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2022 Midseason Report: NFC South

Going into the 2022 season, the NFC South was not expected to be a strong conference. However, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ struggles, this has turned into the worst division in the league. The NFC South is the only division with four teams carrying a losing record.

The Atlanta Falcons is the sole team that is surpassing expectations. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints are underachieving. Plus, the Carolina Panthers are as bad as anticipated, if not worse.

Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Mike ehrmann/getty images/afp

Check out where each NFC South team stands through nine weeks of the NFL season at the super bowl bet.

Let’s check the latest NFL picks, stats, injury reports, and NFL predictions. We’ve plenty of NFL expert picks for you to consider.

Buccaneers (4-5)

  • Odds to win NFC South -225
  • Odds to win NFC +900
  • Odds to win Super Bowl +2000

During the preseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were advertised as super bowl betting contenders. How could you go against that? Quarterback Tom Brady is always competing at the highest level and the Bucs have an exceptional roster.

After nine games, it is clear Tampa Bay will not be contending for a Super Bowl. The Buccaneers do not even look like a playoff squad. Several issues will linger for the remainder of the season.

First, the offense has no balance. Tampa Bay throws on 69.24% of plays, which leads the NFL. The Buccaneers’ run game is historically bad, averaging three yards per carry (32nd) and 60.7 rushing yards per game (32nd). Running back Leonard Fournette has struggled and the interior offensive line is a major weakness.

Over the last couple of seasons, the Buccaneers’ run defense has been dominant. That is now far from the case. Tampa is allowing 4.6 yards per carry (20th) and 125.2 rushing yards per game (23rd).

The defense has the potential to turn it around, but the offense will have issues all season. Tampa Bay is fortunate to be in a weak division. The Buccaneers will likely make the playoffs, but winning postseason games may be out of the picture.

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Falcons (4-5)

Coach Arthur Smith has done a great job. At 4-5, the Atlanta Falcons have been up and down. However, the Falcons have proved they can contend with the best. Atlanta has several impressive wins, including a 28-14 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. If the Falcons find consistency, they could shock the NFL by winning the NFC South.

The offense has taken major strides and now mirrors Smith’s former offenses with the Tennessee Titans. It all starts with the run, as Atlanta ranks fourth in rushing yards per game. The rushing attack should improve with lead tailback Cordarrelle Patterson’s return in Week 9.

When the run game is working, the Falcons find success off of play-action. At times, quarterback Marcus Mariota has played well, but in several games, his accuracy has been a liability. Atlanta would be a playoff team with a better passing attack. Mariota must improve in the second half.

The defense got off to a solid start but it didn’t last long. Like last season, Atlanta’s pass rush rarely produces, ranking 30th with 12 sacks. Also, the Falcons have the NFL’s worst passing defense, allowing 300 passing yards per game.

Overall, Atlanta needs to be more consistent going forward.

Saints (3-6)

  • Odds to win NFC South +550
  • Odds to win NFC +3300
  • Odds to win Super Bowl +8000

The New Orleans Saints are underachieving in nearly every area. It’s been a season with many peaks and valleys. In a weak NFC South, it is not too late for a turnaround.

First and foremost, the Saints need to make a commitment at quarterback. After sustaining a back injury, quarterback Jameis Winston lost the starting job to Andy Dalton. The offense looked more effective with Dalton and he was taking care of the ball. However, the unit comes off its worst showing in the 27-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Winston has a chance to start once again.

On defense, New Orleans is allowing 25.2 points per game (28th). Injuries have led to the Saints underachieving on this side of the ball. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore has missed several games with an abdominal injury. Of course, without one of the NFL’s best cover corners, this completely changes New Orleans’ pass defense. To make matters worse, linebacker Pete Werner (ankle) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (calf) suffered injuries in Week 9.

Ultimately, the Saints need more from their offense. The offensive line must find consistency and New Orleans needs to settle on a quarterback.

Panthers (2-7)

  • Odds to win NFC South +5000
  • Odds to win NFC +50000
  • Odds to win Super Bowl +75000

As expected, the Carolina Panthers are one of the NFL’s worst teams. Acquiring quarterback Baker Mayfield has not solved the terrible offense. Instead, Mayfield made the unit even worse.

After coach Matt Rhule was fired following a 1-4 start, quarterback P.J. Walker was named the starter and had nice moments against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons in Weeks 7 and 8. Last week, Walker struggled and was replaced by Mayfield. Following the 42-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, interim coach Steve Wilks reaffirmed his commitment to Walker starting.

Carolina immediately showed improvement when Wilks took over. The Panthers shocked Tampa Bay with a 21-3 win and nearly knocked off the Falcons (37-34). All of that progress was halted in Week 9 as Carolina was thrashed by the Bengals.

Going forward, the Panthers will try to remain competitive. Besides trading running back Christian McCaffrey, Carolina held on to many important pieces. At times, the Panthers have shown grit with the ability to stay in games.

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