers (5-12)
4. Buccaneers (5-12)
Each team will have a new starting Quarterback entering the 2023 season. The Saints became the favorite to win the division when they signed Derek and I think they win their first division title since 2020. They just need to be average to come out on top which they are more than capable of doing. Alvin Kamara is facing a suspension which is why they signed Jamaal Williams during Free Agency. This secondary could be one of the best in the league with a healthy Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu. They also return a veteran Offensive Line with multiple Pro Bowlers.
