Atlanta Falcons should be favorites to win the NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons should be the favorites to win the NFC South because of the coaching changes that were made, the improved player personnel and the many key players that will be returning from injury.
The New Orleans Saints have won the NFC South the last two seasons and will probably be the favorite to win the division again this season. It is hard not to label them as favorites. They have won 26 games over the last two seasons and are primed to win double digit games again this season. I believe, however, that the Atlanta Falcons should be favorited to win the NFC South, not the Saints.
The Saints are an obvious threat to the Falcons winning the division. But looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, I don’t really see them on the same level. The Buccaneers will be under the guidance of Bruce Arians.
Arians found success with the Arizona Cardinals, leading them to the NFC Championship game in 2015. He is a good coach, but he doesn’t have the personnel to make a run at the division or the playoffs.
The Panthers could be a threat, but it really depends on the health of Cam Newton. If Newton returns to MVP form, then the Panthers could definitely be a threat. Since his MVP season in 2015, he has been mediocre at best. The weapons on offense, excluding Christian McCaffrey, are not going to scare anyone.
It is true that the Falcons were not very good on defense and along the offensive line last season. Injuries certainly did not help either with many key players falling to injury early on. 2019 will be a new look Falcons team.
They will be improved on defense and along the offensive line. The coaching changes made during the offseason will help to improve the defense and offense as well.
On top of the changes made, the Falcons have one of, if not the best receiving corp in the league. The staple of running backs will take some of the load off of Matt Ryan and the new look offensive line should give Ryan more time to throw.
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If the Falcons can stay healthy and maneuver through a difficult schedule, they should have the talent and coaching to dethrone the Saints as NFC South champions and make a run at a Super Bowl.