NFL Divisional Finals Preview and Predictions: By Kyle Balfour

The Go For It On Fourth 32 for 32 Season Preview:
The 2017 NFC South:

Atlanta Falcons: FackingFulcans @Fackingfulcans

How was last season for you?

Great! Matt Ryan had a terrific season, probably his best, with Julio Jones and DeVontae Freeman still great. O-line was much better with Alex Mack at Center. He might be the best FA signing in recent memory for the Falcons. When Matt Ryan plays well, it’s with a quality center. When he came into the league, Todd McClure was a solid and smart player. He got too old. Between McClure and Alex Mack, the team wasn’t as good. We got contributions from players like Taylor Gabriel (cut by the Browns) and the much improved Tevin Coleman. In his second season, Kyle Shanahan’s offence clicked. Defence wasn’t great, but Vic Beasley is the real deal. Grady Jarrett turned out to be a big game player. Secondary was decent even after Trufant was hurt. Coach Quinn is getting the fast aggressive players like he had in Seattle. Thanks for not asking about us blowing a 28-3 third quarter lead in the Super Bowl.

With the offseason in the rear-view mirror, how do you believe your team fared in the draft and free agency?

I like our off-season overall. No big losses on the roster. I was a big fan of Dwight Freeney, but he couldn’t play a high % of plays. He was more of a mentor. I’ll get to other player additions in a minute. Biggest loss is Kyle Shanahan at OC. In his first year, I couldn’t stand Shanahan. You could tell the players were angry and frustrated by their poor performance. Whatever happened before last season, Shanahan gets enormous praise. Between some player changes and second year in the offence, Falcons were a juggernaut. Now it’s Steve Sarkisian. We may take a step back while the kinks are worked out. New D.C. is Marquand Manuel who had been with the staff already and who was with Quinn in Seattle. Overall, for a Super Bowl team, the Falcons did great simply by losing no core players. I like the draft. It’s silly to rank or grade a draft until two seasons are played – or at least one. Duke McKinley shows promise at LB and may be good on Special Teams. Takk McKinley is supposed to have the quickness, speed toughness and desire Quinn likes. Signing Dontari Poe to a one-year deal was a solid move, plus my man Grady Jarrett is already inside. Carl Edwards at DE isn’t a star but he’s playing well. Quinn is pretty clearly the final say on player acquisition. Before Quinn, Dimitroff was awful at drafting and FA overall. We are losing some of those older flops and replacing with guys who are at least decent. One head scratcher. Falcons signed deal with Chick-Fil-A to have them as a food vendor in the new stadium. Chick-Fil-A has confirmed they won’t be open on Sunday – no Chick-Fil-A is ever open on a Sunday.

The man under centre: what’s your opinions on your starting quarterback for this season?

First of all, it’s “center” and pronounced “senter” not “seen-ter”. Secondly, Ryan is consistently a top NFL QB. He works his butt off, is an excellent leader & can make the throws. Matt is not mobile. I don't know that he's “top” five, but he's more than good enough to win the Super Bowl. We want him to have a better playoff resume. With a good OL, offensive weapons, and improving D, he should get there. I'm concerned about Matt getting used to Sarkisian's system. This "concern" is night & day different from concerns such as "we signed Joey Harrington? Really?"

Who would you say is the main man for your team beyond the quarterback?

Main man on the team besides QB? In terms of star power, great player. well known, that's Julio. He always has to be accounted for. We need DeVontae Freeman to be a multi threat RB. Jake Long is our LT, & Matt is not mobile. On D, I'll say Marcus Trufant needs to be a shutdown corner now that he's healthy. Vic Beasley MUST get double digit sacks. I don't see anyone else doing that this year. McKinley could be that good. I'd say Jones & Beasley a close second.

Which member of your team or coaching staff is under the most pressure in this coming season?

I don't think anyone on the staff is on "the hot seat." Steve Sarkisian has big shoes to fill after last season. If the O doesn't play well, Sarkisian will be in a hot seat.

How did you come to support your team?

Short version: I've lived in Atlanta 30 years, love multiple Falcons players & Dan Quinn. Long version: - too long. Grew up in STL watching football Cardinals. Moved to ATL, and when I first compared Falcons to Cardinals, I said "same shit, different bird." Then I rooted for the ScRams for a while. **** the ScRams.

For any new fans coming into the league this year, why would you endorse your team to support?

