New England Patriots vs New Orleans Saints

This week sees the 0-1 (yes I said 0-1) New England Patriots travel to New Orleans to face Drew Brees and the Saints in what is a highly anticipated showdown. After the Patriots were defeated by the Chiefs 42-27 on opening night people have raised questions around Tom Brady and co. The same happened when the Pats were defeated 41-14 by the Chiefs back in 2014 but the doubters were silenced when New England went on the dismantle the Bengals 41-17 the week after and finish the season by winning the Super Bowl.

Now that Tom Brady has turned 40 though people are starting to doubt him again despite his unprecedented success in the past 3 years for someone of his age and with the talent around him I don't see the Patriots derailing anytime soon. They always bounce back in style and the Saints could be in for a spanking later on today when the two teams meet especially when you look at the holes in their defence. Drew Brees is an outstanding quarterback and one of the top 5 to play the position in the past 10-20 years so he could keep this game close but I expect the Pats to come away with the victory.

Both the Patriots and the Saints lost to teams who's quarterbacks were questioned in Alex Smith and Sam Bradford but the two both outplayed their counterparts with stellar performances so credit needs to be given to both of those guys for their play in week one. Both teams will be looking for a much needed victory to get back to .500 and I think we can expect to see lights out play from the Saints and the Patriots. The key factor here is that New England acquired New Orleans' best weapon in the off-season and I think Brandin Cooks will have a huge game today along with Chris Hogan now that Danny Amendola is out injured. Brady will also look to get Gronk back in the mix after he was shut out for the majority of the game by the Chiefs D.

You can see though that Cooks is the most likely to be the deciding factor when Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro said "We can't let Cooks get a deep ball". This shows that the Saints know how important he could be on those deep plays down the middle and Drew Brees himself knows how speedy the wideout is from their time playing together. Even if he is somehow shutdown today against his former team then the speed of Hogan will exploit the Saints' weak defence. I expect to see a lot of mismatches caused today when New England's offense takes the field and it will be a long day for the Saints.

On the flip side New Orleans 3 keys to victory are for Brees to "have a day" which he is most certainly capable of. Number 2 would be to force turnovers so they can keep their defence fresh and off the field to give Brees and the offense more opportunities to score points which would lead on to key point number 3 which is establishing the run. As key as Drew Brees is to the Saints offense we saw Sean Payton bring Adrian Peterson in over the summer to go along with Mark Ingram and rookie running back Alvin Kamara as New Orleans looks to establish a more balanced attack in order to get this team back to the top of the NFC South and become more successful again. In years gone by Brees has been magnificent but his defence has let him down so the Saints need to improve on their clock management by having a run game and not always go full guns blazing.

If the Saints do establish the run and force turnovers against the Patriots then they could cause an upset plus the Superdome isn't exactly the easiest place to go and win on the road so it won't be easy pickings for the Pats in some peoples opinion. In my opinion though even though it could be a shootout at times between Brady and Brees I think the run game for both teams is key in order to unlock the passing game and whoever manages to establish that will win the game. It could well be a repeat of when the Pats beat the saints 30-27 at Gillette Stadium back in 2013 when Brady hit Kenbrell Tompkins for the game winner with 5 seconds left.

That day the Patriots had the likes of Michael Hoomanawanui who now plays for the Saints and slot receiver Austin Collie on their offense who fun fact is only one of 5 players to catch a pass from both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning (Torrance Small, Jermaine Wiggins, Wes Welker and defensive Tackle Dan Klecko are the others). Now though the Patriots have lots of weapon at their disposal and I think they will play a big part in the Patriots getting their first win of the season today. Their defence also has lots of question marks after being torn up by Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Alex Smith but Bill Belichick is a defensive mastermind who will have taken such a horrendous defensive display personally and will want his team to get back to being the juggernaut that we know them to be.

My bold prediction is that either Dion Lewis or James White goes for over 75 total yards and a touchdown today. I'm sticking with Cooks as the deciding factor and he will get a touchdown, I expect Chris Hogan to get in to the mix or at least rack up 50 receiving yards and Gronkowski should at least have a touchdown to his name today. With all of that being said and my analysis above I am going for a New England win today; the Patriots haven't been below .500 after the second week for over 5,000 days and we know how well the Patriots respond after a loss. Now that all the talk of an undefeated season is out of the way following that opening day defeat I think Bill Belichick can get the Patriots to refocus and look forward for the rest of the season... It is unfortunate for the Saints that they are the ones who have to face the Pats a week after such a painful loss.

