As part of an ongoing 8-part series, the Steel City Underground team takes their stab at predicting the 2017 NFL season.

This edition focuses on the NFC South.

	Joe	Brian	Tina	Jimmy	Tommy	Mike	Terry
1	ATL	ATL	ATL	ATL	ATL	TB	ATL
2	CAR	TB	TB	TB	TB	ATL	NO
3	TB	CAR	CAR	NO	CAR	CAR	CAR
4	NO	NO	NO	CAR	NO	NO	TB

Here’s some commentary justifying everyone’s picks:

Joe

More hot takes in the NFC… Atlanta returns unphased. They’ll be hungry for redemption and win this division, but not as easily as some may think.

The Panthers are still hungry as well, a year removed from their own Super Bowl loss. I believe their offseason additions put them back into the hunt.

I struggled with where to place Tampa Bay, as I feel they too could compete for a postseason spot. They might be that team with a winning record who misses the cut due to the other teams in their division and conference tiebreakers.

Poor Drew Brees will still have to watch a bad defense from the sidelines. I don’t see the Saints contending.

Brian

I don’t know that Atlanta will be as strong as they were last year, but they will still be the best team in this division. Their defense is scary fast, but fast doesn’t mean that they are going to always make the plays they need to. Matt Ryan tends to fall off the year after having a great year, so we will see if he can provide a solid follow up on his career season last year.

The Bucs are headed up in my opinion, and I think they make a push this year to beat out Carolina for second in this division, and possibly a wild card spot. Their receiving corp is, as Zacadonia would say, “Lit”. It remains to be seen if Jameis Winston can consistently connect with them though.
And the Saints are doomed by their defense, which is likely to force Drew Brees to constantly be playing from behind.

Tina

I feel for Drew Brees. One of the nicest guys in the league, but his organization seems to set him up with ‘capable’ tools and targets as opposed to big-time playmakers… and the defense is a big reason the Saints will sit at the bottom of this division. The Panthers will find someone to save their season from disaster, but his name won’t be Cam Newton. I think Christian McCaffrey will compete for OROY honors. Luke Keuchly and Julius Peppers may carry a heavy burden with injuries and a few key players showing signs of wear.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons are still hopped up about the way the Super Bowl went down last season. Count on Atlanta to dial up Julio Jones and Taylor Gabriel. On defense, they can’t afford to have a slump or Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers will steal the prize. They’ll need big performances from Vernon Hargreaves, Gerald McCoy and DeSean Jackson as they groom some nice new talent.

Jimmy

Remember when this division used to have a different team win the division title every year? Then the Panthers won it three times in a row from 2013-2015 before the Falcons took it from them last year with the NFL’s highest scoring offense. I have no doubt in my mind that the Falcons will repeat as division champions. They return their two-headed monster of a backfield in Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman, who signed a five-year, $41.25 million contract extension. The addition of receiver Andre Roberts only adds more explosiveness, especially to their return game. They bolstered their defense by drafting linebacker Takk McKinley in the 1st round and signing nose tackle Dontari Poe.

The Bucs will follow up their 9-7 record in 2016 with another 2nd place division spot in 2017. The combination of rookie 1st round draft pick O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate will create huge matchup problems for linebackers at the tight end position. Third round pick Chris Godwin and newly added DeSean Jackson bring speed to compliment Mike Evans’ incredible ability to catch in traffic. Can Jameis Winston take the next step?

I want to move the Saints up further in the division, but this defense last year was bad (27th in yards allowed). Although they lost Brandin Cooks, I think second-year receiver Michael Thomas will be more than capable of picking up the slack. The additions of Adrian Peterson and rookie Alvin Kamara only add more explosiveness from the running back position. I have to commend the Saints front office for knowing that the window is closing on them and 38-year old Drew Brees. They drafted lockdown cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the 1st round, safety Marcus Williams in the 2nd, and linebacker Alex Anzalone in the 3rd while also signing linebackers A.J. Klein and Manti Te’o. I hope they surprise me.

Cam Newton was REALLY bad last year. To his defense, he has been beaten up the last few years. His injury history includes a concussion, cracked ribs, ankle surgery and shoulder surgery. They drafted the do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey, who I think will be a star in the league, and Curtis Samuel, the speedster from Ohio State. These two players will allow Cam to get the ball out of his hands quicker and take fewer shots. Even though I’ve got them last in the division, it’s not an indictment on them, but more so how competitive this division is going to be.

Tommy

This was a tight division to call, but I have the reigning NFC champions claiming their division again in 2017. The Falcons have put together a talented roster as of late, and even with the loss of Kyle Shanahan, they should be one of the top teams in the NFC again this year. The Buccaneers finished second last year, and though that doesn’t change for me, they should be an improved team. Jameis Winston continues to grow and develop and it’s not hard to see that this team has improved immensely since their two-win season in 2014.

Cam Newton is coming off a very poor season last year where he threw just 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on less than 53% completion. The Panthers aren’t quite the same team they were when they went to the Super Bowl two years ago. I have them finishing 3rd in the division. The Saints have an aging Drew Brees, but that should stop them from having one of the league’s best passing attacks. The problem is their defense. They allowed the second most points per game in the league last year (28.4) and that’s probably not going to change anytime soon. I have New Orleans finishing last in the NFC South.

Mike

The NFC South is going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!  Yep, I see big things for this team and specifically Jameis Winston. They will beat out last years’ Super Bowl loser, the Falcons, who will finish second and win a Wild Card. The Carolina Panthers are my pick for third and I see them being a competitive team again this season, if Cam can stay healthy. That means the New Orleans Saints are last in what I predict will be the final year for the Sean Peyton/Drew Brees run. Peyton will be fired.

Terry

Not that I’m a fan, but the addition of Adrian Peterson to New Orleans will help Brees make what could be his next to last season at least a winning one.

Cam is always beaten up and not sure if he’s football ready. Atlanta will win the division.