ESPN NFL

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Falcons in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): Let’s note right up front that that dream record would also include at least two postseason wins, which would be a first in the era of coach Mike Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Matt Ryan. In their time, the Falcons have played the days after Christmas exactly like they’re the days after Christmas. There’s been a huge letdown when January has rolled around.

That’s putting an enormous amount of pressure on the Falcons. But that might be a good thing. Smith has said postseason failures have caused him to rethink how he does a lot of things. There’s little doubt those failures played a role in the hiring of new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, moves that might get the Falcons over the hump.

There are a lot of scouts and coaches around the league who believe Ryan was held back by former offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and the defense never established any sort of identity under Brian VanGorder. The Falcons can score with any team if Ryan is allowed (and has time) to throw the ball downfield to Roddy White and Julio Jones. Nolan is preaching about the need to be more aggressive on defense.

Nightmare scenario (8-8 or anything worse): Let’s face it: The only way the Falcons are a .500 (or worse) team is if they have several major injuries or a huge implosion. This is a team that is loaded with individual talent on both sides of the ball. Or so it seems.

When coordinators go, head coaches and key players tend to lose their insulation. If Koetter can’t get more out of Ryan than Mularkey did, the Falcons suddenly have a huge issue at quarterback. If Nolan can’t get guys like Ray Edwards and Dunta Robinson to do more than they did for VanGorder, then maybe it’s not all about the coordinators or offensive and defensive schemes.

Owner Arthur Blank has said Smith isn’t on the hot seat, no matter what happens this season. But I think Smith is at least entering the same territory Tony Dungy once did in Tampa Bay. Smith is being labeled as a nice guy who can win a lot of games in the regular season but can’t win in January. If this team doesn’t win a playoff game, Smith officially is on the hot seat. If this team somehow fails to even make the playoffs, Blank might be forced to rethink his statement. This team is too talented not to win.

Given the way Atlanta Falcons fans have reacted to what the team has done (or, more accurately, not done) this offseason, I was expecting Arthur Blank to pull out earmuffs as he reached into his pocket just before the start of an interview last week.

It didn’t happen. Instead, the owner of the Falcons pulled out a pair of sunglasses. This was a rare step outside during the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. He slipped on the shades, surveyed the Atlantic Ocean, sat down on a bench and started explaining, in great detail, the course his team has chosen.

Maybe this will, once and for all, stop all the screaming in Atlanta about how the Falcons didn’t pursue LB Mario Williams and didn’t really do much of anything in free agency. Blank has a detailed answer for that and, when you listen, it should all start to make sense.

There was a moment when I looked directly at Blank, but could have sworn I was seeing and hearing Gene Hackman. It was almost exactly like the scene in “Hoosiers," where the basketball coach played by Hackman firmly tells a referee “my team is on the court" after a player fouls out and the coach elects to go with four players instead of turning back to a player who had defied orders.

Blank has said, “My team is on the field."

Yeah, the marquee free-agent signings have been linebacker Lofa Tatupu and guard Vince Manuwai. And Atlanta fans aren’t exactly jumping up and down about the fact that the Falcons re-signed defensive end John Abraham and center Todd McClure; it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if they decided to retire. Throw in the re-signing of role players Thomas DeCoud, Jason Snelling and Harry Douglas, and it’s easy to see why a lot of Atlanta fans believe the Falcons haven’t done a single thing to get better after ending last season with an embarrassing playoff loss to the New York Giants.

But Blank has an explanation, so let’s hear it.

“I feel good about where we are,’’ Blank said. “I know we didn’t make a big splash going into free agency. But that really wasn’t our intention going into this year. We really felt we had a lot of talent. We were fortunate that we had the opportunity to bring in the two new coordinators and a few other coaches. At some point, it’s not even a matter of if the contents are correct. Sometimes, it’s a matter of who is delivering the message and whether the players are hearing it or not.’’

The man makes a good point. The 2011 Falcons team that went 10-6 (and didn't play with much consistency) was essentially the same team that went 13-3 and played with a great deal of consistency in 2010. The 2012 Falcons have largely the same roster as the previous two teams. In the eyes of Blank, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith, the problem last season and the reason this team hasn’t won a playoff game under the current administration isn’t about the roster.

Maybe the roster was just fine, but the coaching staff and the schemes were holding back the Falcons. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey left after the season to become head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left after the season to become the defensive coordinator at Auburn. Both men left on their own, but I get the impression that if they hadn’t, they might have been shown the door.

