Why Every Division in the NFC Is Still Up for Grabs

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Why they have a shot:

• I'm not sure why Jon Gruden decided to go with Brian Griese, but Jeff Garcia is now back under center where he belongs. He certainly gives them the best chance of winning.
• Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn are running at will. I'm sure a lot of people thought re-signing Warrick Dunn was just a courtesy to him so he could have a paycheck and keep doing his fantastic community work, and maybe play a spot role. That has not been the case.
• The defense seems to be back to the old Bucs defense. They held a good Panthers offense to just three points while scoring 27 of their won. That will get you far in this league.

Why they could blow it:

• Gruden's indecisive nature about quarterbacks could mean Garcia gets yanked if he has a bad game. As the old adage goes, if you have two quarterbacks, you've really have none.
• The receivers need to step it up. They are not doing their part in this whole thing yet. Garcia needs some consistent targets.
• Get a real fullback; don't waste Graham.

2. Carolina Panthers

Why they have a shot:

• Jake Delhomme is playing as well as he did in 2003. He's playing well in the clutch and has this team believing again.
• Drafting Jonathan Stewart turned out to be a pretty good call. And now we're even starting to see DeAngelo Williams play better because of his success.
• Muhsin Muhammad? No, he's not too old to produce.

Why they could blow it:

• The Bucs gave everyone the blueprint to shutting down this offense. They must be scrambling for answers to try and show the league that the Bucs game was a fluke.
• A blocked punt for a touchdown? That just can't happen to a contending team.
• The defense will still have lapses of incompetence. They must eliminate the mistakes.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Why they have a shot:

• Even with all of their early success, I think teams can still get trapped into overlooking them. They must take advantage of this and win some games that they really should not have otherwise won.
• Michael Turner is playing well in his first year with Atlanta. He has been a welcomed addition.
• Matt Ryan is the real deal. I rest my case.

Why they could blow it:

• This is still a young team. Typically, young teams have trouble closing out games. But in their defense, the Chicago game really goes a long way in disproving that theory doesn't it?
• The defense is still suspect. They need to eliminate the little mistakes in order to make a run at the title of this division.
• They play in arguably the most competitive division other than the NFC East, and some would put the East below this division.
  

4. New Orleans Saints

Why they have a shot:

• Drew Brees could throw for 300 yards with his eyes closed. He's very underrated this season, and it's only a matter of time before people have to start looking at him as an MVP candidate.
• Reggie Bush, while still lacking in the running game, is producing elsewhere. He is a Brian Mitchell type player and will continue to help this team in a variety of ways.
• They've been producing with Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey. With them back, this offense looks mighty scary.

Why they could blow it:

• Their defense has a numerous amount of holes. They need to plug them before somebody really takes advantage and has a field day with them.
• Drew Brees has to sputter out sometime doesn't he? Maybe not.
• Deuce McCallister and Thomas Pierre are producing on the ground, but they need Reggie Bush to learn how to run between the tackles if they want their run game taken seriously.

How I See This Shaping Up

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
2. New Orleans Saints (10-6)
3. Carolina Panthers (9-7)
4. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?