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NFL Pro Football 2008 NFC South Preview
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Fearless Rick's 2008 NFL Preview - NFC SOUTH
Rick Gagliano | 8/3/2008
NFC SOUTH - Predicted order of finish and (predicted record)
The defense, which allowed NFC-lows 16.9 points and 278.4 yards per outing may be even better than last year's unit, with the addition of a couple of highly-touted rookies obtained via the draft. Cornerback Aqib Talib was arguably the best college corner in the country in his final season at Kansas, and Maryland's Dre Moore is a nice fit at defensive tackle. Both should make the team and may become starters at some point in the 2008 campaign.
What nags Tampa Bay fans most about coach Jon Gruden's team is the offense, which finished well down in the rankings, at 20.9 ppg and 326.8 ypg last season. That doesn't seem to faze the Bucs much, noting that two teams in their own division - Atlanta and Carolina - had worse offensive performances. While Carolina's woes can be tied to the injury to QB Jake Delhomme, Atlanta's problems are likely to persist this season.
Snap-handling will be the chore of veteran Jeff Garcia, with whom Gruden is comfortable. Garcia, while not the most talented of QBs, has solid leadership and game-management skills. Also, the Bucs will likely miss the services of running back Carnell Williams until mid-season, who is still rehabbing from a severe injury. Michael Graham, who led the team in rushing last year, will get most of the touches in the backfield.
The wideouts - Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall and Dexter Jackson - is a solid group. The Bucs should improve markedly on offense as the season progresses and a trip to the Conference Championship would seem probable. They have all the elements - strong lines, heady defense, a utilitarian offense and great coaching - to pose a real threat to the rest of the league.
The wear and tear were obvious in 2007, however. After a 4-2 start, the Panthers only went 3-7 the rest of the way. Having Delhomme back along with a healthy Steve Smith and running backs DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams makes Carolina's offense much more effective than the one that finished near the bottom of the league in '07.
Defensively, the Panthers will be very, very good. While they allowed 21.7 points and 324.8 yards per outing on average last season, much of that was due to overwork. The offense often couldn't stay on the field and Carolina defenders were gassed by the second half. That shouldn't happen as often in 2008.
The schedule is not overly challenging, though the Panthers begin the 2008 campaign on the opposite coast, at San Diego. The next four games could all be Panther wins - Chicago, at Minnesota, Atlanta, Kansas City, so 4-1 or 5-0 looks like a distinct possibility before facing the Bucs in Tampa on 10/12. The season concludes with a pair of road games - at New York and New Orleans - but the Panthers should be able to build a comfortable cushion prior to that and reach the playoffs.
Offensively, the Saints line up with Drew Brees at QB, Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister in the backfield and a smorgasbord at wideout, which seems to be the main problem after standout Marques Colston. David Patten, DeVry Henderson and others are simply too inconsistent to make the Saints' offense click the way it did in 2006. They may show flashes of brilliance and they're capable of putting up 30 points on just about anyone, but the defense will allow 24 or more in more than 2/3rds of their games this season, so there's more downside than up in the Big Easy for 2008.
The addition of Jeremy Shockey at tight end is probably more of a detriment than a plus.
That's how bad things are in Atlanta. Joey Harrington is competing for the #3 QB spot. This is one messed-up franchise. Three wins may come against Oakland, Kansas City and St. Louis, though 0-16 is a possibility.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) - A year after dominating the NFC South with the best defense in the conference, the Bucs are looking for even more in 2008. Their rock-solid defense can take solace in the fact that they were knocked out of the playoffs last season by the eventual champion NY Giants, and though a rematch with New York is not in the schedule, Tampa will be looking to dethrone.
Carolina Panthers (9-7) - If any team is going to challenge the Buccaneers in the NFC South, it's likely to be Carolina, if Jake Delhomme can return to form after spending most of 2007 looking on after being injured in Week 4 and out for the season. That the Panthers went 7-9 without their starting QB is testimony to the solid coaching staff and steady defense.
New Orleans Saints (7-9) - Here's a team that suffers from too much hype and not enough defense. After reaching the NFC Championship in 2006, 2007 was an outright disaster, beginning with the 0-4 start and ending with back-to-back losses to depleted teams - Philadelphia and Chicago - after getting to 7-7.
Atlanta Falcons (3-13) - If the Falcons can reproduce the four wins from 2007 - over Houston, San Francisco, Carolina and Seattle - that will be some accomplishment. Following the 2007 wreckage caused by Michael Vick, the Falcons actually look worse than a year ago. The defense may be a touch better here or there, but the offense is still mired in mediocrity. Newcomer Matt Ryan - via the draft from Boston College - will get an education in scrambling if he gets to start over either Chris Redman or D. J. Schockley.