Let’s be honest here. Mularkey’s offensive system reached its peak in 2010 and didn’t get any better even with the addition of talented rookie receiver Julio Jones last season. VanGorder’s defense was solid but never dominant, which was a disappointment because the Falcons have some individual talent on defense. Mularkey has been replaced by Dirk Koetter, and VanGorder has been replaced by Mike Nolan.

“I love the selections that Smitty and Thomas made,’’ Blank said.

I get the sense that the days of QB Matt Ryan rolling out and almost always checking down are over. I get the sense that the days of sitting back in the Cover 2 are long gone.

“Dirk and I have had numerous discussions in terms of what our players are capable of doing,’’ Smith said during the meetings. “I think, first and foremost, you have to design your schemes toward what the players are capable of doing. We’ve spent a lot of time identifying the strengths and weakness of all our guys and what they do well and what they don’t do well, and we want to put together an offense that accentuates their strengths.’’

In other words, the Falcons aren’t going to be handing the ball to Michael Turner 300-plus times a season. They’re going to try to take some shots downfield with Jones and Roddy White, and they’re going to get versatile second-year running back Jacquizz Rodgers more involved in the offense. They also will try to put Ryan in a position where he can go from being a good quarterback to an elite one.

Smith said he’s had similar discussions with Nolan, the former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers who has had success as a defensive coordinator elsewhere. Nolan is noted for producing aggressive defenses. Some minor tweaks to attitude and scheme could provide an upgrade over the VanGorder units that never were able to establish any sort of identity.

Blank made quite a bit of noise after the loss to the Giants about how simply getting to the playoffs wasn’t good enough. He wants his team to win playoff games and contend for the Super Bowl.

That really hasn’t changed. But after the heat of the moment cooled a bit, Blank, Smith and Dimitroff sat back and realized they weren’t all that far from where they wanted to be. Early in his days as an owner, Blank was portrayed as hands-on and reactionary. I don’t think those descriptions really fit him anymore and I think he’s learned from his past. I think Blank is at a stage where he remains plugged in but trusts Smith and Dimitroff to make the football decisions.

“I went back and studied this over a long period of time in the NFL and studied the great teams,’’ Blank said. “Consistency is very important in terms of leadership with coaches and players. The great teams, what they have done is they’ve kept their head coaches for a longer period of time, kept their general managers for a longer period of time, and they identified early enough their core players and they extended them. The football staff has done a great job of identifying the players that can help us and keep them.’’

The salary cap also was a factor in the Falcons’ approach to the offseason. Pursuing Williams or some other big names in free agency would have meant sacrificing continuity. The only key player the Falcons lost was middle linebacker Curtis Lofton -- and that was a calculated loss. Lofton wanted a lot of money and Atlanta placed a limit on his value. If the Falcons had made just one or two big free-agency moves and kept Lofton, guys like Abraham, McClure, DeCoud, Douglas and Snelling wouldn’t be on the roster. The team would have had to cut other players to free up cap room. The Falcons could have made a splash, but it would have left them with all sorts of holes.

“What you have to look at is, this is not like baseball,’’ Blank said. “There are limits. This is real money and not monopoly money … one of the beauties in the NFL is that in July and August fans of every team think their team has a chance to go to the playoffs or to go to the Super Bowl and win it. The salary-cap system forces you to make some tough choices. Thomas and Smitty and their staffs made these choices because they believe they were the ones that will give us the biggest bang for the buck going forward. I certainly tested their logic and asked questions, but I think their plan was all very sound and well-formulated.’’

Like it or not, Blank is putting his team (the one chosen by Smith and Dimitroff) on the field this fall. You might not like it now and that’s fine with Blank. He thinks you’ll like it a lot more as the season goes along.

An offseason of upheaval continues for the Atlanta Falcons.

Director of player personnel Les Snead is leaving to become general manager of the St. Louis Rams, several league sources confirmed to ESPN.com.

This comes after offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey left to become head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder took a college job. Dirk Koetter has taken over as offensive coordinator and Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator. The Falcons also have made several other changes to their coaching staff.

While the departure of a front-office employee might not seem as big a deal as changes on the coaching staff, this particular case is a big deal. Snead carried lots of weight in the front office and was viewed as a key assistant to general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

This is an excellent hire by the Rams because Snead is an experienced talent evaluator who is more than ready for the next step. He should work well with new coach Jeff Fisher. But it’s also a big loss for the Falcons, and Dimitroff will have to adjust his staff.

Snead had been with the Falcons for 13 years and had worked his way up the scouting ladder to director of personnel.

