Saints, Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons: NFC South fans preview the 2022 NFL season

In the latest in our fan preview article ahead of the 2022 NFL season, we head to the NFC South to see what those who live and breathe their teams make of how they’re shaping up.

The 2021 season saw a slight changing of the guard in the NFC South, as for the first time since 2016, the division title didn’t go to the New Orleans Saints, that instead went to perennial winner Tom Brady as he was in his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, at the age of 45, it’s very much up in the air whether or not he’ll be around to hold onto that crown for much longer. And in other quarterback news, the Carolina Panthers took their next step in trying to find a franchise QB as they acquired Baker Mayfield, whilst the Atlanta Falcons moved on from the man who’s been leading their team since 2008 as Matt Ryan moved to the Indianapolis Colts.

What do all those changes, to name just a few, do to the state of the division? We reached out to a number of fans from all teams in the NFC South and asked them their views on their respective franchises, asking five of the same questions to each responder before giving them one unique question each, after which we will reveal our prediction for how the division will look come the end of the regular season.

What went well for you last season?

Despite not making the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and losing multiple key players to injury, New Orleans found a new bright spot in 2021 with their defense. Led by Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan, the Saints changed the stigma surrounding the defense by becoming one of the top rush defenses in the league. Paired with a young and star-studded secondary, the Black and Gold proved that their defense can shoulder the load and lead the