Here is the NFC South installment of an eight-part series sharing five predictions for each division in the NFL.
Ryan will have a bounce-back season
Coming off of a rather subpar season, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will get back to his Pro Bowl-caliber form. Running back Todd Gurley will add a receiving option for Ryan. However, although the offense will be better, the defense may be a liability, especially when playing against the teams in this division.
Christian McCaffrey will thrive under Bridgewater
The Panthers running back was unstoppable out of the backfield and in the passing game in 2019. But as this team became one-dimensional due to the struggles of the quarterback carousel, the opposing defenses changed their play-calling to focus on McCaffrey as they feared the quarterback could beat them. With Teddy Bridgewater now the starting quarterback in Charlotte, that will once again make things look easy for McCaffrey.
Drew Brees will set another record (or two)
Every season, it seems like Brees is breaking a new record. The Saints’ passing attack will continue to be among the top in the NFL, which will be of no surprise to anyone with Brees at the helm accompanied by Michael Thomas.
Bucs in the Super Bowl at home
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Tom Brady sweepstakes, which would make any team an instant Super Bowl contender. The bigger acquisition for this team was that of tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has been out of the league for a full year after announcing his retirement after the Patriots’ last Super Bowl victory. But given the camaraderie between the pair and the other weapons at Brady’s disposal, the fans of this team and head coach Bruce Arians’s eyes will be as big as saucers. They can’t wait for the season to start.
Brees and the Saints will once again suffer a playoff loss
The Saints and the Bucs will duel it out all season for first place in the division. Tampa Bay will prevail, but the Saints will be a double-digit win Wild Card team. History will repeat itself twofold as the Saints will again suffer a heartbreaking playoff loss and a Tom Brady-led team will be in the Super Bowl.
