Who is the best team in the NFC South this season? If you can answer that question, then you are way smarter than I am. No team is any good — and even though it’s easy to bet the Bucs, don’t forget that they lost to the Panthers and the Steelers already this season. Don’t let the “come-from-behind Brady miracle” last week influence your thinking.
After the Panthers beat the Falcons on Thursday night, the South is upside down. The Panthers’ three wins have all come against their South opponents. The Falcons can only run the ball, and if Marcus Mariota must throw the ball more than 20 times a game, he looks bad — like he did on Thursday evening. When the Falcons cannot run the ball, play from ahead and are forced to throw, they show their lack of team talent and why most people (including me) felt they would win fewer than five games on the season. They are well coached on offense, know their limitations and play to their style, they’re not a good team. As the weather turns cold and the winds of November start blowing, teams are forced to alter their designs and don’t catch anyone by surprise. The Falcons have no chance to alter their style and their lack of defensive talent is a huge problem.
Carolina is one missed kick (Week 1 58-yarder by Browns kicker Cade York) and one made kick (extra point in the previous Atlanta game) from being 5-5 and in first place. And yet, the Panthers are not good, as they struggle to get any decent play from the quarterback position. Last night PJ Walker did his best to turn the ball over, yet the Falcons refused to catch the ball. They play hard and have improved even though they traded away their best player Christian McCaffrey. With D'Onta Foreman, the Panthers are running the ball more effectively and their young offensive line is improving. Everyone acts as if trading wide receiver Robbie Anderson was an omission of forthcoming tanking, but he has one catch for minus-four yards in Arizona and wasn’t playing well for the Panthers. His departure was a positive.
I thought the Saints were the best team in the South, until last week, when the Ravens dominated them. They are like the Panthers, as they need to manage the quarterback position and rely on their running game. Last week their defense was porous and this week they should take advantage of a rookie quarterback. With a win in Pittsburgh the Saints are back in the race. And they should beat the Steelers. But I am no confident they will nor is the betting public as the line opened as the Saints being a 2.5 road favorite and now they are 1.5.