LeGarrette Blount Injury: Bucs Need Star RB at His Best To Compete in NFC South

Is there an NFL division as unpredictable and crazy as the NFC South? Despite the fact that there are three teams over .500, as well as a trendy team in the Cam Newton-led Carolina Panthers, there isn't one team that's been even close to consistent.

Because of that, absolutely nothing is predictable looking ahead in 2011.

But there is one man whose return may make things a little more predictable—for at least one of the NFC South's teams.

Tuesday, November 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT

Dov Kleiman is one of several sources to report that Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount will return to action this Sunday.

Blount hasn't played since the Buccaneers' 48-3 loss to the 49ers on Oct. 9.

I know that the Buccaneers beat the Saints without Blount on Oct. 16, but they had Earnest Graham for that game. That game was in Tampa Bay. Drew Brees had an abysmal performance, and the Saints were still in a position to win at the end.

Now, I am not saying that the Saints are a money team. Their 31-21 loss to the Rams on Sunday proved that they have a lot to do in terms of consistency before we can consider them true Super Bowl contenders.

But it's hard to imagine the Buccaneers making any significant noise against the Saints and Falcons without a healthy Blount.

With Josh Freeman and Tampa Bay's other skill players playing so inconsistently, they will get nowhere without a consistent ground attack.

This week, the Buccaneers get the benefit of coming off a bye week, and are taking a trip to New Orleans to face the Saints in the Superdome, where they still haven't lost this season.

Without a good performance from Blount, it's hard to see them winning. Actually, I am picking the Saints in this one no matter what.

But Tampa Bay's only chance at proving me wrong this week and making a playoff run relies on a healthy Blount taking control of the games.

Without him, the team doesn't have a chance to consistently compete.