2020 NFC South Preview

Yahoo Sports’ Senior NFL Writer Frank Schwab gives an in-depth breakdown of the division. Including team-by-team roster changes, key points of the schedule, and his over/under picks for season win totals.

Video Transcript

FRANK SCHWAB: The NFC South had some really big additions in the offseason, and we're going to go team by team looking at the division heading into the 2020 NFL season. We're going to start with the New Orleans Saints who had a loaded roster but still managed to make some improvements. They signed receiver Emmanuel Sanders, safety Malcolm Jenkins. I thought they had a pretty solid draft with center Cesar Ruiz in the first round, a value at linebacker, Zach Braun, in the third round.

With the schedule, I think there's a key three-game stretch late in the season the Saints are going to have to navigate. They have three straight road games against Denver, Atlanta, and Philadelphia from weeks 12 to 14. If they can get out of that stretch 2 and 1, maybe even 1 and 2, they're not going to be in bad shape, but that stretch is going to be very key for them.

BetMGM has the Saints' over/under win total at 10 and 1/2. And even though that's a lot, I'm still going to go over. I believe in this Saints team. This roster is loaded. I think Drew Brees showed late last year he's still got enough left in the tank. This is still one of the NFL's elite teams.

Next, we go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are the darlings of the offseason. We all know their big additions, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. When you can add perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time and the greatest tight end of all time, it's a pretty exciting offseason.

When you look at the Buccaneers' schedule, two games really stand out, and they're the games against the New Orleans Saints, and they face off right away in week one at the Superdome. That's a tough task for the Buccaneers who are going to have a shortened offseason to get used to their new pieces. They're going to have to play well against the Saints this year at both outings if they're going to win the NFC South.

The over/under on the Bucs' win total is 10, and I'm taking the under. I think that Tom Brady, he's 43 now. Rob Gronkowski didn't play for a year. It's just safe to think that these players might lack a little bit. They might be a little overhyped, and a lot of things could go wrong for the Buccaneers. I'm not willing to go over 10 on them, so I'm going to be going the under 10 wins.

Up next is the Atlanta Falcons who had a lot of turnover on their roster in the offseason. They lost a lot of key pieces like tight end Austin Hooper, pass rusher Vic Beasley, running back Devonta Freeman, but did add some pieces to replace them. They traded for tight end Hayden Hurst from the Ravens. They signed former Rams running back Todd Gurley. The Falcons were all about filling their needs in the offseason with their roster construction.

When I look at the Falcons' schedule, I think about the last couple of years and the slow starts this team has gotten off to. They can't allow that to happen again, but the first four games are really, really tough. They get Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, and Green Bay in those first four games, but they're going to have to figure out a way to win at least a couple of those games to avoid the disastrous starts they've gotten off to the past couple of years

The Falcons over/under win total is 7 and 1/2. I'm going to go under that. This is a team with a wide range of outcomes. They could win 10 games. They could lose 10 games. But I think the safe play is taking the Falcons a little bit under because of the inconsistencies they've had the last couple of years.

And finally we get to the Carolina Panthers who are going to look a lot different in the 2020 season. That starts with new head coach Matt Rhule, who comes from Baylor, and the Panthers are going to have a new quarterback this year. They decided to move on from Cam Newton, signed Teddy Bridgewater in free agency, and the offense is going to be completely different with Bridgewater under center.

That's not the only difference for the Panthers this year. They lost a lot of key pieces in the offseason. Linebacker Luke Kuechly retired. Tight end Greg Olsen was cut. Cornerback James Bradberry left in free agency. I don't expect the Carolina Panthers to be in contention late in the year, so I circled another game on their schedule that's going to have a lot of meaning, and that's the match-up against the Minnesota Vikings November 29. That's Teddy Bridgewater's homecoming to Minnesota. He started his career there, was a fan favorite, and had a bad knee injury. Battled back from that. It's been a great, great story. He's still loved by Vikings fans. Could be a very emotional game for Bridgewater, and we'll see if the Panthers can rally around him when he goes back to Minnesota.

BetMGM has the Panthers' win total at 5 and 1/2, and even though that's a very low number, I still can't go over. I think the safe play is to take the Panthers under 5 and 1/2. I just don't think they're going to be very good this year. They're going to get a high draft pick and be able to add another piece to their rebuilding project.

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To recap the NFC South for the 2020 season, I still see the Saints as the crown jewel of division. I think they're going to win it again. They're a great roster. But I do believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in second place are going to give them a run for their money and be in wildcard contention. I think the clear third-place team is the Atlanta Falcons, and in last place is going to be the rebuilding Carolina Panthers.