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The NFC South was not exactly the strongest division in the NFL for the 2022 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished out the season with an overall record of 8-9, led the division.
It was a mess behind them. The Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons ended the year in the remaining three spots, all at 7-10 overall.
In what seems to be a playoffs-or-bust campaign, the Saints look to change that narrative in 2023. Much of that is going to come down to quarterback play, after the team signed former Las Vegas Raiders veteran passer Derek Carr during the offseason.
Natalie Miller of Touchdown Wire had the Saints at second in their own division when she released her pre-training camp NFL power rankings, putting them directly behind the Panthers. Here’s why New Orleans clocked in at No. 19:
“The New Orleans Saints made a big splash by fully committing to new quarterback Derek Carr, but it is fair to question how much of an upgrade he really is over what we saw from Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston last season. While the Saints still have excellent talent on both sides of the ball, they have an equal amount of question marks.”
This much is true: whether or not Carr rises to the occasion could make all the difference in the world, and it’s clear the Saints have had their struggles since star quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement from the NFL.
The Saints have plenty of potential at multiple positions, but they’ll have to prove they can put what looks good on paper into a solid product on the field. While the Panthers have a lot of hype boosting them this offseason (Miller ranked them at No. 17), the NFC South is wide-open. Tampa Bay is behind New Orleans at No. 20, and the Falcons are in division’s basement at No. 26.
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