Why support the Falcons? They're exciting, should score plenty of points, and the defence is improving. The Falcons have multiple players like Ryan, Jones & many others who are solid guys. I feel good rooting for them. But beware: as I told my brother, you have to be strong. You cannot base your self esteem on all the success the Falcons have had. You must draw your self worth entirely from who you are & not your NFL team. No Falcons lead is safe. My brother said "cut the existentialist junk & keep the Mojitos coming!"

Give us reasons for optimism for your team this season?

Optimism? From a Falcons fan? Really? A good friend of mine told me last year she just pours a drink & hopes to enjoy the game. I like Parisian Mojitos and food smoked on the Big Green Egg. Falcons should be goodbye enough to enjoy the game with no expectations.

And what are your doubts for your team this upcoming season?

I've mentioned Sarkisian. What happens if Beasley is hurt? They had no rush without a blitz, and maybe not then, without Beasley. Any team is toast with a ton of injuries. Near Certainty: do not, repeat, DO NOT get optimistic. The difference between the Super Bowl & overall Falcon fan experience was that more people were watching.

Name us one player within another team that you’d love to have at your club?

Antonio Brown and Julio? OH BOY!! Vic Beasley & Khalil Mack? Even better!!! I think another destructive DE with Beasley would improve the team more than any offensive player. And while I love great O, I also love watching a top D just dismember an offense.

Can the Falcons recover successfully from the Super Bowl hangover?

Yes on the Super Bowl hangover. I define recovery as "making the playoffs" and we should. I still think the team is motivated & hungry as opposed to reading all their press clippings. If you're going to blow a Super Bowl lead, I guess it's best to blow a big, late lead. You don't read the paper for a few months & stay hungry.

What are your predictions for the upcoming season for your team? What do you think your record will be, and how far do you think you will go in the postseason, if at all?

I think we'll make the playoffs. Defense will be a little better - not dominant but solid. I think the offense takes a step back but still be - & should be - a top ten unit. Other teams in NFC South have some significant issues. 10-6, 11-5, and no playoff predictions. We really can't afford to assume we will win playoff games.

Who do you think will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season?

Please please please not The Cheatriots. They probably have the best team. Maybe the Steelers or Packers. I'll pick the Steelers.

Anything else you’d like to say about the upcoming season, or anything you’d like to plug or mention?

I. AM. READY. FOR. SOME. FOOTBALL. Falcons are fun to watch. My favorite player is Grady Jarrett - three SB sacks baby! His father is Jessie Tuggle. Like Hesdie, Grady is not super talented but never, EVER, gets outworked. I don't work for The Big Green Egg but own one. @BigGreenEgg It's more work than a gas grill, but when you discover another dish you love...Just the best. Friends, Family, drinks & delicious burgers, dogs, wings, pork, pizza, chicken - whatever you like to eat - you can't beat it.

Carolina Panthers: Dave Duncan Jr @daveofduncan

How was last season for you?

A disaster of the highest quality. We well and truly hit the fan. Coming off such a high to that was a real letdown.

With the offseason in the rear-view mirror, how do you believe your team fared in the draft and free agency?

We killed it with our draft this year. McCaffrey was a hell of a pickup, he instantly brings a different level to our offence. Samuel is also tipped to do well, and as for FA, bringing in some vets in Captain and Peppers will do wonders for confidence and experience.

The man under centre: what’s your opinions on your starting quarterback for this season?

Cam needs to bounce back big time this year. He’s recovering from shoulder surgery and has trimmed down a bit so it’s looking good. Having McCaffrey and Samuel around to get the ball away quicker will do him wonders too.

Who would you say is the main man for your team beyond the quarterback?

Gotta be Luke on the defence. He runs that D like an absolute pro. He’s been unlucky with head injuries these past couple seasons but hopefully it doesn’t happen again and risk cutting his career short.

Which member of your team or coaching staff is under the most pressure in this coming season?

Shula! He has these new weapons to develop players around and with the departures this off-season, he really is in the hot seat. He needs to start utilising what we have or risk his job.

How did you come to support your team?

I selected the Panthers at random back in the off-season of the 2012 season. They hadn’t won a Super Bowl yet and had a young and upcoming team. Perfect reason to get behind them. It paid off in 2015 but sadly wasn’t the full package.

For any new fans coming into the league this year, why would you endorse your team to support?

Those reasons above. We’re still a young team with the odd player or two entering their prime. We have an exciting offence this year and an incredible defence too.

Give us reasons for optimism for your team this season?

