NFC South: 5 Biggest Surprises of the First Half

The NFC South was considered to be one of the top divisions in all of football last season.

This year, things have gone a bit differently. The Falcons are underachieving, the Saints confused everyone this week, the Panthers are improving with Cam Newton and the Buccaneers have shown off-and-on play.

New Orleans currently heads the division by only a half game. The Falcons and Bucs had a bye in Week 8, and they sit right on the Saints' heels at 4-3.

The Panthers have already won as many games as last season with their new face of the franchise, and they have been much more competitive throughout the season—something most NFL fans didn't expect.

The have been plenty of big surprises around the NFC South this season. Let's take a look. 

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Cam Newton

Everyone wanted to speculate how Cam Newton would fare before the season began. For some, he has been exactly what they were expecting. But for many others, he has surpassed every preconceived notion they had about the rookie quarterback.

Newton has kept just about every game competitive in 2011. If Carolina hadn't turned the ball over four times against Green Bay, they very well could have won that game, which was Newton's second start of his career.

He's been a pleasant surprise and an exciting player to watch. He's had 11 passing and seven rushing touchdowns. Steve Smith clearly loves having him around, as he's been the primary target for Newton.

Smith has 46 catches for 918 yards in eight games. He only had 46 catches in 14 games last year.

If Olindo Mare hadn't missed a 31-yard field goal this past Sunday, Newton may have taken the team to 3-5. They still need a lot of work (looking at you, defense), but Newton definitely looks to have a bright future in this league.

Josh Freeman and Matt Ryan Slumping

The two quarterbacks that received so much praise last season have fallen off a bit in 2011.

Josh Freeman and Matt Ryan had terrific seasons in 2010, but this year has not been easy for the young quarterbacks.

Interceptions have been huge for both so far. Ryan has eight picks so far after throwing only nine last season, and Freeman has 10—four more than his total in 2010.

Will they be able to turn it around in the second half? Both franchises certainly hope so.

But, even after a poor start to the season, both teams have a positive record. If your're an Atlanta fan you know the offensive line has been a big factor in Ryan's performance, and Tampa has had some trouble getting their receivers open at times.

Hopefully each team can make the right adjustments coming out of their bye weeks. By the way, these two face off in the final game of the season. Might be a deciding game to end the year.

Darren Sproles

The Saints brought in Darren Sproles expecting him to be a nice addition to the offense, but I don't think anyone expected this much out of him.

Sproles already has 51 receptions this season and nearly as many carries as he had all last season in San Diego. He's averaging over seven yards per touch and has found the end zone in whatever way possible.

The 5'6" back has two rushing, two receiving and one return touchdown in eight games for the Saints. He does so much for this team, and has clearly been one of the best pickups over the offseason.

Jimmy Graham

While we're on the Saints, let's go ahead and point out another star on their roster. Jimmy Graham was talked about constantly prior to the 2011 season, but did anybody really expect him to be this big?

The second-year tight end ranks third in the league in catches (49), and fifth in receiving yardage (713). He also has five touchdowns, matching his total from 2010.

Drew Brees loves throwing it to this guy. Now that he's broken out, expect him to continue to shine.

Embarrassing Losses

We've witnessed a couple defeats to NFC South teams that have just made us ask, "What in the world?"

Take Week 8 for example. The Saints, fresh off their 62-7 rout over Indianapolis, were taken down by the winless St. Louis Rams. AND, to make matters worse, the Rams played with their second-string quarterback. 

Steven Jackson was a huge factor, rushing for 159 yards and two scores. The Rams defense also came up big. They picked off two passes—one that was taken in for a touchdown—and sacked Drew Brees six times.

The Saints still hold first place in the division, but you have to be a little concerned if you're a New Orleans fan.

They'll take on Tampa Bay next weekend in a critical division matchup.

Speaking of Tampa, they were blown out in a 48-3 loss to San Francisco. The 49ers are much better this year under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, but 48-3? Even the Browns kept in within 10 when they played San Fran.