The strongest of the teams in the NFC South not playing in New Orleans, Atlanta has a real shot to shake off Matt Ryan’s sophomore slump and challenge for the division title in 2010. The Atlanta franchise had never managed to string together two consecutive winning seasons until 2008 (11-5) and 2009 (9-7). There is no reason they should not extend their streak to three consecutive winning seasons this year.
Matt Ryan, though he stumbled a bit his second season, is a budding superstar with a firm grasp on the offense. The offensive line has had no turnover from the previous season and should not only protect Ryan but also open holes for Atlanta's two talented running backs, Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. If those two can stay healthy (a problem last year) the running game should be able to close out games. The passing game also boasts talent, with star wide receiver Roddy White challenging secondaries deep and hall of fame tight end Tony Gonzalez the perfect safety valve for a young quarterback.
Defense remains the biggest question mark for this team. Last season the defense came under fire and didn’t have the players skilled enough to shutdown the more powerful offenses in the league. To address these concerns, Atlanta spent their first two draft picks on defensive talent. First-rounder Sean Weatherspoon is expected to start sooner rather than later and be an impact player at outside linebacker. Third-rounder Corey Peters, a defensive tackle, will add depth to their defensive line rotation. The free-agent addition of Dunta Robinson in the secondary will allow the front seven to call more aggressive schemes and get after opposing offenses, something they were unable to do in 2009.
It will be difficult for any team in the South to dethrone the defending champion New Orleans Saints, but the Falcons are poised to fly into the playoffs as a wild card if they can’t steal the division outright.
The quarterback struggles continue in Carolina. Matt Moore, named the starter after the Panthers released Jake Delhomme during the offseason, has had his share of difficulty during the preseason. His production against the New York Jets last Saturday was downright offensive. For the second straight preseason game Moore failed to lead his team to any points and managed only to complete 6 of the 17 passes he attempted. He has only hit 42% of his passes in two preseason games, been sacked three times and thrown one interception. Not the kind of numbers the coaching staff is looking for from their young starter who finished the 2009 season strong after replacing Delhomme in the lineup. Granted, the Panthers faced two of the league’s stronger defenses so far in their preseason schedule, but even considering that, Moore’s play has not been up to par.
If Moore continues to underperform, the Panthers have little depth behind him to step in and take the reins. Rookie Jimmy Clausen hasn’t performed much better. He’s shown a bit more accuracy than Moore has, completing 17 of 27 passes so far (45%), but he has also been picked off in each game he has seen action. The two quarterbacks have combined to throw three interceptions and no touchdowns. They face a strong Tennessee defense in week 3 of the preseason, so these numbers may not improve.
Hampering the young quarterbacks for Carolina is the lack of depth and skill at wide receiver. Steve Smith should be back in time for the regular season opener, fully recovered from his broken arm, but there is nobody else on this team able to challenge defensive secondaries. The receivers, excluding Smith, on Carolina’s roster have a combined 48 catches in the NFL.
With young quarterbacks, young receivers and a running game trying to reassert itself, Carolina faces an uphill battle in the division in 2010 and will be fighting for the scraps from the tables of Atlanta and New Orleans.
Tomorrow, letters to the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…
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