NFC South Breakdown: Which Team Will Win The Division?

The NFC South is considered the weakest division in the NFC and arguably in the league.

Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South but lost in the divisional round against the Detroit Lions.

The New Orleans Saints finished second in the NFC South with a 9-8 record.

They did not make the postseason.

The Falcons were 7-10 and did not make the playoffs last year.

Atlanta had poor QB play, so they were aggressive in the offseason and signed QB Kirk Cousins.

Carolina finished last in the division last season with a 2-15 record.

The Panthers brought in Dave Canales as the head coach to try to help QB Bryce Young improve significantly in his second year after a horrible rookie campaign.

Below, we will break down each team in the NFC South and predict which team will win the division.

NFC South Breakdown

The NFC South sent just one team to the playoffs last year, which will likely occur again this season.

Divisional matchups in the NFC South will be competitive.

Scroll down for a breakdown of each NFC South team heading into the 2024 NFL season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South last year with a record of 9-8.

They took advantage of the worst division in the NFL.

New Orleans also finished 9-8 but the Bucs had the tiebreaker over them.

The Bucs went 4-2 against the weak NFC South last year.

Baker Mayfield had his best season of his career as a starter last year with the Bucs.

One big loss for Mayfield and the Bucs is losing offensive coordinator David Canales.

Canales was a big reason for Baker and the offense having success last season.

Rachaad White may be the beneficiary of new offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme.

Coen brings a revamped run scheme that suits White well.

Tampa Bay had a good defense last year.

They ranked fifth in points allowed per game and ninth in sacks per game.

LB Devin White and CB Carlton Davis are no longer with the team but they should still have a formidable defense.

Tampa Bay needs Baker to once again have a good season as they hope to repeat as NFC South champions.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints finished second in the NFC South with a 9-8 record.

They did not make the postseason.

Their defense was good last year, ranking sixth in points allowed per game.

Despite ranking sixth in points allowed per game, they only ranked 28th in sacks per game.

They were able to take the ball away from opposing offenses, ranking third in team takeaways per game.

Derek Carr played in 17 games last year and had a 25/8 TD:INT ratio.

It was a decent season for Carr and he hopes to improve in his second year with the team.

Chris Olave had a good second year, recording 87 receptions, 1,123 receiving yards, and five receiving TDs.

He will look to take another big step forward in year three after recording back-to-back 1,000+ receiving yards in each of his first two seasons.

New Orleans has a good team and will compete for the NFC South crown.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta finished with a 7-10 record last year and third in the NFC South.

The Falcons significantly improved their offense by signing QB Kirk Cousins.

He is coming off an Achilles injury and will be 36 years old when the season begins.

They received horrendous QB play all last year, so they are hoping Cousins solves this issue.

Atlanta does have a talented offense.

RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts are an excellent trio of weapons.

Kirk Cousins will enjoy the weapons at his disposal in Atlanta.

The Falcons have a good offensive line that will be crucial to keeping Cousins healthy.

On paper, Atlanta has the best offense in the NFC South.

Their defense improved last year but they could not get to the QB.

An improved offense will assist the defense to improve as well.

Look for Atlanta to be much improved with better QB play and are in a great position to win the NFC South.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were the worst team in the NFC South and the NFL last year.

They had a horrendous 2-15 record.

There may not be a QB entering the season with lower expectations than Bryce Young after a disastrous rookie season.

Dave Canales is the new head coach for the Panthers and he was credited for resurging Geno Smith’s career.

Canales was also a huge factor in Baker Mayfield having the best season of his career last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He was the offensive coordinator for the Bucs last season.

Carolina drafted WR Xavier Leggette and acquired WR Diontae Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers to help boost their offense.

Young will be in a great system and he is set up nicely to take a big step forward in year two.

If Young does not improve, this will be very worrisome for the Panthers organization and fans.

Carolina traded star LB Brian Burns to the New York Giants.

They ranked 29th in points allowed per game last season, so this was a questionable move.

As teams fight to keep their star pass rushers, Carolina decided to trade theirs.

Bryce Young needs to prove he is a franchise QB and play well this season.

The Panthers will unlikely compete for the NFC South crown.

Which Team Will Win The NFC South?

This feels like a three-team race between the Bucs, Saints, and Falcons.

Bryce Young hopes to improve in year two but the Panthers are not ready to win the NFC South.

New Orleans has a good all-around team but Derek Carr is not a top 10 QB and they struggled to get to the QB last year.

Tampa Bay won the division last year but lost offensive coordinator David Canales, who helped Baker Mayfield have the best season of his career.

The Falcons are stacked on offense now with new QB Kirk Cousins.

RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts are an excellent trio of weapons.

The Falcons have a good offensive line that will be crucial to keeping Cousins healthy.

Their defense improved last year but they could not get to the QB.

They hope to put more pressure on QBs in 2024.

Atlanta has the best all-around team in the NFC and with improved QB play, the Falcons will win the NFC South.