Prediction: Patriots 34-27 Saints

Playoffs: Saturday Wild Card picks

The NFL playoffs are set to begin in a few hours and I am back after some time to share my predictions with you all. Tonight sees the Colts host the Chiefs and the Eagles entertain the Saints with Sunday's lineup including the Chargers vs Bengals and a high profile matchup in the last game of the weekend when the 49ers travel to take on the Packers.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts

Both teams finished the season 11-5 and a week ago I had all my predictions set for this matchup including this one. After finally finding some time to blog and grabbing a decent nights rest yesterday I had a dream and for some reason it was about the Colts losing this game although for some reason the Chiefs QB had long hair and a weird beard so maybe Alex Smith will wear a wig tonight?

On paper this is a tough one to call because the Chiefs have been questioned a lot this year despite starting the season 9-0. At that point I told a very good friend of mine they would lose at least 4 games before the regular season ended and as we all know they have lost 5 of their last 7 including their last two; the defeat to the Chargers did see them rest their key players though. Andy Reid has revitalised the Chiefs by taking them to the postseason with the team looking to secure their first victory in the playoffs since Joe Montana was the quarterback which was now two decades ago yes back in 1994!

It may not have been as long as that since the Colts last won a playoff game but the last time they did win in the postseason they were also being led by a great quarterback; none other than Peyton Manning. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2009 season which ended in Super Bowl defeat to the New Orleans Saints. 2010 saw them lose to the Jets and 2010 was an off year for Indianapolis due to Manning's season ending shoulder injury but they got lucky with timing and drafted Andrew Luck who took them back to the postseason in his rookie year as well as helped guide the Colts to their first division title since Manning left this season.

Quarterback Andrew Luck is something special and despite losing star receiver Reggie Wayne he has had a brilliant second season throwing 23 touchdowns again but has reduced his interceptions from 18 in 2012 to just 9 this year. The Colts turnovers are always very low and so are the Chiefs which means any turnovers tonight will pretty much count as double especially in a playoff game. The more I write the more I want to plummet for the Colts but I just feel that after they defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on the road a couple of weeks ago it all seems too simple to go for them and in the playoffs nothing is ever simple or as it seems.

The Chiefs will get back to winning ways tonight for the following three reasons: 1. Jamaal Charles. 2. A defense that ranks 5th in the league and 3. Due to the fact that they won't turn it over 4 times again like they did when they played the Colts last time. Jamaal Charles will get more touches tonight than in the last encounter; he has 12 rushing touchdowns and 9 receiving ones. Alex Smith has 23 touchdowns and just 7 picks to his name and with his trusty sidekicks Charles and Dwayne Bowe the Chiefs will progress to the divisional round next week albeit in a close one.

Prediction: Colts 25-27 Chiefs


New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles

The 11-5 Saints are back in the playoffs thanks to head coach Sean Payton working his magic. New Orleans have been effective on both sides of the ball and despite missing out on the NFC South title to the Panthers it may come as a blessing in disguise as they could build momentum with a win tonight to take them deep in to the postseason. The Eagles finished 10-6 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week in the winner takes all match for the NFC East.

Both teams have advantages at certain positions but the quarterback matchup will be key tonight when Drew Brees goes up against the red hot Nick Foles. Foles started 13 of the Eagles' 16 games throwing a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions but will the pressure of the playoffs be too much for the young QB? His opposite number Brees finished the regular season ranked second in the league in both touchdown passes, 39, and passing yards with 5,162 so with him going up against NFL's worst ranked defense in passing yardage per game this could prove to be problematic for Philadelphia.

Despite New Orleans not being the best road team at times I feel like the Eagles are poised to be give their fans another let down. With all due respect to Chip Kelly he has been a breath of fresh air to the league and his fast pace offense will give Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan problems especially when you consider that Philadelphia have one of the best running backs in the league in the shape of LeSean McCoy.

