It seems like any team could win this division year in and year out and the

It seems like any team could win this division year in and year out and the Bucs have the defense to compete.I like the Bucs defense, but I still don’t understand how they won the division over the Saints in 2007. While Garcia was a nice addition and defense does go a long way to helping a team win games, the Saints passing game was vastly superior and should have been enough to carry them, even with their 0-4 start.  Had Payton not called that gadget play against the Bucs late in the fourth quarter that gave Tampa Bay new life, New Orleans would have tied Tampa Bay for the division lead in Week 13 and Tampa Bay would probably not have been able to rest everyone to close the season. Things could have turned out much different.This team reminds me of the 2006 Baltimore Ravens. The individual and team statistics do not scream division winner, but at the end of the year they are on top. Coaching was as much the difference in 2007 in the NFC South as anything. Jon Gruden is by far the best coach in that division.I think Garcia can still lead this offense and they have intriguing backups should he go down. Detroit, Chicago, Oakland, Kansas City, and Denver all offer potential for wins.

Dallas, Seattle, Minnesota, Green Bay, and San Diego could all be very tough opponents.I just think their key defenders are a year older, the offense doesn’t look much better, and the schedule is tougher. I know they could have finished above 9-7 had they played all their players the last couple weeks, but I just don’t see this team repeating in the division. I think they finish near .500, make things interesting in the division, and compete with Carolina for second place in this always-volatile division.Tampa Bay’s Record: 8–8 NFC South second Place; No Playoffs Carolina Panthers'07 Record: 7-9Points Scored: 267 (26th)Points Allowed: 349 (15th)Playoff Result: No Playoffs2008 Strength of Schedule:119-137 (.465) (22nd (t) in NFL) Strengths: Given the offense the Panthers played with in 2007, the defense did very well to finish 15th in points allowed. While the Panthers’ defense was weaker than previous seasons, they still finished in the middle of the pack in the NFL.The Panthers added some nice talent in the draft.  Dan Conner is a good linebacker from a solid linebacker program in Penn State that should contribute soon. Charles Godfrey is a defensive back that could also see the field immediately.The Panthers secondary still has solid corners.

Gamble and Lucas are excellent in coverage.  They have to improve on their 31st ranked pass rush, which generated 23 sacks if they want to get the full production out of those guys. They can’t be effective if the quarterback has all day to throw the ball.On offense, Steve Smith is still a top-flight wide receiver. D.J Hackett was a good addition. Muhsin Muhammad is well past his prime, but is familiar with Carolina and can help as a possession wide receiver.  Dwayne Jarrett needs to step up in his second year He had just six catches for 73 yards in his rookie campaign. Jeff King has the potential to put up good numbers at the tight end position.  A healthy Jake Delhomme would go a long way to helping all of these players put up better numbers in 2008.Weaknesses: The Panthers had a very strange year in 2007 They started off 4-2 Steve Smith is their only really scary weapon. He had 35 catches for 496 yards and six touchdowns in those six games. That would have translated to 93 catches for 1,322 yards and 16 touchdowns for the season.Then Jake Delhomme was injured in his third game of the season and was lost for the year.  Smith had some good games with Vinny Testaverde, but really struggled to get even a few catches with David Carr and Matt Moore.  He finished with just 52 catches for 506 yards and one touchdown in his last 10 games.

As a result, the offense scored only 14.4 points over the final 10 games. The result was a 3-7 finish to the season.The defense, which had been a staple of this team, did not perform very well in 2007.  They finished only 15th in the league in scoring defense. That was tied for their worst season since John Fox took over in 2002. A lot of that had to do with the offense not being able to give them a lead or keep them in good field position. Still, three-time Pro Bowl and two-time NFL All-Pro first team defensive end Julius Peppers has to have more than 2.5 sacks.  He was awful in 2007.  It was his only season other than 2003 where he failed to register double digit sacks. That was a major reason why the Panthers finished so low in the sack department.