What are the biggest issues still facing the four teams in the NFC South?
In some ways, nothing about the 2020 NFL offseason has been normal. With a global pandemic ongoing and shutting down team facilities, the way organizations run has changed and thus the goings-on have changed as well. But at the same time, things have been more of the same for the league and the offseason.
Free agency went off incredibly smoothly, as did the NFL Draft, though the event was held virtually this year for the first time ever. Now, all 32 teams are preparing for training camp, which will get underway on July 28. Shortly following will be the start of the preseason and the regular season kicks off soon after with a playoff rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.
But before that happens, we’re checking in with every division. Specifically, we’re looking at the biggest question each team must answer for the 2020 season.
After checking out the AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, NFC East and the NFC North), it’s time to look at a division that has been captured by Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints each of the past three seasons. There’s one newcomer among the quartet in Carolina’s Matt Rhule. Dan Quinn begins year No. 6 with the Atlanta Falcons and Bruce Arians returns for a second season in Tampa.
So what are the biggest issues for each of the four clubs in this division? There’s now less than three months before the start of NFL 2020 and lots of work to be done by each organization in preparation for what could be a very different season.
NOTE: Teams are listed in order of finish in 2019.
New Orleans Saints: Can Sean Payton re-establish some balance on offense?
Here’s a quick look back on how Sean Payton’s team turned the corner after a dismal stretch. From 2014-16, the New Orleans Saints finish 7-9 in each of those three seasons. The club then got off to a 0-2 start in 2017. But things would be different from there on in as the team from the Big Easy is a combined 37-9 in its last 46 regular-season outings.
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The key has been a balanced offense and an improving defense. The ground game became more of a focal point with the 1-2 punch of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara and prolific Drew Brees no longer needed to throw for 5,000-plus yards.
The Saints finished 11-5 and won the first of what is three straight NFC South titles. Payton’s squad was fifth in the NFL in rushing and fifth in the league in passing and scored 23 touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. In 2018, New Orleans finished sixth in the NFL in rushing.
But this past year, with newcomer Latavius Murray replacing Ingram, the Saints slipped to 16th in the league in rushing. And it turns out, Kamara wasn’t exactly healthy (Mike Triplett of ESPN) and finished with 1,330 yards from scrimmage and six TDs.
The team features one of the NFL’s best offensive lines and with Kamara at 100 percent, look for this club to get back to what has been a true catalyst for this strong run (literally) but the franchise.
Atlanta Falcons: Has Dan Quinn’s club finally found a consistent pass rush?
Former Seattle Seahawks’ assistant Dan Quinn took over as Atlanta Falcons’ head coach in 2015. It’s been an interesting five-year run and the last two years have seen the club finish 7-9. But it’s also worth noting that after a 1-7 start this past season, the club won six of its final eight games including road surprises of the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.
But the subject there is less about the team and more about one aspect of the club that has struggled during Quinn’s tenure. The team has long searched for a consistent pass rush and back in 2015, the club thought they may have found the answer in defensive end Vic Beasley – the eighth overall pick that year.
In his second season, he led the NFL with 15.5 sacks and the Falcons wound up in Super Bowl LI. But his five-year tenure with the franchise was more disappointing then productive and this offseason come of the club opted not to re-sign him and let him test free agency. He’s now a member of the Tennessee Titans.
Enter Dante Fowler Jr., late of the Los Angeles Rams and off a big year in many aspects. He started a personal-best 14 games and racked up career highs with 58 tackles, 11.5 sacks and six passes defensed. It’s the latest attempt by the team to get more consistent heat on opposing quarterbacks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Do the Bucs have enough defense to reach the playoffs?
One of the biggest offseason moves ever by a player was watching six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady leave the New England Patriots after 20 seasons and sign on with Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The club also orchestrated a trade to bring in former teammate Rob Gronkowski as well.
The Bucs feature quite the offensive talent especially at the skill positions with wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Gronkowski and fellow tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate and a potentially potent ground attack with 2018 second-round pick Ronald Jones.
But what about the other side of the football? A year ago, the Buccaneers ranked 15th in total defense and 30th vs. the pass. Of course, the team gave up the fewest rushing yards in the league. But a really closer look at this unit shows that Todd Bowles group surrender just 10 offensive touchdowns in its final six contests, opposed to allowing 31 such office offensive scores during a 3-7 start.
The team didn’t make a lot of offseason moves and still have to get franchised outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, the NFL leader in sacks in 2019 with 19.5 QB traps, under contract (courtesy of Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
If Brady performs as expected and the defense picks up where it left off, it’s very realistic to think that Tampa Bay is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
Carolina Panthers: Will Christian McCaffrey be counted on to carry the offense?
It almost sounds like a question given what the versatile performer managed to do in his third NFL season. But running back Christian McCaffrey will not begin his fourth NFL campaign as he did the first three. That’s because Ron Rivera is now the head coach of the Washington Redskins. The new man at the controls in Charlotte is former Baylor University head coach Matt Rhule.
As for McCaffrey, his third NFL season proved to be the charm. He led the league in total yards from scrimmage (2,392) and scored 19 touchdowns, tied with Green Bay’s Aaron Jones for the most in the NFL.
He joined the 49ers’ Roger Craig (1985) and the Rams’ Marshall Faulk (1999) as the only players in league annals with 1,000-plus yards rushing and receiving the same season. His 116 receptions were a new NFL record for running backs.
The Panthers have a trio of wideouts in D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel and newcomer Robby Anderson (Jets) all capable of the big play. But McCaffrey not only gives Rhule but new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (Saints) a safety blanket in some ways and one more than capable of carrying a big load, especially as a receiver.