Power of the NFC South

Offseason bets have already been placed on which division of the NFL will be the strongest this year, and while the AFC East is always a tough contender with the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins and Bills in the mix, the NFC South will surely be giving the AFC East some stiff competition this year. The NFC South harbors a number of top running teams in the league, among these being the Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers and Falcons. While the Bucs were perhaps one of the surprise teams from 2008 and Drew Brees’ Saints have been causing a ruckus on the football scene, it’s still the Carolina Panthers we’re looking at to take the division this year - for several reasons.

Led by the dynamic duo of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, the Panthers’ running offense is hands-down one of the best in the league. Despite QB Jake Delhomme’s woes, the Panthers found their groove last season (before the ugly playoffs), and the two running backs are back and ready for more in ‘09. The Panthers have also taken this offseason to stock up on their defense, drafting DE Everette Brown, CD Sherrod Martin and DT Corey Irvin and also keeping Julius Peppers for another round. The addition of defensive coordinator Ron Meeks (formerly of the Indianapolis Colts) is also a compelling factor for the Panthers’ defense to soar this year, and although the New Orleans Saints are looking to be a strong team in the NFC South this season, we’ve got the Panthers locked in at division champions this year, judging from the offseason.

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