Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas
Our first edition of power rankings for the season is out and I'm kind of underwhelmed by where NFC South teams fell.
Let me clarify, I'm not a voter this year. They simplified the process, going with four voters instead of 13. But that means I get to be critical of the voters, so here goes:
Atlanta is No. 8 overall and first in the division? Nice season last year, but has anybody looked at the Falcons' schedule? Can't see how the voters put the Falcons ahead of the Panthers, who came in at No. 11. In my book, Carolina's still the class of the NFC South. Forget the playoff loss, they were 12-4 last season and have virtually their entire team back.
Now, let's get to the "No respect cards'' for New Orleans and Tampa Bay. After a slew of defensive moves, the Saints are No. 19. That's right about where they spent all of last season. Looks like the voters aren't as sold on the defensive moves as coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis.
Finally, the Bucs come in at No. 26 and I let out a brief sigh because I thought the Bucs might end up 31 or 32. The still have a shot. This team's got some obvious problems, but I think there's enough talent in Tampa Bay to keep the Bucs a few notches ahead of the dregs of the NFL.
Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Pat Yasinskas
Yasinskas joined ESPN.com in January 2008 after covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer for nine seasons. He began his journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990.