Saints: by Brian Abate
The Saints are coming off a dominant regular season but they once again lost a heartbreaker in the playoffs, as the Vikings came into the Superdome and won in overtime. Still, the Saints have had consecutive 13-win seasons and have been the most dominant regular season team over that span. When Drew Brees suffered a hand hand injury, Teddy Bridgewater stepped in and won all five games that he started.
The Saints have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball and it doesn’t hurt to have a future Hall of Famer at quarterback. New Orleans drafted Cesar Ruiz, a talented center out of Michigan to help protect Brees. They also locked up guard Andrus Peat with a five-year contract extension and have reliable right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. They released solid veteran Larry Warford but the Saints still have a fantastic offensive line when healthy. That offensive line should give Brees plenty of time to find the New Orleans’ talented playmakers, including Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, who are arguably the best running back/receiver combination in the league right now. Tight end Jared Cook is also coming off of back to back Pro Bowl seasons. The Saints also signed Emmanuel Sanders in the offseason, who gives them yet another threat in the passing game. While Brees no longer has the strongest arm in the league, he is smart, accurate and has playmakers who can turn short throws into chunk plays. I expect the Saints to have one of the best offenses in the league again this season.
The Saints defense has also been excellent over their past few seasons. They have a relentless group of run stoppers, who can also get after opposing quarterbacks, led by Cam Jordan who had 15.5 sacks last season. They had the number four ranked run defense in the league and had the third most sacks in the league. New Orleans also has plenty of talented defensive backs. They made low risk, high reward signings in cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Malcolm Jenkins. They got a steal when outside linebacker Zack Baun fell to the third round of the draft. He has the potential to be another playmaker on their defensive line.
The Saints over/under is set at 10 this season. They have an incredible coach, an all-time great quarterback and elite playmakers on both sides of the ball. While I expect the division to be much more competitive this season, the Saints still have all of the tools to be one of the top teams in the NFC, including lots of talent and great chemistry. The biggest question for the Saints is whether or not they can get it done in the playoffs.
Prediction: Over
Buccaneers: by Brian Abate
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a mediocre team last season but they hit the jackpot during the offseason when Tom Brady decided to leave New England and Bill Belichick to head south to Tampa. Not long after, Rob Gronkowski decided to ditch the WWE and reunite with his quarterback on the Bucs. Tampa Bay already had a high powered offense last season but they were held back by Jameis Winston’s turnovers. He led the league in passing yards and threw 33 touchdowns but he led the league with 30 interceptions and also had 12 fumbles. Brady has 27 interceptions combined in 48 games over his last three seasons. The turnovers weren’t all on Winston though. The Bucs offensive line was not good and they tried to address the issue by trading up in the first round to draft offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. He will start on the opposite of Donovan Smith who has been consistent at left tackle for the Bucs. Tampa also struggled in the running game and addressed that by drafting Vanderbilt running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn. He will likely split time with Ronald Jones. Now to the fun part for the Bucs and Brady. He will have weapons all over the field in the passing game with Gronkowski, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and OJ Howard. Cameron Brate is also a sure handed, trustworthy tight end.
The Bucs defense was very inconsistent last season, although turnovers by their offense repeatedly put them in bad positions. They were led by Shaquil Barrett who was absolutely unstoppable. He led the league in sacks with 19.5 and also forced six fumbles. Tampa Bay will need to rely on its’ pass rush in order to be successful this season and they were hurt by Jason Pierre-Paul’s injury, which forced him to miss six games last season. Still, once he returned he wreaked havoc alongside Barrett and finished with 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games. They also have talented defensive tackles in Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea. They are both excellent run stoppers who can still put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Bucs also drafted Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round of the NFL Draft. They hope he can transition smoothly and be a playmaker in their backfield. As a side note, his dad also played in the NFL and even intercepted Brady. For the younger Winfield and the rest of the Bucs defense to have success they will need to rely on their highly-skilled front four. They have the talent to excel at getting after quarterbacks and stuffing opposing running backs. It’s just a matter of keeping them healthy, which is easier said than done.
The Bucs over/under is set at 10 this season. They had one of the most exciting offseasons in football history and they weren’t bad last year. They finished 7-9 with one loss coming because Matt Gay missed a chip shot field goal and another loss on a pick-six by Winston in overtime. They were on the verge of being a winning team last year but lost some close games that they should've won. They are a hit or miss team trying to win now. Tampa’s defense has plenty of talent but lacks depth so it’s crucial that they stay healthy. On offense, Brady has plenty of weapons but it’s unclear how good the Bucs offensive line will be and how much chemistry the offense will have. Brady will have to learn a new system while everything is on hold because of coronavirus. He is 42-years-old and played like it down the stretch last season after looking like an MVP candidate early in the season. Which version of Brady will the Bucs get this season? I predict it will be closer to the one who looked like an MVP candidate. Brady has to be ecstatic to have so many skilled players around him on offense and I’ve learned over and over not to bet against him.
Prediction: Over
Falcons: by Chris DiGeronimo
The Falcons have not been the same since their Super Bowl 51 loss to the Patriots. They had a 10-win season in 2017, but have since followed that up with two consecutive 7-9 seasons. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are not getting any younger, their run game and defense have been lacking, and by the time it is all said and done the Falcons could be the worst team in the division if things don’t go their way in 2020. The Falcons will have a new look in 2020 as they revealed their new uniforms in April. They received mixed reviews but we will see if it has any effect on their play in the field. Sometimes starting over with a new look could be beneficial to the team as a whole.