I feel that despite the pros for an Eagles win that going with them is more of a heart over head decision. When you break it down the Saints should win this one despite the fact that they have their leading rusher out Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles will see more of the ball and can get out of the backfield to make a play and tight end Jimmy Graham is a matchup nightmare; Graham finished the season ranked first in the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns. The Saints receiving core will give the Eagles secondary problems and New Orleans also have the second-ranked pass defense in the league. they only allow 194.1 yards passing per game in 2013 and in three of their last four game they have manage to keep the opposition for under 200 yards passing so this will limit Foles' aerial attack and plus they have Keenan Lewis at corner who could give Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson some problems.

Prediction: Saints 34-27 Eagles

NFL week 11:

After two weeks Skye's NFL predictions have returned! Unfortunately due to internet problems, a hectic life schedule (slight lie) and just other general excuses I haven't been able to blog but after predicting 10/11 results correctly for week 8's games with some very close perfect predictions too it was a very impressive weekend for me regarding the Sunday game predictions so maybe a rest was warranted.

Skye's predictions:                       Week 8 scores:

49ers 28-17 Jaguars                      49ers 42-10 Jaguars
Browns 16-26 Chiefs                     Browns 17-23 Chiefs
Dolphins 20-27 Patriots                 Dolphins 17-27 Patriots
Bills 20-37 Saints                          Bills 17-35 Saints
Cowboys 27-35 Lions                    Cowboys 30-31 Lions
Giants 24-23 Eagles                      Giants 15-7 Eagles
Steelers 20-16 Raiders                 Steelers 18-21 Raiders
Jets 20-27 Bengals                        Jets 9-49 Bengals
Falcons 24-26 Cardinals                Falcons 13-27 Cardinals
Redskins 24-37 Broncos                Redskins 21-45 Broncos
Packers 30-20 Vikings                   Packers 44-31 Vikings


So within the past two weeks there have been many twists and turns throughout the national football league from Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers suffering a serious injury to the Jacksonville Jaguars recording their first win this season last week. Tampa Bay also got their first victory whilst the Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated at 9-0 as they head in to a huge game against divisional rivals Denver tomorrow with the Broncos only a game behind them at 8-1. The New England Patriots looked like their old selves with a huge 55-31 victory over Pittsburgh in week 9 whereas the San Francisco 49ers look out of sorts and find themselves at 6-3 after defeat last week to the resurgent 6-3 Carolina Panthers who have won 5 straight. In the NFC West the Niners are just a game ahead of the third placed Cardinals and in the distance of the 9-1 Seattle Seahawks whereas over in the NFC East Dallas are in first place at .500 along with the 5-5 Eagles.

New England, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Cincinnati lead their respective divisions in the AFC whilst over in the NFC Seattle, Dallas, Detroit and New Orleans are first place in their divisions. Let us take a look at tomorrow's matchups with some analysis and then I will offer my predictions for all 13 of Sunday's games.


(5-4) New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills (3-7)

The New York Jets had a bye last week after knocking off New Orleans in week 9 giving them plenty of time to prepare ahead of a road trip to Buffalo to face one of their AFC East rivals. The Bills lost to the Steelers last week and are now on a three game losing streak.

Buffalo will be hoping to end this bad run of form tomorrow against the Jets whilst putting a dent in New York's playoffs hopes. Rex Ryan's team have been finding ways to win with good defense which will be needed when they come up against the likes of E.J. Manuel and CJ Spiller tomorrow

Rookie QB Manuel could cause the Jets D unexpected problems, 6 touchdowns: 4 interceptions in 2013, but New York's own rookie quarterback Geno Smith hasn't been too bad himself this season throwing 8 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The Jets need to win games like this if they are to make the postseason and while I personally feel that Miami could still take second place in the AFC east from the Jets I am going to go for a Jets road win tomorrow with Rex Ryan's team moving on to 6-4 but it will be a scrappy affair.

Prediction: Jets 21-17 Bills


(2-7) Atlanta Falcons vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8)

As we all know the Atlanta Falcons' Super Bowl or bust season was confirmed as a bust a while ago and the fact that they are on a three game losing streak doesn't help in giving them much of an edge over a lacklustre Tampa Bay side who edged out a win last week against the Dolphins to record their first victory of the 2013 season.