With last season behind us, we should use it as motivation to improve this season. We have a healthy Kelvin Benjamin coming back (he wasn’t 100% last year at all), we have exciting rookies and a QB that’s determined to return to his MVP form.                                                      

And what are your doubts for your team this upcoming season?

Probably the O-Line and for the first few weeks, Cam’s recovery from his shoulder op. He hasn’t done much in preseason, so it’s definitely a little worry. The O-Line needs some consistency this year after falling apart piece by piece last year. Signing up Trai and hopefully Norwell too will benefit us a lot.

Name us one player within another team that you’d love to have at your club?

Mike Evans. I’ve always been a fan of his. Wanted us to draft him. I wanted either him, KB or OBJ. Reminds me a lot of KB but with a little more speed.

Which Carolina Panthers will we see this season? The 15-1 team from 2015, or the 6-10 team from last year?

Obviously I want the 15-1 Panthers to show up again!

What are your predictions for the upcoming season for your team? What do you think your record will be, and how far do you think you will go in the postseason, if at all?

If the offence clicks, I’m hoping we can win the division back from the Falcons and hopefully have a decent playoff run. Won’t get my hopes up for another Super Bowl, I’m not one of those cocky fans!

Who do you think will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season?

Anyone but the Pats. Realistically, they won’t be far away. But if not the Panthers, probably a fresh team. Someone who’s never won it before for a change.

New Orleans Saints: Nick Gordon

How was last season for you?

Last season was same as usual for Saints fans, great exciting games filled with frustration as we try and win a shootout every single game. Ended poorly when we knew we weren’t going to go to the playoffs and it showed in the last few games, losing badly to our hated rivals Atlanta. We had the great stat that in games the Saints scored 35 points or more we were 7-2, in games we scored less than 35 points we were 0-7. Says it all really.

With the offseason in the rear-view mirror, how do you believe your team fared in the draft and free agency?

It was an exciting draft and free agency period for us, firstly getting a CB with our first pick was great, as it immediately upgrades our weakest position and gives us someone who can cover the opposition’s number one WR. In his last year at college, he only allowed 19 catches all year! For him to fall to us was great as I felt there was a drop off in talent from him to the next couple of CBs. Losing Cooks was difficult but getting a first round pick (even if it was the last pick) was a price we were willing to pay, especially for a player who would have cost us a lot in cap space for the next coming years, presuming we signed him to a new contract, but instead we get an OT for the future and help shore up an already good OL for our aging QB and underrated run game. Signing Adrian Peterson was amazing, it’s definitely created the most buzz around the Saints team that I can remember, and yet I feel he’s being underrated. In Minnesota, they never had a good passing game, and yet despite facing 8/9 man fronts designed to stop him, he still put up big numbers. In our prolific passing attack, he isn’t going to be facing those 8/9 man fronts, not with Drew Brees under centre, so there will be a lot more space for him to run. With Peterson and other additions our offence, such as the addition of a speedster in Ginn, it is going to cause a lot of headaches for opposition defences, and I’m excited to see how it unfolds.

The man under centre: what’s your opinions on your starting quarterback for this season?

Drew Brees is the best QB in the league. He could walk into any team in the NFL and instantly make all the players around him better, which puts him above other QBs in the league, who need talent around them to be able to thrive. Now paired with an upgraded running game, and other good pieces around him, he will have another monster year. Brees is our guy, but beyond him there are so many players who all contribute to the effectiveness of our team, especially on offence.

Who would you say is the main man for your team beyond the quarterback?

However, I don’t know if there has ever been a player in a better position going into a year than Michael Thomas. With the best QB in the league, an upgraded running game with power and speed and a good offensive line, he will be a constant target for Brees all over the field. He’s got size, speed, hands, and the trust of his QB. Last year, getting over 1,100 yards and 9 touchdowns in an offence where he wasn’t the number one WR, he will increase those numbers this year.

Which member of your team or coaching staff is under the most pressure in this coming season?

I guess Sean Payton is under the most pressure of our coaching team, as he’s had three years of 7-9, and with the optimism we’ve had this offseason, there is a belief that we should be getting into the playoffs this year as a minimum.

How did you come to support your team?

I started watching American Football not really understanding what was going on, but I remember watching a game involving the Saints, and despite not understanding what was going on, I really enjoyed the game because of all the scoring. From then on as my understanding grew, I loved watching the Saints as there was always the big play potential on both sides of the ball.

