The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bucs, QB Winston could surprise in NFC South
Patriots are favored again in AFC, but NFC is wide-open.
The NFC South has a streak to continue.
The previously downtrodden division has produced two straight out-of-nowhere Super Bowl participants, the Panthers followed by the Falcons. Is it now the turn of the Buccaneers or Saints?
When NFL training camps open later this month, there will be a clear-cut Super Bowl favorite in the AFC: the defending-champion Patriots. There will be no such obvious front-runner in the NFC.
But if very recent history is to be heeded, there must be at least some consideration given to which NFC South team could break through.
The division was a laughingstock in 2014, when the Panthers went 7-8-1 to become the NFL’s second division winner with a losing record ( joining the 2010 Seahawks, who won the NFC West at 7-9).
But in 2015, the Panthers became a powerhouse. Quarterback Cam Newton became the league’s most valuable player and Carolina flirted with an unbeaten regular season before finishing 15-1. The Panthers lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos in Peyton Manning’s farewell.
Last season, it was the Falcons’ turn. After going 8-8 in 2015, they went 11-5 and their quarterback, Matt Ryan, succeeded Newton as MVP. The Falcons reached the Super Bowl and seemed well on their way to prevailing before squandering a 28-3 lead to lose 34-28 to the Patriots in overtime.
A return to form by Newton and the Panthers actually would be the biggest turnaround of all, with Carolina coming off a 6-10 record in last year’s dud of a Super Bowl follow-up. But that would not continue the spread-the-wealth nature of the NFC South’s resurgence.
The Buccaneers seem like a team on the rise. They went 9-7 last season in Year 2 for quarterback Jameis Winston, the top overall selection in the 2015 draft. Winston has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, and he increased his touchdown-pass total from 22 as a rookie to 28 last season. But he must cut back on his mistakes after 18 interceptions last season, up from 15 as a rookie.
The arrival of free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson further bolsters the Tampa offense. It’s not difficult to envision Winston moving closer to being an upper-tier quarterback or the Buccaneers becoming a playoff team this season.
The Saints won a Super Bowl after the 2009 season. And while the offense has remained productive throughout the Sean Payton and Drew Brees coach-quarterback pairing, things have gotten a bit tired of late. The Saints are coming off three straight 7-9 seasons, and Brees turns 39 in January.
It will be quite a long shot, it seems, for the Saints to return to top-contender status. The defense has been a perpetual work in progress. The Saints ranked last in pass defense last season. They were 27th in total defense and 31st in scoring defense.
There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. But this is the time of year when every NFL team can dream about things falling into place for a magical season, precisely what’s occurred in this division for two years in a row.
Will Kaepernick sign with anyone?
Colin Kaepernick remains out of work. The reasons — and the validity of those reasons — remain up for spirited debate. Would an injury to a quarterback or a situation that turns out to be less promising than envisioned prompt any team to reconsider its position on Kaepernick?
Will RG3 sign with anyone?
Robert Griffin III has gone unsigned as a free agent after failing to make his second NFL chance work last season in Cleveland. His rookie-year exploits with the Redskins in 2012 seem like such a distant memory now. Will anyone give him a third chance?
Does Peterson have anything left?
Adrian Peterson is an alltime great, and he revived his career in 2015 after missing all but one game of the 2014 season on what amounted to paid leave while dealing with legal troubles. But age 32 is practically ancient by running-back standards, and it remains to be seen if he has another comeback left in him with the Saints.
Who will start for Browns at QB?
Cody Kessler or Brock Osweiler or DeShone Kizer? Is there a good option in there?
Just how awful are the Jets?
The Jets, following their offseason roster purge, appear so underwhelming that they have prompted accusations of tanking the 2017 season in a bid to secure one of the prized quarterbacks (USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen) expected to be taken early in next year’s draft. In the meantime, the Jets will choose from among Josh McCown, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg at quarterback. Could they be even worse than last season’s Browns?
Can Falcons rebound?
It is difficult enough to be the Super Bowl loser. But how difficult will it be for the team that suffered the most egregious come-from-ahead Super Bowl defeat in history? The Falcons are about to find out. And they’ll have to do it without offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who departed for San Francisco and the 49ers’ head coaching job after overseeing Ryan’s MVP season.
Will Prescott, Elliott have an encore?
The assumption is that the Cowboys will build on last season’s success, with Dak Prescott continuing to make the transition from the Tony Romo-era seamless and Ezekiel Elliott putting up huge rushing numbers behind the marvelous Dallas offensive line. But now there are expectations to be met. There are issues on defense that must be overcome. It isn’t always easy to deal with such immediate prosperity.
Can Raiders make transition work?
Marshawn Lynch has arrived. Derek Carr has a handsome new contract. The Raiders sold out their season tickets even after their relocation to Las Vegas was ratified by the NFL owners for two or three years from now. It will be an odd season for the Raiders, who must find a way to deal with their unique circumstances as they attempt to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy.
Is Watt back?
The Houston defense was excellent last season even without the injured lineman. His return presumably will make that defense even more fearsome. But he has pushed very hard throughout his career to play through injuries, and now Watt must demonstrate that he can return to his previous dominance. He and the Texans will spend training camp at the picturesque Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a site they have inherited from the Saints.