Canal Street Chronicles
The beginning of the 2025/26 NFL Regular Season is just days away, which means this year’s series of the State of the NFC South is here. Due to none of the games being played yet, today’s edition will be focused on each team’s outlook for the 2025 season. At the end, there will be a predicted final standings for the NFC South.
Going into the 2025 season, the Panthers are in an interesting position. Similar to last year, Carolina is entering the season with some high investments around the roster and hopes that QB Bryce Young can put it all together. At the beginning of last season, it really looked like Young was heading to that bust category, and that Panthers were going to draft another QB in the draft. Instead, after the Panthers beat the Saints on November 3rd, Young looked like the player people expected him to be coming out of college. Now, heading into the 2025 season, those hopes are high again, but time will tell if they that happens. In the end, the Panthers’ season may just come down to how Bryce Young plays.
Now we have the winners of the NFC South in 2024, the Buccaneers. Expectations are relatively low for the division as a whole, but Tampa Bay is considered the one team that can be competitive. The roster has been improved upon, Baker Mayfield has proven to be a good starting QB, and there is real talent. The main issue is the loss of Liam Coen who was the former OC of the Bucs and the new HC of the Jaguars. The run game could see a real drop-off after this coaching change, and that may hurt the offense.
Next are the Falcons, and they may be the most volatile team in this division. Atlanta has handed the keys to second-year QB Michael Penix after flashing in his rookie year, and they still have a multitude of weapons throughout the offense. Once again, there are real hopes that the offense is going to be high scoring and the strength of the team. This could very well happen, but Penix is a bit of a wild card and the offensive line is one more injury away from being a massive issue. In addition, the Falcons took a massive risk by trading away a future first and selecting two rookie edge rushers in the 2025 draft. Both of these players need to be difference makers on this defense right away.
Last, but certainly not least in my predictions, here are the Saints. Like with the other teams in the division, besides Tampa Bay, New Orleans is entering the season relying on a non-solidified quarterback. Second-year QB Spencer Rattler has been named the starter, and the season may hinge on his success, or if rookie Tyler Shough can come in and take over later in the season. The offense is pretty much...
