No love on NFL.com Poll

[CatfanMO]

Saints and Falcons are favored more to win the NFC South in the NFL.COM Readers Poll.

[Captroop]

They were last year too. Polls leave a lot of error of homers in big markets.

[jbland]

Can't blame them. Atlanta looked alot better against Arizona than we did. Plus Ryan is not a rookie anymore. The last game America saw us play we got spanked and with the peppers situation we look like an average team.

But I still expect us to be in the playoffs next season. I would also count on the saints making them and Atlanta missing them.

[Gman was right]

That is exactly the order I have them in.

1. Atlanta

2. NO

3. Carolina

4. TB

[CharlotteBeer.com]

That is exactly the order I have them in.

1. Atlanta

2. NO

3. Carolina

4. TB

Just curious: how did you think the South would shake out last season? Be honest.

[caddieman]

Can't blame them. Atlanta looked alot better against Arizona than we did. Plus Ryan is not a rookie anymore. The last game America saw us play we got spanked and with the peppers situation we look like an average team.

But I still expect us to be in the playoffs next season. I would also count on the saints making them and Atlanta missing them.

There will be only one team out of the NFC south that will make the playoffs! NFC's south schedule is brutal this year! 9-7 could win the division. It will all come down to tiebreakers. Atlanta will be on top.

[Gman was right]

Just curious: how did you think the South would shake out last season? Be honest.

Sure, Here is what I had last year.

1. New Orleans

2. Carolina

3. Tampa

4. Atlanta

[Kyle82]

The one thing I can see happening is Tampa getting sweeped by CAR, NO, and ATL.

[jbland]

There will be only one team out of the NFC south that will make the playoffs! NFC's south schedule is brutal this year! 9-7 could win the division. It will all come down to tiebreakers. Atlanta will be on top.

So we go from almost getting 3 teams into the post season last year, to getting one in? I hate to be the one who tells you, but strength of schedule is worthless.

[Woodcookedbbq]

Unfortunately, I think when most people consider the Panthers, they automatically think about that one playoff game where Jake was at his worst and assume it will happen again next season.

I hope Jakes proves them all wrong

[panthers55]

With the outside teams we play, divisional play will be the most important. Who has the best divisional record over the past 4 years. Yeah the Panthers. Tampa is 13-11, Atlanta are 9-15, and the Saints are 10-14. At 16-8 we have proven we can win on the road and protect our home turf in the tough south division.

If we can play teams outside our division as well as our divisional rivals do, then keep up the good showing in the division, we can win the South again.

Seems teams ranked high in the division always disappoint while the bottom ones rise to the top. Apparently, none of the teams can handle prosperity and high expectations. It appears that average or below expectations have garnered the best results. It is not logical but it is often true.

[caddieman]

So we go from almost getting 3 teams into the post season last year, to getting one in? I hate to be the one who tells you, but strength of schedule is worthless.

If you don't think that the NFC's south schedule is twice as hard as last year, you are crazy!

[rayzor]

If you don't think that the NFC's south schedule is twice as hard as last year, you are crazy!

our schedule was supposed to be somewhat difficult going into last year. by the end of the year it was considered weak.

2009 schedule is twice as difficult as 2008's? please....

we were within a field goal of beating the toughest team in the NFCE. no reason that we can't go 2-2 against them. eagles and giants scare me. cowboys and redskins...not so much.

against the AFCE....only team to really worry about is the pats. dolphins, jets, and bills...not so much. we could easily go 3-1 there and no worse than 2-2.

NFCS...same ol same ol

vikings and cards? vikings, who is going to be their QB? cards are a mess and their playoff run was a fluke compared to the way they played the rest of the season.

no way is next season twice as hard. don't believe the hype.

[Gman was right]

If you don't think that the NFC's south schedule is twice as hard as last year, you are crazy!

Exactly! The south doesnt have the luxury that it had last year of feasting on average and weak teams again. There are no chiefs, raiders, broncos, lions, and packers on the schedule for the south this year. The winner of our division will likely be 9-7 or 10-6 which means every other team in the division will probably be 8-8 or worse and we're not getting any 8-8 teams in the playoffs this year.