After a playoff loss to the New York Giants in early January, it became obvious the Atlanta Falcons would have some major changes in the offseason.

That process continued Monday as the Falcons announced defensive backs coach Alvin Reynolds has been released from his contract. Reynolds joined the Falcons in 2008 at the same time coach Mike Smith was hired.

But Smith’s staff, which had remained largely intact through his tenure, is going through a major shakeup. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey left to become the head coach in Jacksonville, and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left for a job at Auburn.

Mike Nolan has replaced VanGorder, and Dirk Koetter has taken over for Mularkey. The Falcons also parted ways with offensive line coach Paul Boudreau.

The Atlanta Falcons have hired Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator, the team just announced.

This is a very strong hire by Atlanta coach Mike Smith. Nolan’s a former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He spent the last two seasons as Miami’s defensive coordinator. He also previously worked as defensive coordinator for the Redskins, Jets, Ravens, Giants and Broncos.

I think it’s fair to say Nolan is an upgrade over former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who left to become defensive coordinator at Auburn. Through most of Smith’s tenure, VanGorder’s defenses weren’t great, although the Falcons improved somewhat on that side of the ball in 2011.

Nolan has some good talent to work with in linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, cornerback Dunta Robinson and defensive tackles Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux. The Falcons also have to make decisions on if they want to re-sign defensive end John Abraham, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback Brent Grimes.

This also is a victory in the NFC South for the Falcons. New Orleans reportedly had some interest in Nolan and at least one of the candidates who has interviewed for the Tampa Bay job had indicated he thought he could make Nolan part of the package.

I know there are a lot of Atlanta fans freaking out that the Falcons hired Dirk Koetter as their new offensive coordinator.

I understand that it’s easy to look at the Jacksonville Jaguars offense Koetter orchestrated in 2011 and not get too excited. But I think you might want to look at the bigger picture before calling this move a huge mistake.

Yeah, the Jaguars were a bad team, but that’s not Koetter’s fault. As AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky notes, Koetter was a good coach in a bad situation. In 2011, the Jaguars had a head coach (Jack Del Rio) who was melting down and doing desperate things. That left Koetter having to try to make miracles with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert and a bunch of wide receivers who don’t belong in the NFL.

Don’t judge Koetter on one season because I don’t think that’s what Atlanta coach Mike Smith was thinking when he made the decision. Do you really think Smith is going to hire someone who he thinks is inept to fix his offense?

I don’t. Smith’s future depends largely on this hire and the hiring of a defensive coordinator that he’ll be doing soon. When offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left, Smith lost his insulation. It was pretty clear in the aftermath of the playoff loss to the New York Giants that owner Arthur Blank wasn’t satisfied with the season. The coordinators are gone and that means Smith is on the hot seat if the team doesn’t meet expectations next season.

Smith worked with Koetter in Jacksonville and I’m sure Smith could have hired any number of other candidates. He chose Koetter and this wasn’t a quick choice. It was pretty well known around the league for about a month that Mularkey was going to become the head coach in Jacksonville. Smith had lots of time to think about this one and he got the guy he wanted.

“Dirk is a veteran offensive coach who will bring years of NFL experience as an offensive coordinator as well as a fresh set of ideas to our offense,’’ Smith said in a statement released by the team to officially announce Koetter’s hiring. “He is bright, he understands the intricacies of the vertical passing game, but he also wants to be able to run the football which is very important in the NFL. I look forward to working with Dirk and have tremendous confidence that he will be a great addition to our team and our coaching staff."

I haven’t covered Koetter yet, but I’ve heard very good things about him from people who have covered him, including Kuharsky. I’ve also heard very good things about him from others who have coached with him. Koetter’s respected around the league and that’s almost always a good sign. I hadn't heard the same things about some of the other names that were linked to this position.

Before this ugly season in Jacksonville, Koetter was viewed as a potential head coach. He did some good things in his first four seasons in Jacksonville. In that time span, Jacksonville’s offense ranked 13th in the NFL in total yards (338.6 per game), sixth in rushing (134.2), fifth in third-down conversions (43.0 percent) and fifth in average yards per rush (4.5). In his first season with the Jaguars (2007), Koetter directed a record-breaking season as the offense set franchise records for points (411 total and a 25.7 average), touchdowns (50) and touchdown passes (28).

Prior to that, Koetter led Arizona State to four bowl games in his six seasons as head coach and finished with a 40-34 record. He also served as offensive coordinator and helped the Sun Devils average nearly 30 points per game over six seasons, and the team was ranked in the top 20 in the nation in passing offense in five of his six seasons.

