The NFC South in recent years has quickly evolved as one of the better divisions in the NFL. Certainly they are among the better groups in the NFC. The NFC East is annually considered to be the cream of the NFC crop, yet the South has been gaining on them quickly. For the 2009 NFL football season, what can we expect from the NFC South? Who will win the division and will the wildcard once again come from the South? Here is a look at the four NFC South teams and what to expect in 09:

Carolina Panthers - Though the Panthers melted down during the playoffs last season, they showed that they are a true force in the NFC. They simply went crazy rushing the ball throughout the season with “Double Trouble” DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Stewart and Williams both scored in excess of 10 touchdowns, and DeAngelo led the NFL with 25. This season, I expect that Carolina will win the division, but a repeat of 12-4 may be a tall order. The Panthers have the second toughest schedule in the entire NFL in 2009. Quarterback Jake Delhomme also returns after signing a huge contract extension.

Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons went out and might have bought themselves a playoff spot. Tony Gonzalez, who is the best tight end in NFL history, is now an Atlanta Falcon. Nobody is going to be more pleased with that than Matt Ryan. Ryan performed like a veteran throughout much of his rookie season in 08, and the addition of Gonzalez is sure to help him continue that trend. The only thing about Ryan is that he was given baby steps to take for the vast majority of the season. This was because they had the beastly Michael Turner to do the heavy lifting. Turner returns in 09 as well, so the Falcons are primed for a playoff push. I expect they will finish just behind Carolina, but will secure a Wildcard spot.

New Orleans Saints - The Saints are a team that is very hard to figure out. They can look like world beaters one week, and then be horrible the next. It does not help that they annually have problems winning against fellow NFC South teams, either. The New Orleans Saints have the offense with quarterback Drew Brees to score all the points they should ever need. Unfortunately they have the defense to not let that happen as well. The Saints will finish in third behind the Panthers and Falcons, but if things fall just right they could also go undefeated. That is just how strange the Saints really are.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Of all the NFC South teams, Tampa is the hardest to figure out. They spent the majority of the offseason trying to rid themselves of the few things they had going that was good. For example, why get rid of Jeff Garcia? As a Panther fan, he was the only reason I hated playing Tampa. Garcia just finds a way to beat you. It is very puzzling as to why they let him go, and especially with no replacement to plug in. As it is, the Bucs will struggle to get seven wins. Expect the Bucs to be more like the old Bucs, and less like the new.