09-05-2021 Ravens Preview - Flipbook - Page 46
NFL2021
NFC South
TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
(15-5)
Projected 2021 win
total: 11.5
LAST YEAR: With Tom Brady excelling
despite not having a normal offseason
and training camp to prepare for his
first season with a new team, the Bucs
shrugged off a three-game losing streak
that dropped them to 7-5. They won
eight straight down the stretch to end a
13-year playoff drought and become the
first team to play and win a Super Bowl
in its home stadium. It was Tampa Bay’s
second NFL title, the seventh for Brady,
who’ll turn 44 during camp this summer.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: LB Joe Tryon,
OL Robert Hainsey, RB Giovani Bernard.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: None.
NOTES: Coach Bruce Arians felt it took
12 games for Brady to become totally
comfortable with the Bucs’ offense,
which flourished after a Week 13 bye.
The defense, led by linebackers Lavonte
David, Shaquil Barrett and Jason
Pierre-Paul, peaked at the right time,
too, capping an impressive postseason
run with victories over Drew Brees, Aaron
Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. Arians
believes both units will be better with the
team have a full training camp to prepare
to defend its title.
EXPECTATIONS: Last year was Super
Bowl or bust after signing Brady in free
agency and adding offensive playmakers
Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette and
Antonio Brown to an already talent-laden
roster. The approach hasn’t changed,
with Arians and general manager Jason
Licht defying the odds of keeping the
band together by placing the franchise
tag on receiver Chris Godwin, signing
David and Barrett to new deals and
finding ways to create enough salary
cap space to retain Gronkowski,
Fournette, Brown and defensive lineman
Ndamukong Suh.
NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS (13-5)
Projected 2021 win
total: 9.5
LAST YEAR: In the final season of
quarterback Drew Brees’ 20-year, recordsetting career, and with considerable help
from versatile running back Alvin Kamara
and the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense, the
Saints made the playoffs as a No. 2 seed
in the NFC. They won a postseason game
before being upended in the divisional
round by eventual Super Bowl champion
Tampa Bay.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: TE Nick
Vannett, DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE
Payton Turner, LB Pete Warner, CB
Paulson Adebo.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: QB Drew
Brees, DE Trey Hendrickson, CB Janoris
Jenkins, DT Sheldon Rankins, DT Malcom
Brown, WR Emmanuel Sanders, LB Alex
Anzalone, TE Jared Cook, TE Josh Hill, LB
Kwon Alexander.
NOTES: Turner, Warner and Adebo, the
club’s top three draft choices, enter camp
with chances to compete for significant
playing time. If they catch on quickly, it
could shore up some of New Orleans’
depth concerns. Meanwhile, second-year
tight end Adam Trautman, who began
to produce late last season, will have
an opportunity to start following the
departures top 2020 tight ends Cook
and Hill. The Saints also want to identify
a reliable third receiver behind veterans
Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith.
EXPECTATIONS: The Saints still have
numerous returning players who were
major contributors to playoff runs in each
of the past four seasons, but uncertainty
at QB and at several key spots on defense
have left the club with far less depth. New
Orleans might still be a playoff team, but
will need good fortune with injuries and
with the development of young players
to be a threat to advance deep into the
postseason.
CAROLINA
PANTHERS (5-11)
Projected 2021 win
total: 7.5
LAST YEAR: The Panthers struggled
under journeyman QB Teddy Bridgewater,
repeatedly losing tight games late in
fourth quarter prompting an offseason
trade for Sam Darnold. Carolina’s 2019
All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey missed
13 games due to three separate injuries,
limiting Carolina’s offensive potential. The
team struggled at times with chemistry
problems under first-year head coach
Matt Rhule due to limited offseason
practices because of the coronavirus
pandemic. Although Carolina’s defense
was young, DE Brian Burns and S Jeremy
Chinn emerged as promising young stars.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: QB Sam
Darnold, DE Haason Reddick, LB Denzel
Perryman, WR David Moore, TE Dan
Arnold, OT Cam Erving, G Pat Elflin, DE
Morgan Fox, DT DaQuan Jones, LB Frankie
Luvu, CB Jaycee Horn, CB A.J. Bouye.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: WR Curtis
Samuel, QB Teddy Bridgewater, RB Mike
Davis, DT Kawann Short, S Tre Boston, OT
Russell Okung, DE Stephen Weatherly.
NOTES: All eyes will be on Darnold.
The Panthers will look to get the Jets
castoff up to speed with coordinator
Joe Brady’s offense quickly and give the
fourth-year QB a boost of confidence.
Darnold essentially has a two-year tryout
with Carolina and a chance to claim its
franchise QB spot after going 13-25 under
center in New York.
EXPECTATIONS: Carolina isn’t
considered a title contender and right
now sustained growth is the No. 1 goal in
Rhule’s second season. Carolina remains
one of the NFL’s youngest teams and
owner David Tepper has the patience to
trust in the process. Much of Carolina’s
success will be dependent on how well
Darnold acclimates to the system.
Defensively, Carolina’s secondary should
be better following the addition of firstround pick CB Jaycee Horn, but the team
needs last year’s first-round draft pick DT
Derrick Brown to take the next step. Nine
wins would be considered a successful
season.
46
As Bucs roll with ageless
wonder Brady, Saints
begin life without Brees
for the first time in 15
years. Meanwhile, Falcons
and Panthers rebuild.
ATLANTA
FALCONS (4-12)
Projected 2021 win
total: 7
LAST YEAR: The Falcons’ first 0-7 start
since 1997 led to the firings of coach Dan
Quinn and general manager Thomas
Dimitroff. Interim coach Raheem Morris
managed four wins, but that was not
enough for him to keep the job or change
the team’s path toward an overhaul. Terry
Fontenot was hired from the Saints as
general manager and former Tennessee
Titans offensive coordinator Arthur
Smith was hired as coach. A flurry of
cost-cutting moves, including the trade
of seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio
Jones to the Titans, helped to define the
rebuilding job facing Smith and Fontenot.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: WR Tajae
Sharpe, RB Mike Davis, S Erik Harris,
CB Fabian Moreau, RB/WR Cordarrelle
Patterson, S Duron Harmon, OL Josh
Andrews, LB Brandon Copeland, Smith,
offensive coordinator Dave Ragone,
defensive coordinator Dean Pees.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: Jones, C Alex
Mack, S Keanu Neal, S Ricardo Allen, DE
Allen Bailey, RB Todd Gurley, RB Brian Hill,
RB Ito Smith, S Damontae Kazee, OG
James Carpenter, QB Matt Schaub.
NOTES: The Falcons delayed drafting
an eventual replacement for Ryan, but a
backup for the 36-year-old quarterback
must be found following Schaub’s
retirement. AJ McCarron, who played a
combined four games for Houston the
last two years, is the favorite. There will be
adjustments to new schemes on offense
and defense. Smith will call the plays,
but former Chicago Bears quarterbacks
coach and passing game coordinator
Dave Ragone gets his first chance to lead
an offense.
EXPECTATIONS: Smith could contend
for coach of the year honors if the Falcons
avoid a fourth consecutive losing season.
Those who suggested the team should
use the 2021 No. 4 overall draft pick on a
quarterback because Atlanta might not
have another top-five pick anytime soon
could have to rethink that projection. The
Falcons’ rebuilding job is daunting.
— Associated Press