The NFC South

THE NFC North: Hopefully Reggie Bush is more concerned with playing running back than playing with Kim Kardashian's ass

S.D.C.: I have decided this whole division comes down to running backs.

Oz: Oh, you decided this, huh? Well, I've decided that the NFC South doesn't even deserve a playoff spot.

New Orleans - Does the addition of Jeremy Shockey make the Saints contenders? Was last year just an aberration? Is Reggie Bush more concerned with Kim Kardashian's ass and being a celebrity than being a superstar in the NFL?

S.D.C.: Shockey will do well here, and he will help the offense, but he won’t make them contenders unless Duece McAllister is healthy. He came back from one knee injury and looked good, lets hope he can do it again. I think last year was an aberration, and I think this team is good. I haven’t seen their schedule, but I think they have a solid year. I am glad that my Chargers play their road game in London instead of New Orleans, that is a steal.

Oz: The good news for New Orleans is that they don't play any tough games all season except for San Diego, and that game is in London, which could go either way. This year will be the test year to see if it was last year or the year before that was a hoax. I agree on McAllister. It's going to be tough to come back from a second surgery. Because Reggie Bush hasn't fulfilled his big-play potential, Deuce is a crucial part of seeing that come to fruition.

The Saints should be better defensively, and will benefit from not having such lofty expectations cast on them this season. They just weren't ready - or used to being called legit contenders - yet.

Carolina - Does a healthy Jake Delhomme make the Panthers credible again? For God's sake, they went to the Super Bowl four years ago!

S.D.C.: Key word there was “four.” Delhomme to me is one of those guys that throws the ball up in the air and when his receivers are coming down with it, he looks good, but that doesn’t always happen. Although they have a ton of receivers this year. We all know Steve Smith is a stud if he doesn’t blow a hammy, after that we have Muhsin Muhammad, DJ Hackett and Dwayne Jarrett. I think this should help Delhomme and Steve Smith a lot.

Once again, who knows if they will be able to run the ball. Deangelo Williams hasn’t shown he can handle a full load, and Jonathan Stewart is unproven, but I think he helps DeAngelo out. They should be a good combo.

Oz: What I've always liked about Delhomme is that he's a competitor. There's a great clip of him when, after throwing the touchdown pass in the Super Bowl against the Patriots to get the lead, when he's mouthing off to Rodney Harrison. It wasn't him being a piece of crap (like, ahem, Phil Rivers against the Colts in the playoffs last season), it was Delhomme being a fiery competitor. I liked that.

The Panthers should be solid, but they're not spectacular anywhere, with the exception of Steve Smith, who'll probably catch another 85 balls this season. Right now, I see them as a .500 team.

Tampa Bay - They made the playoffs last year, but can you name five players on their roster? Is Chris Simms really a good pro quarterback? He's got the tools, but seriously? I'm at a loss for words for this division.

S.D.C.: Haha, and what’s up with Jeff Garcia? He tells us he likes women and parades around with hot super models, but does anyone really buy it? Earnest Graham stepped in for Cadillac last year and did really well. He got rewarded with a contract and a perennial starter to chase, haha. Warrick Dunn comes and is sort of given the starting job. Graham should challenge and I think it will be interesting to see how this plays out. We can’t forget Michael Bennett there too, and Cadillac should be back around mid-season…maybe. Joey Galloway is old, but he had a great year last year with our man Jeff, and behind him is a plethora of receivers all competing for field time. Ike Hilliard is the obvious choice, but Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall will take a shot along with Antonio Bryant and Dexter Jackson. They won’t be the best receiving core in the world, or the NFC North for that matter, but they have guys to work with, and we know how Jeff likes to work with guys.

Oz: It's funny you mention Jeff Garcia because I saw him on the NFL All Access on NFL Network (best channel on TV, with the possible exception of National Geographic) and he just does not fit the part of Pro Bowl quarterback with supermodel Playmate wife. Do you think she befriended him thinking he was a gay fashion designer and thought that she'd like a gay shopping buddy? Either way, he might be my idol.

The Bucs have been pretty inconsistent the last few years. They went from winning 11 games to winning four then winning nine last year, so they're tough to predict. You're right about Cadillac. They need him on the field to be successful.

Atlanta - Worst division in football? Let's debate that. Will Michael Turner make any difference here? How long before Matt Ryan takes over at quarterback and starts fighting dogs?

S.D.C.: Hahahaha, I love it. I don’t know if I can say worst division because all three teams above Atlanta are solid. I don’t think any have a shot at the NFC Championship, but they are all tough. I don’t think Turner makes a difference, I think he benefitted from coming in when LT was out. When he got more playing time then a carry here and there he was pretty average. We will see of course, but I don’t have a ton of faith in him. Should be interesting to see how they work Norwood in with him too.

I think Atlanta was talking about going after Chris Simms, although I could be making that up. The truth is, Atlanta is terrible. They can’t throw the ball, they can barely run the ball and their defense sucks. They aren’t trying to win this year, so I guess going out and getting a QB when you used your #2 pick on a QB doesn’t make sense. I always wonder, though, how a clearly terrible team handles a rookie QB that they just picked up in the top 10. Do you start him right away and risk him getting beat up and never really recovering from being really bad? Or do you sit him behind a vet and give him a couple of years to learn and rebuild the team? I feel like the second is the safest personally. Chris Redman though?

Oz: There's no way Atlanta finishes out of the basement this season, but as long as they continue to make the right choices via free agency (Turner) and the draft (Ryan and USC OT Sam Baker), they'll be okay. I saw let Ryan take his lumps like the Colts did with Peyton Manning. Why the hell not, right? He's tough, he played all four seasons at Boston College, he's a smart player, strong arm, good decision-maker. I say Ryan is a starter by week six.

Maybe not though. Let's not forget, Clay, that Chris Redman was a hell of a prospect coming out of high school.

Prediction:

S.D.C.:

New Orleans: 11-5

Tampa Bay: 9-7

Carolina: 7-9

Atlanta: 3-13

Oz:

New Orleans: 10-6

Carolina: 8-8

Tampa Bay: 7-9

Atlanta: 3-13

Next Up: NFC West