The start of the 2022 NFL season is just around the corner, so it's time to look at some of the top teams and whether they can actually win their respective divisions. For the NFC South, there is a clear favorite to see who can finish at the top. That team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay is tied for the highest over/under with 11.5 wins!@MattEhalt breaks down the Buccaneers’ over/under and places his bet, and watch @BillEnright analyze NFC South futures ⬇️https://t.co/KFZlpistCg pic.twitter.com/8G3Unkp9Q0
— SI Betting (@SI_Betting) August 8, 2022
The Buccaneers are the NFC South's elite team and are valued accordingly. In fact, they may be the NFC's top team overall. With a 13-4 record in 2021, they shared the best record in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. Additionally, their track record was more reliable than the Packers'.
Most significantly, Tom Brady returned to the Buccaneers to complete his hurried and quick retirement comeback. Bruce Arians' departure as head coach is a bit of a concern, though continuity shouldn't be much of a problem with the GOAT still under center. Former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles also took over as head coach, so again, there shouldn't be a huge shift in direction and scheme for the squad.
Experts anticipate the Buccaneers to rule the NFC South again in 2022, though there is one particular squad that can pose as a major threat to their reign.
The Buccaneers' biggest threat in NFC South 2022
The only NFC South club that can maybe unseat the Buccaneers from atop the division is the New Orleans Saints. They were also the only other team aside from the Bucsthat had a positive point differential in the NFC South in 2021. They outscored their opponents by 29 points overall.
Unfortunately, the Saints must go ahead without head coach Sean Payton in 2022. Dennis Allen, the defensive coordinator, will take over as the head coach now that Payton has stepped down. In order to maintain consistency on the coaching staff, New Orleans kept offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.
New Orleans was comfortably in the middle of the pack in 2021, placing 14th in Pro Football Focus' overall grade. Despite this, there are many reasons to think the Saints can improve in 2022.
Ohhh, @camjordan94 is getting it started early! Yes, our Buccaneers are 1-5 against the Saints with Tom Brady, and the 1 is the one that really mattered. The NFC South runs through Tampa Bay. #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/v6d5bVbk3x
— Channelside Sports Network (@chsidesports) August 9, 2022
First, in the seventh game of 2021, starting quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending injury. It's important to note that with Winston at the helm in those seven outings, the Saints went 5-2. Jameis is back now, and by acquiring seasoned quarterback Andy Dalton as a backup, the Saints have added considerable depth. A Winston-led Saints squad should be quite dangerous.
The Saints are also hoping to have wide receiver Michael Thomas return from the persistent ankle injury that kept him out of action for much of the 2020 season and all of 2021. Although star tackle Terron Armstead left New Orleans in free agency, the Saints' offseason has included win-now decisions.
Additionally, they did pretty well in the NFL Draft, wheeling and dealing to take two players in the top 20. At picks 11 and 19, respectively, New Orleans selected receiver Chris Olave and offensive tackle Trevor Penning. Both should be immediate impact players for the Saints. Jarvis Landry, a seasoned slot receiver from the Cleveland Browns, was also signed by the Saints in free agency.
Their offense should hum in 2022 while the defense should be decent.
Although the Saints may not be as star-laden as the Buccaneers, they still have an outside shot of winning the NFC South. Even if they don't, though, the Saints might still earn a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. For now, one thing is for certain — the New Orleans Saints are unquestionably the second-best squad in the NFC South.
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