It was no secret that the NFC South was the worst division in the NFL last year. The division champion, Tampa Buccaneers, limped into the playoffs with just an 8-9 record and was shown an early and ugly exit in the Wild Card Round. The rest of the division all finished at 7-10. With Brady out the door the Buccaneers will take a step back, leaving the door open for... the Atlanta Falcons.
Dylan Matthews recently spoke about the state of the NFC South on "The Hometown Take." While doing so, Matthews laid out all the reasons why the Falcons have the edge over their rivals heading into the 2023 season.
The biggest advantage the Falcons have in their division can be summed up in one word, stability.
Regardless if Desmond Ridder is the long-term answer at QB, he IS the answer for next season. Sorry, no Lamar Jackson. Ridder was up and down in limited playing time last season, but at least the Falcons know who will be their signal-caller next year.
The Panthers will most likely be starting a rookie next year, expect Will Levis or Anthony Richardson. The Tampa Buccaneers just watched the "GOAT" call it a career, leaving them with Kyle Trask as their only QB on the roster. The Saints have Andy Dalton...maybe?
That foundation goes beyond the QB position. The Falcons have found their bell cow ball carrier with rookie, Tyler Allgeier, in addition to, Drake London and Kyle Pitts in the passing game. Not to mention an estimated $75.4 million to play with in free agency.
The Falcons also boast the best coach in the division with Arthur Smith, who has gotten the most out of some less than ideal rosters. You take a weak division and mix that with a ton of uncertainty at multiple positions for their rivals, and that gives you a NFC South Champ Atlanta Falcons team.