 If the Buccaneers win tomorrow they'll demote Atlanta to last place in the NFC South and with Tampa at home they could quite well win a second straight game. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is still trying his best but without Julio Jones it was always going to be a struggle for Atlanta to get their season back on track.

Roddy White has been unimpressive this year and sadly Tony Gonzalez's last season in the NFL is going to end in irrelevancy. The Buccaneers will be buoyed by their win last week and young running backs Bobby Rainey and Brian Leonard will share the load out of the backfield to help Tampa Bay defeat the Falcons.

Prediction: Falcons 20-23 Buccaneers


(6-3) Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)

The Detroit Lions gained sole control of the NFC North last week when they defeated divisional rivals Chicago 21-19 in a close encounter. With the Bears and Packers both enduring hard times due to key injuries this Lions team has a real shot of winning the division.

With seven games to go though they need to remain focused as a trip to Heinz Field is never easy despite the fact that the Steelers are suffering right now. This matchup suits Detroit as their passing game should tear Pittsburgh apart especially after they gave up 55 against the Patriots two week ago.

The Steelers did bounce back last week with a 23-10 win over the Bills but they'll have to be at the top of their game to stop the Lions from winning a third straight. You can expect Matthew Stafford, 19 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, and Megatron, 9 receiving touchdowns, to have a field day against the Steelers with Detroit walking out of this one as winners.

Prediction: Lions 34-20 Steelers
 

(3-6) Washington Redskins vs Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)

The NFC East is as tight as ever this season and that is evident by the fact that a win for the 3-6 Redskins tomorrow could put them firmly back in the hunt for the division title. A win for them would see Washington move just a game behind the Eagles and Cowboys with 6 weeks to go.

The Eagles have a monkey on their back at home having not won a single game at Lincoln Financial Field this year but they have been impressive in their last two games with wins over the Raiders and Packers getting them back to .500.

Young Eagles quarterback Nick Foles has been a big part of their revival with the QB throwing 10 touchdowns in his past two games, seven against the Raiders, and has not thrown a pick in his last 136 passing attempts this season. This game is almost too close to call and despite Redskins quarterback RGIII enduring a tough 2013 campaign he could still help this team revitalise their season with a win tomorrow. Personally though I think that the Eagles are overdue a home win and that thanks to their current form they will edge this one.

Prediction: Redskins 30-33 Eagles 


(5-4) Arizona Cardinals vs Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)

The Arizona Cardinals have won two games in a row to put themselves in the playoff hunt. Bruce Arians' team won at home against the Texans 27-24 last week to get above .500 and move within one game of the second placed San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West.

Now while no matchup in the NFL is a gimme you have to say that Arizona will be more than confident of winning against Jacksonville despite the Jags claiming their first win of the season last week. Arizona has a tough schedule to finish the year but a win tomorrow to put them at 6-4 will give them confidence going in to a challenging run and with them knowing they have something to play for it can only be a good thing.

Jacksonville was always going to win one game and that's despite the fact they are probably a worse football team than the Detroit Lions side that finished 16-0 a few years back but the chances of them recording back to back victories are slim so expect Arizona to get the win even if it does end up being a close game because they have a well organised roster to grind out a result.

Prediction: Cardinals 26-19 Jaguars 


(3-6) Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans (2-7)

In a game with not much relevance the Oakland Raiders go to Reliant Stadium to take on the Houston Texans. Thankfully new starting quaterback for Houston Case Keenam is the spark this game needs with the former third stringer impressing in his last two games with the Texans losing both in close ones.

Keenam has seven touchdown passes in those past two games and has helped revitalise superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson as a viable threat in the passing game. Keenam is looking to cement himself as the Texans' future starting quarterback and despite posting a passer rating of 105.1 coach Gary Kubiak still isn't ready to commit.

Keenam and Houston will win this one in my opinion as the Raiders look to regroup for next year and move on; speaking of moving on it appears they will be parting with Darren McFadden come next year which is an interesting development but also understandable.

Prediction: Raiders 19-31 Texans


(4-5) Baltimore Ravens vs Chicago Bears (5-4)

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cincinnati Bengals last week to put them just two games behind them in the AFC North meaning they are back in contention for the division and definitely in the playoff hunt. 

The Ravens' schedule is challenging but there are enough winnable games for the defending Super Bowl champions to make it back to the postseason. This week their opponents are the Chicago Bears who will be looking to immediately bounce back from a critical defeat to the Lions last week.

