The NFC South is a division that many people thought would be one of the best divisions in football coming into this season. As it stands going into Week 8, it is the worst division in football. The Carolina Panthers lead the division at 3-3-1. Only one other division even has a second place team at .500 or worse. This week I don’t see it getting much better for the NFC South:
Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons, Sunday 9:30AM EST
The Lions and Falcons meet in England this week and the game will be starting at 1:30PM local time. This is going to be a major adjustment for both teams. However, both flew into England after their Week 7 games and will have a week to adjust to the time difference.
The Falcons have been extremely disappointing so far this season, having the seventh worst defense and the eighth worst offense in the NFL according to PFF (subscription). A lot of their problems on the offensive side stem from having a beat up offensive line, which will be tested a great deal by the Lions, who have the seventh best pass rush and the fourth best run defense according to PFF.
For the Falcons to have any success in this game they’ll need to give quarterback Matt Ryan enough time to find his stud wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones. The Falcons certainly have a lot of potential on offense but the Lions defense is playing so well right now I don’t think the Falcons have much success against them. On the other side of the ball, the Falcons defense is so bad I don’t think there is any way they stop Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Matthew Stafford, Eric Ebron, and Golden Tate. In the end the Lions have too many weapons and I think will win by two scores.
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday 1PM EST
The Buccaneers are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have the worst rated defense and the sixth worst offense. One of the five teams with a worse offense: the Minnesota Vikings. Even though the Vikings have been without star running back Adrian Peterson most of the year, their running game is still the only bright spot of their offense.
The Buccaneers, on the other hand, don’t have any bright spots. With all the good players they have on defense and the weapons they have on offense, they still haven’t figured out how to put it all together. The biggest problem the Bucs seem to have is that their offensive and defensive schemes don’t fit their personnel. This tells me that first year head coach Lovie Smith is more concerned with the big picture rather than winning this season. Slowly he’ll bring his own players in who fit his schemes better and the Bucs will certainly get better. I think homefield advantage should be enough this week for the Bucs to escape with a victory.
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers, Sunday 1PM EST
The Seahawks are coming off two straight losses and are still reeling. With all the fallout from the Percy Harvin trade still coming down, the Seahawks are going to need to recover quickly to travel all the way to the east coast for a game against the Carolina Panthers. While this is a very winnable game for the reigning champs, it certainly won’t be a walk in the park.
The Seahawks should be able to have their way on offense against the Panthers. According the PFF, the Panthers have the fourth worst overall defense in the NFL. The Panthers will be able to stay in this game if they attack the middle of the field where the Seahawks are missing All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and if quarterback Cam Newton has a good game.
The Seahawks’ weakness on defense so far this season has been their secondary. Something that has made their secondary look worst this season compared to last season is the lack of a pass rush. If the Seahawks can get a pass rush and disrupt Newton, their secondary should be more than alright. I realize that Seattle is a different team on the road, especially when they have an early game across the country, but they know this is a must win for them. They can not afford to fall to 3-4, one game behind the 49ers and possibly three games behind the division leading Cardinals. I think the Seahawks win this game by a field goal
Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints, Sunday 8:30PM EST
The Packers and the Saints seem to be heading in opposite directions at this point in the season. The Packers are certainly near the top of the NFC and the Saints are still near the bottom. A lot of people are still waiting for the Saints to turn it around and start making a run at the division but I just don’t know if that’s going to happen this year.
The Saints currently have the third worst defense in the league according to PFF. Their offense, where they’ve had the most success in the Drew Brees-Sean Peyton era, has simply been average this season. The problem this season hasn’t been Brees, it’s been the wide receivers. There isn’t a single wide receiver on the Saints with a positive PFF grade for the season so far. For the Saints to be able to keep up with the Packers in this game they’re going to need their wide receivers to step up, especially if tight end Jimmy Graham is limited. The Saints are certainly much better when they play at home, this year they’re just not a good football team. The Packers should win this game by at least a touchdown.