State of the NFC South: Week 3

A look at the NFC South after two weeks of football.

Now that Week 2 of the NFL season is over, let’s look at how the NFC South has fared after two weeks of football.

State of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Bucs moved to 2-0 after defeating the Chicago Bears 27-17. This team is turning heads and might be one of the biggest shockers of the NFL. Tampa Bay looked solid on both sides of the ball.

Superstar WR Mike Evans caught six passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, while QB Baker Mayfield had over 300 passing yards. The team’s defense also made quick work of Bears QB Justin Fields. They forced the Ohio State product to throw two interceptions.

The Buccaneers will take on the Philidelphia Eagles at home. I think the Eagles will end the Buccaneers undefeated start.

State of the Carolina Panthers:

The Panthers moved to 0-2 after losing to the Saints on Monday night. There weren’t any real standouts on the Panthers team, but the defense as a unit looked solid.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Panthers as they’ll take on the Seattle Seahawks. I believe the Panthers will fall to 0-3, and it might be a while until the team gets their first win.

State of the Atlanta Falcons:

The Falcons had a great 25-24 win against the Green Bay Packers. They scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to come back and win the game.

There was a lot to like for the Falcons, but I think the standout was Bijan Robinson. The rookie superstar rushed for 124 yards on 19 carries. The University of Texas product is proving he is worth the hype.

Atlanta will take on the Detroit Lions on the road this week. This will be a closer game than people think, but I think the Lions will squeak out the win.

State of the New Orleans Saints:

The Saints moved to 2-0 after beating the Panthers on Monday night. This is the first time since 2013 that the team has started 2-0. However, there’s been a lot to be desired in these wins. The offense has been shaky and can’t seem to finish drives. The biggest issue with this team is the offensive line.

This unit has looked horrendous to start the year. It can’t create running lanes, struggles in pass protection, and isn’t in sync. It’s even more frustrating when you consider how much draft capital the team has spent on the offensive line in the past few years.

In more positive news, the defense has been absolutely amazing. It took seven quarters for them to finally let up a TD. They’ve been able to apply pressure, stop the run, and create turnovers. This Saints defense may be one of the best in football. Saints CB Marshon Lattimore looks like an all-pro.

Hopefully, the offense will start to get the wheels turning when QB Derek Carr gets more comfortable in this system. The team also needs to get its HBs back and healthy. I think one of the real reasons the offense struggled was the lack of a running threat.

The Saints take on the Green Bay Packers this week. They’ll be on the road in the tough Lambeau Field. Unfortunately, I have the Saints losing this one. I need to see more offensive consistency before I pick them over a solid team like the Packers.

Jonny’s record predicting the NFC South 5-3

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