The Falcons were busy during free agency as they added some quality talent and filled some holes on both sides of the ball. Their biggest free agent acquisition was former Rams running back Todd Gurley. Gurley is coming off of a disappointing 2019 where he rushed for 857 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gurley has been suffering from a mysterious knee injury that he suffered at the end of the 2018 season, and hasn’t been himself since. We obviously know the talent that Gurley possesses, and if he can return to 2018 form and is truly healthy this is a big addition to this Falcons offense. Another offensive acquisition was tight end Hayden Hurst who they acquired in a trade with Baltimore. The Falcons gave up a 2020 second and fifth round pick in exchange for Hurst and a 2020 fourth round pick. The Falcons lost former tight end Austin Hooper to free agency, so Hurst helps fill that hole. Hurst is coming off a 2019 season where he hauled in 30 receptions for 349 yards and two touchdowns. With an expanded role, Hurst can become another dangerous weapon for Matt Ryan to go along with Jones and Gurley. The Falcons were also busy on the defensive side as they signed defensive end Dante Fowler to a three-year $48 million deal. Fowler is coming off his best season where he accumulated 58 tackles and 11.5 sacks. Fowler should be a force off the edge for Atlanta and repeat his success in 2020. The final free agent signing for the Falcons was defensive tackle Tyeler Davidson, who signed a three-year, $12 million deal with $4.5 million guaranteed. Atlanta went into the draft with intentions to improve their defense as they drafted Clemson corner A.J. Terrell and Auburn DT Marlon Davidson with the 16th and 47th overall picks respectively.
Atlanta’s over/under is set at 7 this season. I think the Falcons will be slightly better than they were in 2019. The additions of Gurley and Fowler gives them a little bit of a boost on both sides of the ball. Matt Ryan is going to continue to be Matt Ryan and continue to put up the same numbers he has over the last two seasons. He has the same amount of weapons to work with, so there shouldn’t be a decline in his performance. Gurley also provides a reliable set of hands that will add to the dynamic of this offense. The Falcons are tied for the fifth hardest schedule in the league, so that will definitely play a factor in their success in 2020. They will also have to contend with Drew Brees and now Tom Brady four times so that will also hamper some expectations. They start off 2020 at home against Seattle, on the road against Dallas, and then home again against Chicago. If they can come away from those first three games with two wins, it should give them some momentum going into the rest of the season. With that being said, I believe the Falcons will have a .500 season and go 8-8.
Prediction: Over
Panthers: by Gianluca Colageo Milea
It’s Teddy Time… The Carolina Panthers have officially moved on from their Pro-Bowl quarterback, Cam Newton as they signed Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year $63 million deal. While Newton is still a free-agent, a Carolina return seems extremely unlikely given the financial commitment to Bridgewater. The Panthers are coming off of a tough 2019. A year in which Cam Newton started just two games before suffering a Lisfranc fracture. Second year undrafted free agent, Kyle Allan began his stint with much promise, as he led Carolina to five straight victories. The success ended there however, as the team finished 5-11.
In addition to losing Cam Newton, the Panthers parted ways with a few other key pieces this offseason. Veteran tight-end Greg Olsen departed for Seattle. Olsen was an essential weapon over the course of the past decade for Carolina. The defense will also have to fill a few holes as DT Dontari Poe, CB James Bradberry, DE Bruce Irvin, CB Ross Cockrell, and S Eric Reid have all moved on. While all of these players contributed to much of the Panthers’ recent success, perhaps the biggest loss of all was the retirement of LB Luke Kuechly. The 29-year-old was selected to the pro bowl seven times in his eight NFL seasons. Kuechly also led the NFL in tackles twice and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. There is no denying that Luke was the glue of the Panthers’ defense and will be severely missed as the team attempts to move on from the Riverboat Ron era and find success under rookie head coach Matt Rhule.
The Panthers have made a few off-season acquisitions in an effort to replace the losses of many of their recent mainstays. The team first made sure to secure some weapons to complement budding young star D.J. Moore and the inimitable Christian McCaffery. Wide receivers Robby Anderson and Seth Roberts will provide Teddy Bridgewater with some much improved options. Anderson will join an offense he is comfortable in, as he reunites with coach Matt Rhule from their Temple days. Anderson will also certainly provide Bridgewater with a competent deep threat with big play potential. The Panthers also improved their offensive line with the acquisitions of LT Russell Okung and G John Miller. I would be amiss if I didn’t mention Christian McCaffery. His impact on this offense is enormous, McCaffery accounted for 43% of the team’s yards in 2019, the most by far of any player in the NFL. His 1,387 rushing yards and 1,005 receiving yards this past season were enough to secure him a four-year $64 million extension. McCaffery’s excellence will be imperative to the Panthers success this upcoming season.
Carolina’s over/under is set at 5.5 this season. I think the team will be able to squeak by this mark. Although the division will be incredibly competitive in 2020 and the Panthers will seemingly be the odd team out, Teddy and CMC will be able to lead Matt Rhule’s side to at least six victories. 5.5 might be a bit too low; this line could be a candidate to move as the season rapidly approaches.
Prediction: Over
Comments