Give this guy a chance with Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner and I think Atlanta fans might be pleased with the results.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new coach and the Atlanta Falcons are without an offensive coordinator.

Mike Mularkey reportedly has been hired as Jacksonville’s new coach. Mularkey had been the offensive coordinator since Mike Smith’s arrival in Atlanta in 2008.

The Falcons previously lost defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who left to take a position at Auburn.

We’ll see what Smith does as far as replacing both coordinators soon. But there’s an obvious candidate for the offensive job already on staff. That’s quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski, who was hired just about a year ago.

Bratkowski previously was Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator. Mularkey was up for several jobs as a head coach last year and a Falcons official said Smith hired Bratkowski so he would have a potential replacement for Mularkey already in place.

Mularkey may attempt to take some Atlanta assistants with him to Jacksonville.

The Atlanta Falcons could have another change at one of their coordinator positions.

Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is interviewing for the job as head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder already has left the team to join Auburn’s staff.

D. Orlando Ledbetter makes an interesting point when he writes Mularkey could take several members of the Atlanta coaching staff with him if he gets the Jacksonville job. Mularkey’s also a candidate for the Miami job.

Atlanta’s staff had remained largely intact through coach Mike Smith’s first four seasons. But, as I wrote earlier, sometimes change is good. Having two new coordinators and other new assistants might freshen up the staff. Since the Falcons haven’t been able to win a playoff game in Smith’s tenure, some additions to the coaching staff could come with ideas that may help the Falcons get over the hump.

By the way, Smith, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and owner Arthur Blank will hold a news conference Wednesday. I’m not sure there will be any major news. The Falcons are billing it as a “season in review session." After Sunday’s playoff loss to the Giants, Smith and Dimitroff said they’ll be evaluating every facet of the organization, like they do every year. I doubt that process is complete, but we could get some clues about how the Falcons plan to go forward next season.

Monday’s news that defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder has left the Falcons for a position at Auburn is probably just the beginning of many changes for Atlanta.

VanGorder had been the coordinator since the arrival of coach Mike Smith in 2008. His defense this season was good, but certainly not great. That was kind of the theme for the entire team, and this is a change that will be healthy for the Falcons in the long run. This team obviously needs some change.

As soon as VanGorder left, speculation started that former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio could be a possible replacement. That’s very logical. Smith was Del Rio’s defensive coordinator in Jacksonville before taking the Atlanta job. The two have a close relationship, and Del Rio would be a good fit.

Del Rio has only one year of experience as a coordinator. That came with Carolina in the 2002 season, and it was a prosperous year for the Panthers’ defense. Del Rio, a former NFL linebacker, quickly established a reputation for being aggressive.

That’s something the Falcons could use. Their defense was capable of slowing offenses in 2011, but didn’t produce a lot of big plays. Smith obviously has a lot of say in Atlanta’s defense, and he needs to adjust a little bit. Adding an aggressive coordinator would be a step in the right direction.

But the Falcons face some other major decisions on defense. Cornerback Brent Grimes, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, defensive end John Abraham and safety Thomas DeCoud are all potential free agents.

All were starters and key players this season, and I suspect the Falcons at least want to keep Lofton and Grimes. Abraham is aging and could decide to retire. If he wants to continue playing, the Falcons might want him back. Even though he’s slowing down, Abraham still is a strong pass-rusher, and the Falcons need pressure up front.

Atlanta’s defense needs to improve in the secondary and needs to come up with more big plays all around. I doubt Smith will make drastic changes to his scheme. But this defense needs to tweak its personnel in several areas, and needs to come up with a lot more big plays in 2012.

With very little fanfare, the Atlanta Falcons' defense has emerged as the best in the NFC South.

The Falcons rank No. 9 in overall defense. They’re fourth against the run and No. 17 against the pass. It also appears as if injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) are on the verge of returning to the lineup. They could be back as soon as Monday night’s game with the New Orleans Saints.

ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden said he thinks the Atlanta defense is one of the league’s best-kept secrets.

“If they get healthy in the secondary, I think that's a starting point for the Falcons,’’ Gruden said in a recent conference call with the national media. “But look, I'm really impressed with the tapes I've seen of the Falcon defense. They have a lot of guys that are considered unknowns in football outside of John Abraham, maybe [Curtis] Lofton, but this secondary is for real. If they get healthy, they can make plays. Mike Smith and [Brian] VanGorder do a great job together putting together weekly game plans to take away what you do best.’’

