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2019 NFL season: Final win-loss predictions before Week 1

By Maurice Moton

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 16: Khalil Mack #52 of the Chicago Bears awaits the snap against Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on December 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 16: Khalil Mack #52 of the Chicago Bears awaits the snap against Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on December 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 15: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to an NFL preseason game against the New York Jets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 15, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 15: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to an NFL preseason game against the New York Jets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 15, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

NFC South

  • Atlanta Falcons: 11-5
  • New Orleans Saints: 11-5
  • Carolina Panthers: 9-7
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-11

The Atlanta Falcons take a leap in a bounce-back season after finishing 7-9 with a battered defense. Safety Keanu Neal (torn ACL), cornerback Ricardo Allen (torn Achilles) and linebacker Deion Jones (foot) will go into the season healthy. Head coach Dan Quinn, who worked with the Legion of Boom as a defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, will call the plays this year. The Falcons defensive unit may finish top 12 in yards or points allowed in 2019.

Offensively, Atlanta has the personnel to rank top three in scoring. Quarterback Matt Ryan will throw to arguably the best wide receiver trio in the league, featuring Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu. Tight end Austin Hooper had a breakout 2018 campaign with 71 receptions for 660 yards and four touchdowns. With running back Devonta Freeman healthy, expect the Falcons to run up and down the field against most opponents.

The New Orleans Saints tie the Falcons at 11-5. Although quarterback Drew Brees didn’t play his best late in the last season, throwing one or no touchdowns in each of the final four games, he’s still remarkably accurate. He logged a 74.4 percent completion rate in 2018. Wideout Michael Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook will provide plenty of sparks for the offense.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton suffered a mid-foot sprain in Week 3 of the preseason, but the team isn’t concerned with the injury going into Week 1. Nonetheless, running back Christian McCaffrey will continue to power this unit; he logged 326 touches in 2018. Still, offensive coordinator Norv Turner needs wideouts D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel to show consistency in order for his group to compete with the Falcons and Saints.

In a critical year for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, he’s going to throw the ball all over the field under head coach Bruce Arians. As shown in the past, the 25-year old can make some big plays downfield but also commit turnovers, throwing 58 interceptions in four seasons.

The Buccaneers defense isn’t good enough to compensate for the botches on the other side of the ball. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will miss the first six games on the non-football injury list because of a neck injury stemming from a car accident. Vernon Hargreaves III is the most experienced cornerback on the active roster, and he’s missed 22 contests over the last two years. Tampa Bay’s defense will struggle from beginning to the end of the season.

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