Behold! The NFL division I care the most about. While the Atlanta Falcons often keep me up at night, they are the team I ride and usually die with. That being said, being this invested in one franchise has afforded me to look at my favorite team's biggest rivals through somewhat of an honest lens. I know the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all have promising pieces, too.
However, until proven otherwise, this is likely to remain a one-playoff team division in the NFL for the foreseeable future. The upper half of the NFC East and NFC North should be getting two or more teams into the playoffs every year going forward. While I think the NFC West is trending down, it may not be sliding at the rate the NFC South is improving. This is why winning the division is so important.
So what I want to do today is look at all four NFC South teams' biggest weakness heading into the season, and what they can potentially do about it. I may not have the best solution to rectify persistent problems, but I do plan on offering one in each case. In my estimation, the team that does the best job of improving, or at least masking, its biggest flaw stands the best chance of winning it.
Let's start with my franchise and try to fix one of the most obvious problems across the entire NFL.
Atlanta Falcons
Biggest weakness: Generating a consistent pass rush for the first time in decades
No doubt, it is the pass rush. Sometimes, I jokingly contemplate about cutting off the pinky finger on my dominant hand if I thought it could improve the pass rush. I could still play guitar, and I think my hands could adjust on the keyboard, or at least I would hope so... I do write for a living. Anyway, Atlanta must improve its pass rush like the Chicago Bears need better quarterback play every year.
As far as providing a solution, I think the franchise already addressed it, or at least tried. The Falcons used their first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on former star SEC edge rushers in Jalon Walker out of Georgia at No. 15 and then trading up No. 26 in a deal with the Los Angeles Rams to then take James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee. Add Bralen Trice potentially being back, and that is a huge plus.
Frankly, the Falcons still kind of feel like they are throwing money at a problem without necessarily fixing it. I think hiring former New York Jets defensive coordinator/interim coach Jeff Ulbrich is a huge upgrade over the mistake that was Jimmy Lake last season. Raheem Morris is a defensive-minded head coach, one who has been known to generate a pass rush from his days working with the Rams.
Overall, Atlanta needs to give it time, but be creative in seeing how its pieces fit. I would also argue that the offense being able to extend drives will go a long way to keeping the Falcons' defense fresh. Simply put, the Falcons need to tackle better, force more turnovers and not extended opposing drives with dumb penalties. I think they have the pieces to win the division, but they must figure it out.
Solution: Use an influx of pass-rushing talent to its advantage by way of improved coaching
Carolina Panthers
Biggest weakness: Defense needs to step up and match the offense led by Bryce Young
I am quite bullish on the Carolina Panthers this season. While I could go either way on Bryce Young's talent as a potential franchise quarterback, I am a huge fan of their head coach Dave Canales and tend to like what general manager Dan Morgan is doing. As you will probably notice in this article, defense wins championships, and this division leaves a lot to be desired, especially in Charlotte...
Although defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero may have the makings of a future NFL head coach, his side of the ball is still somewhat lacking. Whether it is not being able to generate a consistent pass rush or really having all that much depth at cornerback, the Panthers are largely built to win one way and one way only. They need to lean on Young and the offensive-minded Canales to win shootouts.
Since Morgan is a former standout linebacker in his playing career, I think he does have an eye for talent on his side of the ball. Again, we need to give it time. This is probably why Carolina is the third most likely team to win the NFC South this year. Atlanta seems to be further ahead than the Panthers in that regard, while Tampa Bay shall remain the top dog in the division until it is proven out otherwise.
So what are the Panthers to do? They need to find an identity on defense and build from there. Offensively, I suspect this unit will keep the Panthers in games. While the pass rush and cornerback play are seen as weaknesses, that leads me to believe that linebacker play is better. Any time the Panthers have been championship-caliber in their history, the linebackers have led the way for them.
Solution: Build through the middle of the defense to help round out their other deficiencies
New Orleans Saints
Biggest weakness: Passing game needs to be markedly better
The reason why the New Orleans Saints are projected to be the worst team in the NFC South this season. With Derek Carr abruptly retiring, the Saints are at a major deficit when it comes to their quarterback play when compared to the rest of the division. Whether it be veterans like Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler or a potentially promising rookie in Tyler Shough, will the Saints be competitive?
The good news for the Saints, besides expectations being low for the team as a whole of course, is that of their new coaching staff. New head coach Kellen Moore and new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier have played the position before in the NFL. They have also worked together for years, ever since Moore retired from playing. I think on-field coaching is going to do wonders for the team.
So as far as what I would do, I would implement constant competition in the Saints' quarterback room in the hopes it can derive better play than expected. All things equal, I would go with Shough as QB1 for two reasons. One, he was drafted high by this current coaching staff for a reason, as they believe he can play ball at this level. Two, if he does not pan out, then they will know they have to draft again.
So what I would suggest is have a fierce competition all offseason and throughout training camp. This will allow Shough or whoever to emerge as the confident starter for Week 1. Again, the Saints are not expected to do much this season, but that does not mean they should not try. If Shough is as good as the Saints coaching staff thinks he might be, then maybe New Orleans would solve its biggest issue.
Solution: Have Tyler Shough win a fierce quarterback battle to see if he can hang in the NFL
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Biggest weakness: Being able to sustain a quality pass rush while the offense adjusts a bit
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' biggest weakness is that of the Atlanta Falcons, and to some extent the Carolina Panthers. The NFC South is really struggling to get a pass rush these days. To me, this feels like we are pulling hairs when it comes to the Buccaneers, as this is still the top dog in the division. That being said, the downtick in pass-rushing prowess may be a reason the team is on the decline.
So as far as what I would do, I would have defensive-minded head coach Todd Bowles take a more hands-on approach in making sure the entire Buccaneers defense is up to snuff. The only real concern I have here is Tampa Bay will be ushering in yet another new offensive coordinator. Josh Grizzard is taking over for Liam Coen, who took over for Dave Canales. You see the problem, right?
The good news is Grizzard is a promotion from within, so he has some familiarity with Baker Mayfield and the offense. To help counterbalance any potential hiccups that could be found along the way, it is up to Mayfield to take even more ownership of the offense. This will allow for Bowles to focus on his side of the ball more to help Tampa Bay get the most out of its talent before a division rival emerges.
What I am getting at is a better and more refined allocation of coaching resources. Whether that be on the sidelines or on the field with trusted veterans, it does not matter. The only way Tampa Bay is going to keep teams like Atlanta or potentially Carolina from overtaking them is to be confident in their coaching approaches. It will not be easy, but Tampa Bay has enough built-up equity to do this.