Heck, I'll even throw in a few more names Gruden didn't mention. I think second-year outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has emerged as a big-play guy and Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux form a very nice tandem in the middle of the defensive line.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Ron Rivera, coach, Panthers. I like just about everything this guy has done since he arrived in Carolina and he’s got the Panthers on a good track. But I think Rivera flashed a little of the stubbornness John Fox was so famous for on Sunday in Chicago. Rivera had his team kick and punt to Devin Hester and it cost the Panthers dearly. Rivera used to be an assistant coach in Chicago. As much as anyone, he should be aware that it’s not a good idea to feed the ball to the most dangerous return man in NFL history.

2. Brian VanGorder, defensive coordinator, Falcons. It’s still early and things can straighten out, but Atlanta’s off to a very rocky start. Sunday’s near disaster in Seattle is being viewed by fans as being almost as bad as a loss. This is a team that entered the season with huge hopes and so did the fans. Most important, owner Arthur Blank also felt that way and he’s not the world’s most patient man. If things don’t straighten out, there will be a scapegoat for this season and, so far, VanGorder is looking like the leading candidate. Atlanta’s defense has talent, but the results have not been there.

3. Ray Edwards, defensive tackle, Falcons. Speaking of Atlanta defensive talent that’s not producing, you’ve got to start with this guy. It’s not like Edwards has been a complete bust. He plays the run quite well and has shown he can pick up a fumble and make a nice return. But the Falcons paid him a lot of money and a lot of people thought he was the missing link. He was supposed to help generate a stronger pass rush. Through four games, Edwards has not produced a sack.

RISING

1. Steve Smith, wide receiver, Panthers. You don’t have to like everything about him and he does have some of the diva traits that so many great receivers have. But a lot of those guys are still happy if their team loses, as long as they put up big individual numbers. Smith put up big numbers against the Bears (and has been doing that all season), but he was extremely frustrated in the locker room after the game because his team didn’t win. You have to respect his competitive desire.

2. New Orleans’ offensive line. Right tackle Zach Strief and center Olin Kreutz were out with injuries and Charles Brown and Brian De La Puente had to take their places. Yes, the Saints did allow Drew Brees to be sacked three times, but he still had enough time to throw for 351 yards. More important, the running game really worked well with Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram. The Saints finished with 177 net rushing yards. The offensive line has to be doing something right for that to happen.

3. Adrian Clayborn, defensive end, Buccaneers: Lots of people are talking about Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan as the potential defensive rookie of the year -- deservedly so. But I think Clayborn at least belongs in the conversation at this point. This guy is showing up every week and getting better. So is second-year defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. It might not be too long before Tampa Bay has one of the league’s better defensive lines.

A look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

Atlanta defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said James Sanders and Thomas DeCoud will continue to compete for the starting job at free safety. DeCoud started the opener, but the veteran Sanders started in his place in Week 2.

Although running quarterback Cam Newton has been putting up huge passing numbers, the Panthers say they have to get better in the running game. With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in the backfield, the talent is there. But the Panthers have been hindered by some injuries on the offensive line.

Tampa Bay’s defense is allowing an average of 6.2 yards per snap. That’s a pace that’s worse than the 1986 defense, which allowed a franchise-record 6.0 yards per play.

Jim Henderson and Bradley Handwerger discuss the Saints’ kicking situation. John Kasay has made all his field-goal attempts and that could make for a difficult decision when Garrett Hartley is healthy enough to return.

The Panthers will face rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert on Sunday. Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio has elected to go with Gabbert over Luke McCown, who started the first two games.

Time for a look at the headlines from around the NFC South.

The Panthers kept the revolving door at defensive tackle spinning as they added veteran Ronald Fields, who previously has been with Miami, San Francisco and Denver. The Panthers also added offensive lineman Reggie Wells, who previously was a starter for Arizona.

The Buccaneers waived long-snapper Christian Yount. Presumably, Tampa Bay will be adding a new long-snapper Wednesday.

Atlanta defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder said the Falcons have to improve their tackling.

Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said the Falcons will try to throw deep passes, but won’t force them if they’re not there.

Mike Triplett reports that Tom Condon, the agent for New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, had a “substantial talk’’ with general manager Mickey Loomis about a contract extension Tuesday. But Condon wouldn’t elaborate when asked if a deal was close.

Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price left Sunday’s game, but it was not related to the surgery he had on his pelvis last year. Price merely was fatigued.