Josh McCown will start for the Bears this week but he has impressed when playing under centre for Chicago. This result will come down to whose defence manages to get pressure on the quarterback on third downs as in a tight affair like this one of two plays could determine it. Personally I feel that despite injury problems the Bears will win this one as the Ravens still lack top quality and a true identity.

Prediction: Ravens 20-24 Bears 


(4-5) Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

 
What a difference a week makes! The Cleveland Browns will be firmly in the hunt for the AFC North title with a victory over the Bengals tomorrow. Cleveland will move to a game behind Cincinnati with a win and if they win that game they have on the Bengals they'll be in first thanks to sweeping the series between the pair.

Admittedly there are a lot of ifs and it is admirable to this Browns roster and management that there season is still alive after trading away Trent Richardson to the Colts and losing quarterback Brian Hoyer to a season ending injury especially as the latter had such a great effect on the team when he came in.

The Browns have had their bye to prepare for this game while the Bengals are looking to snap a two game losing run after defeats to Miami and Baltimore. A win tomorrow will put them at 7-4 and more importantly comfortable in the division heading in to their own bye which is what I believe they will do with AJ Green having a big game!

Prediction: Browns 20-28 Bengals


(4-5) San Diego Chargers vs Miami Dolphins (4-5)

 This matchup has gone under the radar a bit this week as it could have big playoff implications for both teams as both the Chargers and Dolphins look to get back to .500. With the two teams having good rosters that could well sneak in to the postseason in a wildcard spot this game will be extremely interesting.

In today's NFL it sound obvious in most cases but I firmly believe that this game comes down to which quarterback performs better out of Phillip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill. Rivers has been playing very well in 2013 throwing 18 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions whilst the Dolphins' second year QB Tannehill has improved and thrown 12 TD's to 11 picks.

San Diego have lost two straight games and Miami were defeated on Monday Night Football in week 10 by the previously winless Buccaneers so both will be looking to get back to winning ways. In a game that is close to call it's hard to imagine this encounter exceeding an 8 point margin either way but people have talked about the potential of three teams emerging from the AFC West in to the postseason and I believe the Chargers keep their chances alive with a win in this one as the Dolphins continue to be plagued by off the field distractions.

Prediction: Chargers 28-20 Dolphins


(5-4) Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants (3-6) 

The New York Giants possess probably the most unimpressive three game winning streak in the history of the NFL and somehow are still within a chance of winning the NFC East despite losing their first six games this season.

A couple of weeks ago and all bets would of been off as Green Bay would have been predicted to win this game by all those with even half of a brain but the injury to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers shocked the league and showed just how quickly fortunes can change in sport. Rodgers is hoping to return on Thanksgiving but he will need his team to get a much needed win tomorrow to keep them in touching distance at the top of the NFC North.

The Giants meanwhile will be hoping that their defence can disrupt Green Bay's third string QB Scott Tolzien by putting him under pressure from the offset. In their past two meetings the Giants have blown out the Packers and despite the Giants being diabolical at times in 2013 I think they will win this home game tomorrow to complicate things even more within the NFC East leaving the Aaron Rogerless Packers needing to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Prediction: Packers 23-29 Giants
  

(2-7) Minnessota Vikings vs Seattle Seahawks (9-1) 

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot to ponder at the end of 2013 but their QB Christian Ponder looks set to start against Seattle on Sunday after recovering from a dislocated shoulder injury suffered in week 10's Thursday Night Football win over Washington.

The Vikings though face an uphill task of attempting to hand Seattle their first home defeat with Russell Wilson as the team's quarterback; Wilson is 20-6 as a starting QB in the NFL and tied for the third most victories by a player at the the position in his first two seasons as a starter. 3 more wins in the teams last 6 and Wilson will pass Ben Roethlisberger on that list who won 22 games in his first two seasons. Wilson has 17 touchdowns to just six interceptions this year and with the way Seahawks are performing it seems as if the NFC's road to the Super Bowl will be going through Seattle as they look to home in on the number one seed.

