Panthers Will Have Uphill Battle in NFC South in 2020

It seems as if everything is going against the Panthers this offseason. The year they decide to let Cam Newton walk, fire Ron Rivera, and Luke Kuechly retires. Tom Brady joins the Bucs in Tampa, the Falcons strengthen their offense with Todd Gurley, and the Saints are potentially the most complete team in the league.

Looking at the NFC South division as a whole, the Panthers are the only team that are not expecting to be contending in 2020. Meanwhile, the Falcons, Saints, and Buccaneers all have hopes of making the postseason and much more. So, does this mean it will be a year of the Panthers just getting smacked every week? Maybe.

The Panthers themselves have a lot of offensive firepower, which will help keep them in more games. However, defensively is where the issues lie. There is so much youth and inexperience across the whole unit that it will hold the Panthers back from winning some games.

So with all that being said, the Panthers appear to be the red-headed step child in the division for 2020. But nonetheless, let's take a sneak peek at what each division rival has going for them heading into the new season.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have now strung together back-to-back 7-9 seasons and for a team as talented as they are, you just know that they will get back to their winning ways sooner than later. Matt Ryan isn't getting any younger and is still seeking his first Super Bowl ring. Luckily for him, he still has arguably the best receiver in the league (Julio Jones) and now has a star running back in Todd Gurley - who was acquired through free agency.

The defense may be a bit of a question mark as they gave up 355.8 yards per game and 24.9 points per game a year ago. Dan Quinn's defense is going to have to step up if they want to be able to win some divisional games against the high powered offenses that the Saints and Bucs own. Looking at their schedule, I see an 8-8 or 9-7 record for them with an outside shot of making the wild card round of the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints have been in the news recently, thanks to the remarks of Drew Brees on players kneeling for the national anthem. Despite several of his teammates voicing their displeasure of his comments, they are the most complete team possibly in the entire NFL.

Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jared Cook form one heck of an offensive attack. If Brees can stay healthy, they could have the best offense in the league no questions asked. The Saints also have a fairly strong defense led by Cameron Jordan and Malcolm Jenkins. Good luck finding a soft spot on this roster on either side of the ball. They are without a doubt a Super Bowl caliber team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Do I really need to say much here? Tom Brady is now righting the ship for the folks in Tampa and there's a lot of excitement surrounding the organization in hopes of a major turnaround. Offensively, the Bucs still have some holes to fill at wide receiver, but already have a dynamic duo consisting of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.

Aside from the entire defensive unit, the offensive line is certainly the biggest question mark heading into the 2020 season. As you are well aware, Brady is not much of a mobile quarterback, so getting the ball out quickly will have to be a big part of the offensive philosophy.

What do you think about the Panthers' chances in the NFC South division? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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