Carolina receiver Steve Smith said he’s having fun again. That’s largely because the Panthers now have a quarterback (Cam Newton) who can get him the football.

» Best of NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

As part of Best of the NFL Week on ESPN.com, here are five bests for the NFC South:

Best training camp venue, Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.,: That’s where the Carolina Panthers train, and they’re the only division team right now that goes away for training camp. There’s been a league-wide trend of moving camps back to regular-season facilities. But if you’re going to go away, this might be the best setup in the NFL. Spartanburg isn’t all that picturesque or glamorous. But the Wofford campus is gorgeous, particularly the football facilities. In case you’ve forgotten, team owner Jerry Richardson played football for Wofford -- and later, the Baltimore Colts, before starting to make his fortune with his first Hardee’s restaurant in Spartanburg -- and he paid for those facilities.

Best coaching staff, Falcons: Coach Mike Smith’s going to be challenged a bit this year because the Falcons lost quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to a coordinator job in Minnesota, but they’ve replaced him with Bob Bratkowski. The rest of the staff is a group of all-stars, highlighted by coordinators Mike Mularkey (offense) and Brian VanGorder (defense). Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau isn’t a household name, but he’s one of the best in the business. For the past three years, the Falcons have given Matt Ryan great protection without having a lot of big names up front.

Best celebrity fan, Kenny Chesney: He’s not just a fan of the New Orleans Saints, he played for them. Well, sort of. A few years back the Saints held a press conference to announce they were signing the country singer/wide receiver to a contract. They never really did, but it was coach Sean Payton’s way of having fun with one of his best friends. It’s not unusual to see Chesney around the Saints. Heck, he’s even gone out on the practice field and attempted to catch punts.

Best team facility, One Buccaneer Place: It’s referred to as “One Buccaneer Palace’’ by some, and it is a palace on the inside. Also, despite popular belief, it was not paid for with taxpayer money. The Glazer family paid for the facility. The lobby and team meeting room are awesome and the locker room is the nicest in the NFC South. Heck, even the media room is, by far, the nicest in the division. The Falcons’ facility gets a strong honorable mention. In some ways, it’s just as nice as Tampa Bay’s facility, but the media room doesn’t even come close.

Best meddling owner, Arthur Blank: He’s not the Cowboys' Jerry Jones or the Redskins' Daniel Snyder, but I think it’s accurate to say Blank is hands-on in a healthy way. You’ll see him on the sidelines at the end of games, and he sits in on Smith’s postgame press conferences, which is pretty unusual for an owner. But I see Blank as more of a guy who cares passionately about his team and likes to keep a close eye on everything. He lets his people do their own thing, but he observes everything. Nothing wrong with that. After all, he owns the team.

» Best of NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

As part of Best of the NFL Week on ESPN.com, here are five bests for the NFC South:

Best delegator: Mike Smith. The Atlanta head coach is not an ego-driven guy. He has a great defensive background and easily could run this team’s defense as some other coaches handle playcalling duties on that side of the ball. Smith certainly has some input on the defense, but he lets defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder run the show. Given his defensive background, Smith felt it was important to hire a strong offensive coordinator when he first arrived. He went out and got a former head coach in Mike Mularkey, who has done a masterful job of developing Matt Ryan.

Best postgame interview: Raheem Morris. The Bucs' head coach is animated and doesn’t hold much back. There are some in the organization who wish Morris would throttle it back a bit. But from a media standpoint, there’s not another NFC South coach who is nearly as good a quote as Morris. There aren’t too many coaches around the rest of the NFL who are in his league.

Best at telling it like it is: Ron Rivera. Fans and media are still getting to know the new Carolina coach, but so far, he’s come across as a very straight shooter. Unlike predecessor John Fox, Rivera actually answers questions. He’s not the dynamic quote that Morris is, but he doesn’t follow Fox’s lead and turn interview sessions into dodgeball games.

Best X's and O's: Sean Payton. If you had to take one NFC South coach to win one game, Payton is the guy. If you expanded the field to the entire NFL, he still might be the guy. There’s not a coach and quarterback more on the same page than Payton and Drew Brees, and that’s why the Saints have become a consistently good team. It also doesn’t hurt that Payton went out and got Gregg Williams to handle the defense a couple years ago.

Best motivator: Payton. He’s done things such as hand out baseball bats as a reminder for his team to “bring the wood’’ and brought back Deuce McAllister as a ceremonial leader during the playoff run at the end of the 2009 season. Payton seems to pay a lot of attention to the mood of his team and knows what buttons to push and when to push them.