You can expect Seattle to win this one even if Vikings running back Adrian Peterson outshines Seattle's Marshawn Lynch. Seattle's defence is monstrous and will create turnovers while the offensive weapons Wilson has at his disposal are impressive plus Percy Harvin returns tomorrow after his long injury to play against his former team so expect fireworks.

Prediction: Vikings 21-31 Seahawks


(6-3) San Francisco 49ers vs New Orleans Saints (7-2)

At the start to the season some expected the 49ers to march back to the Super Bowl but 9 games in and sitting at 6-3 behind the 9-1 Seahawks in the NFC West questions are being asked about this team. Of course the team has had injury problems but so has near enough every franchise this season.

Aldon Smith has had troubles off the field and Colin Kaepernick has been hit and miss throughout the current campaign. The Niners are still a very dangerous team but to go on the road to the Superdome and play the Saints who have the 2nd best offense and 7th best defence in the league is a huge challenge especially as the Niners are coming off a 10-9 loss to the Panthers which is what has caused alarm bells to be rung.

The Saints dismantled the Cowboys 49-17 last week and will be in no mood of slowing down this week especially with Carolina breathing down their necks in the NFC South. While I feel it is ludicrous to say the 49ers will miss the postseason I do feel they have issues that need to be resolved but as for tomorrow's game it could be another brutal encounter for the Niners as they go up against another one of the leagues best defenses and face Saints QB Drew Brees who is no slouch with his 25 touchdown passes this year. This has the potential to be a real thriller; I'm going with New Orleans because Sean Peyton's team are a real threat and at home are almost unstoppable.

Prediction: 49ers 23-33 Saints


(9-0) Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos (8-1)

Our final game this week is the mouthwatering encounter between AFC West rivals Kansas City and Denver. The two possess the best records in the entire AFC with the Chiefs owning one of the best defenses and the Broncos possessing the best offense.

It is a game with high anticipation and one both teams need to win as it is almost certain to be a key factor in deciding who wins this division; the best part is they still have another matchup with each other coming up in two weeks. These two teams are also fighting it out for the battle to gain home field advantage for the playoffs as both look to seal one of the two bye week spots.

The Chiefs have been grinding out wins and have managed close wins over the Browns and Bills who aren't two of the best in the NFL but wins are wins and you have to give credit where it is due so props go to Andy Reid and his Chiefs team. Tomorrow against Denver though is a whole different kettle of fish as they go up against Peyton Manning who his having a fantastic season with the future hall of fame quarterback currently on 33 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions in the teams first 9 games.

Defensively the Chiefs are better than the Broncos that's for sure but the Chiefs' offense is still finding its feet to a degree so they will need to up their game tomorrow as this one could possible end up being a shootout. Chiefs QB Alex Smith hasn't fared well against Manning in the past and to go to the conditions that Mile High has to offer is never no easy challenge. Personally it is very tough to call but with the amount of weapons the Broncos have offensively you have to say that being at home they get this win and move in to first place in the division. The Chiefs will learn from any mistakes they make and get back to the drawing board. I feel that the reason they lose this one, despite sounding slightly contradicting, is that although they needed a bye week is has come at the wrong time just because of who they are facing after it and despite some injury concerns around Manning I just feel that the Broncos will have too much to offer tomorrow and will get the win.

Prediction: Chiefs 27-38 Broncos 

NFC South Preview

The NFC South will be an interesting division this year as the New Orleans Saints look to challenge the Atlanta Falcons for the division title. Tampa Bay and Carolina are still rebuilding but have good pieces in place to put up a fight in the 2013 season. The NFC South is the only division to have each of its four teams make a conference championship game and funnily enough all four on each occasion won that particular game to go the Super Bowl with the Saints and the Buccaneers winning theirs in Super Bowl's XLIV and XXXVII respectively whilst the Falcons and Panthers lost in their lone Super Bowl appearances.

With the 2013 season underway shortly let's now look at how each of these four NFC South teams will fair this year:


Carolina Panthers

For the Panthers it is pretty short and sweet: Despite a losing season in 2012 they finished second in the NFC South as opposed to 3rd in 2011 and their 7-9 record last year was a one win improvement on their 6-10 campaign from the previous season. Head coach Ron Rivera will be looking for further development from his Panthers team as he looks to mould this team so more in his third year in charge. Despite not enduring as much hype as 2011 due to the influx of young QB's in the league last year third year QB Cam Newton may feel he has a bit of a point to prove in 2013 as he looks to get back in to the spotlight.

His sophomore season saw him put up just as good numbers as his rookie year with the best sign being that the interceptions decreased from 17 in 2011 down to 12 last year. Newton rushed for more yards than the previous year but threw marginally less than 2011 and had 2 less touchdowns and 6 less rushing TD's but his raw talent is something that will keep him in the league for years to come. He may not be able to pass as good as the likes of Luck, Wilson and RGIII but his ability to be so dynamic is what makes Newton quite unique

How will Newton & co fair in 2013?

So it is clear that the Panthers had a productive 2012 season especially after winning 5 of their last 6 games which included wins over division rivals Atlanta and New Orleans. If they are to improve in 2013 they need their defense to catch up with the offense so that they can have a chance of reaching the playoffs. The Carolina defense ranked 23rd in total yardage but they have good discipline and the ability to force turnover opportunities so if the likes of Luke Kuechly, Chase Blackburn and other members of this defense step up to the challenge they could help this Panthers team succeed.

Season prediction: 6-10. 4th in NFC South


Atlanta Falcons:

Despite going 13-3 last season and even being 8-0 and one point in the year the Atlanta Falcons didn't receive a lot of love from many for their 2012 season. Their wins may not have been convincing but the main thing is they did get that W in the column for 13/16 games as well as an appearance in the NFC championship game. The main thing for the Falcons is that they have progressed especially since Mike Smith came in as head coach back in 2008; they got back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and that year as a rookie head coach Smith and Matt Ryan who was a rookie too at the time became the first rookie quarterback and rookie coach tandem to take their team to the playoffs.

After leading that NFC title game by 10 points at halftime the Falcons failed to score in the second half which ultimately caused them to lose to the 49ers and miss out on a trip to the Super Bowl but it was progress as Matt Ryan got over the one blemish that was on his record which was not having a playoff win with victory in the divisional round. Despite arguments regarding his playoff success I'm prepared to give Ryan and the Falcons the benefit of the doubt as his first defeat was Ryan's rookie season, the second was to Green Bay who went on to win the Super Bowl that year and the year after in 2011 despite the on the field collapse the defeat to the Giants was to again the eventual Super Bowl winner. Last year's loss to the Niners was another learning experience which should spur this Falcons team on for the 2013 season especially as legendary tight-end Tony Gonzalez has decided to join the team for one last ride as he enters his 17th season in the league; 5th as a Falcon. With Gonzalez and other top offensive weapons Julio Jones and Roddy White, 17 touchdowns between the two in 2012, as well as new running back Steven Jackson the Falcons offense can cause opposing defenses lots of trouble this year especially as Matt Ryan has grown in to one of the best and most reliable quarterbacks in the league.

As cool as ice!

His touchdown numbers have increased every year since he entered the league with the QB throwing over 30 touchdown passes for the first time in his career in 2012. His interception rate has always been low and that is proven by his career touchdown to interception ratio of 127:60. Although there are many positives this Atlanta offense needs to move on to an even higher level of play because on defense they don't have too much to be excited about and ranked 20th in total yardage last season. Now that may not be much to complain about but in this league your luck can easily turn and those close wins can start to become close losses so they need to improve from a defensive perspective and start to play to their strengths by attempting to dictate games on offense by putting up more points. They may have some hard games against the Patriots and Seahawks this year but Atlanta's three defeats last year only came against division rivals but regardless of their record this team should reach the playoffs which are where the wins really matter so until then they'll hope for a productive regular season and will be aiming for consecutive division titles.

Season prediction: 10-6. 2nd in NFC South.


New Orleans Saints:

The New Orleans Saints will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2012 season which saw them fall from division champions to 7-9 and a 3rd place finish in the NFC South. The Saints defense was shredded up for 7,042 yards of offense which was 440.1 yards per game marking the most yards allowed by any defense in NFL history. The knight in shining armour for New Orleans will be head coach Sean Payton who returns as the team's head coach following his one year suspension for his involvement in the bounty scandal.

So how does New Orleans bounce back? Many people have had their opinion on how much of an impact Payton will have in reviving the Saints' fortunes in 2013 and personally I think he will guide them to a good season. Like the Patriots tore teams apart after the whole spygate inquiry you just get that feel that Payton's 2013 Saints will defy the odds in a sense and prove themselves once again. Although the difference between spygate and the bountygate is despite the severe punishment you can't disagree with the fact that the Saints were wrong for rewarding their players in the form of a slush fund. In a way and although controversial to say you could say that after having a more than dreadful season on defense last year that this Saints team needs to get back to playing nasty on that side of the ball but obviously within the rules. Now that they have Rob Ryan it is safe to say he will help steady the ship and if they can at least make them average instead of looking like they're not even on the field then yes that would help.

Here to lend a helping hand

If the defense can improve it will take some pressure off the offense and then they have a chance to make it back to the postseason especially as they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league leading their team. QB Drew Brees has been consistent for the Saints ever since he joined them in 2006 and since the Super Bowl win in 2009 he has really taken his game to another level; in the past two seasons he has thrown for over 5000 yards and in 2011 he set the record for most passing yards in a season with 5,476 yards. There are so many stats that show how great Brees is with one being that his passer rating has only been below 90.0 once in his 7 years as the team's QB and that was 89.4; his best ever passer rating was 110.6 in 2011. The past two years have seen him throw 89 touchdown passes to just 33 interceptions which is phenomenal; he has 244 touchdowns as a Saint to 112 interceptions. Brees has improved and established himself in the top bracket of quarterbacks especially when you consider he has a postseason passer rating of 103.9 ranking him 1st among active players and 2nd all-time he has a solid regular season rating of 94.3, 7th all-time. So with Brees under centre, Sean Payton back as head coach along with one of the most dynamic players in the game in the shape of running back Darren Sproles plus Jimmy Graham who is no slouch at tight-end the Saints will be quietly hoping they bounce back in style this season and personally although it is obviously a long season I feel that if the Saints defeat Atlanta in their week 1 matchup I feel if they will end up winning the division.

Season prediction: 10-6. 1st in NFC South. *Saints win title on best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division*


Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Although they finished bottom of the division to finish 7-9 last season was a decent achievement for Tampa Bay especially as it was Greg Schiano's first year as the Buccaneers head coach. The NFC South is a tougher division than some make out especially when you consider that Tampa Bay, Carolina and New Orleans all finished on 7-9 last season and that division winners Atlanta's three losses all came against those three division rivals.

There is a mixed feeling to how the Bucs will fair in 2013 especially as the like of 5th year quarterback Josh Freeman have come under criticism. He helped guide the team to 6-4 in 2012 before they lost 5 of their last 6 games and that has put some pressure on this young man's shoulders. Personally from looking at his 2012 tape yes the pass completion rate went down by 8% but he set franchise records for most touchdown passes with 27 and most passing yards with 4,065 so I would say that Freeman deserves all of 2013 to quarterback this team. The team wasn't good enough to sneak by in to wildcard contention last year and I'm not saying they are this year but the Bucs front office has helped Greg Schiano improve his roster with good draft picks like Akeem Spence and William Gholston. As well as that and most importantly was that Tampa Bay made a big move in free agency when they acquired Darrelle Revis who is one of if not the best cornerback in the league. He will automatically improve the Bucs defense and even better for Tampa Bay is the fact that Revis can tutor 2013 second round draft out of Mississippi State pick Johnthan Banks which can only be beneficial to the franchise.

Is this the start of a new era in Tampa?

Overall for the Bucs to have a successful 2013 and any chance of pulling off a surprise in the NFC South they will need the likes of sophomore Doug Martin and wide receiver Vincent Jackson to perform at the top of their game along with the likes of Freeman as well as hoping Revis has a big impact on defense. Doug Martin had a great 2012 with the running back setting a franchise rushing record of 1,454 yards in his rookie year; he also was tied for 4th among running backs in terms of touchdowns with 11. As for Vincent Jackson well he hauled in just below 1,400 receiving yards and caught 8 touchdowns so he will look to have another good year this season. Personally I feel the Bucs will record at least 6 wins and to be honest sometimes there isn't much difference between 6-10 teams to 10-6 teams so for Tampa Bay it will come down to whether they are victors in the close games this season and how they fair against their division rivals throughout the year

Season prediction: 7-9. 3rd in NFC South