For any new fans coming into the league this year, why would you endorse your team to support?

Because the Saints are the most exciting team to watch. Our games are always high scoring on both sides of the ball, and we play in a really competitive division. I would not be surprised to see a 50-51 point game a couple of times this season involving the Saints.

Give us reasons for optimism for your team this season?

Our defence will improve again this year, and with our attack being so varied and potent, we have potential to go to the Super Bowl this year. The NFC South is wide open, and with Atlanta losing their offensive co-ordinator, they won’t be as good this year. There is always hype around Tampa, but they never live up to it. Carolina have holes on defence, and in our division that will be their downfall. We have the potential to outscore every team in the league and if our defence can continue to progress into the top 20 defences in the league (not a massive leap), we will win our division and possibly it all.

And what are your doubts for your team this upcoming season?

We have quite a few injuries already on both sides of the ball, but it’s on defence that we feel it the most. We’ve lost our starting DE and a few of our CBs are slightly injured. With our defence being young, these guys need time to acclimatise and grow, but injuries halt us. We also lost our starting Left Tackle and might have to play our rookie, which is a worry because there’s doubts about whether he’s ready.

Name us one player within another team that you’d love to have at your club?

Von Miller or Khalil Mack. Those guys are great and are the disruptive force that can change games for you. Can’t choose between them, but if either of them were on our team it would win us a Super Bowl.

Can Adrian Peterson recapture the magic he once had in Minnesota?

All-Day is a freak of nature, the only guy to come back from crippling injuries to come back better than he was. He’s had a long time to get over his injury from last year, and while he won’t get 300+ carries for us, he won’t need to, as he will get a lot of space to run playing with our passing game, something he’s never had.

What are your predictions for the upcoming season for your team? What do you think your record will be, and how far do you think you will go in the postseason, if at all?

We will win 10+ games this year, win our division, probably end up as the third of fourth seed in the playoffs. Now, depending on our injuries, how our young defence improves, how effective our offence is, I believe we can go all the way to the Super Bowl.

Who do you think will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season?

Obviously the Saints, but if not us, then it’s between Oakland and New England in the AFC. The NFC is tougher to call, but the usual suspects are there, Green Bay, Seattle in their division and the Giants have a great chance to win their division too, but it’s wide open.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ian Aberdein @EssexBuccaneer

How was last season for you?

With hindsight last season was a positive step forward for the Bucs team, with a new coaching staff and a still very young team it could have gone either way, so to finish with a winning record was great. More than that, we were even frustrated not to do better and make the postseason having given up very winnable games against LA and Oakland early in the season. To make the playoffs would have been unthinkable at the start of the year, so to find them just out of reach at the end was a strange combination of emotions. Sadness at missing out, but eager to go on and make that next step.

With the offseason in the rear-view mirror, how do you believe your team fared in the draft and free agency?

Obviously the Bucs managed a real coup in landing DeSean Jackson through free agency. An experienced receiver who can stretch the field vertically, and provide a very real second threat that will hopefully take some pressure away from Mike Evans. Chris baker was another nice addition from the Redskins, and he'll help to shore up a defensive line that with Gerald McCoy and Noah Spence, has potentially got very good, very quickly. Jason Licht spearheaded another solid draft, grabbing TE O.J Howard with the 19th pick, a guy with top-10 talent. Dirk Koetter is fond of two TE sets, so Howard and the underrated Cameron Brate will provide a solid pairing both in the passing game and as run blockers. The Bucs biggest weakness is on pass defence, and they attempted to address that in the 2nd round with Texas A&M aggressive Safety Justin Evans, though a starting position is by no means certain. Penn State receiver Chris Godwin has impressed in training camp so far, and the Bucs 3rd round pick should see the field this year as well. There's solid competition for the Bucs 3rd starting receiver place, and Godwin seems to be in the thick of the battle.

The man under centre: what’s your opinions on your starting quarterback for this season?

Jameis is something of an enigma. One moment he'll step out of the pocket, avoid a rushing DE, spin out of a LB's grasp scramble around for 5 seconds before making an inch perfect pass for a huge gain, then on the next play he'll toss an interception that leaves fans screaming at the TV because even we saw the pick coming, yet somehow, he didn't! It's a cliché, but Jameis is a gunslinger, he's a risk taker. And sometimes when you take those risks you'll lose. We have to accept that fact if we want to enjoy the other side of his game, where he'll strap the team to his back and lead a 4th quarter comeback seemingly under his own strength of will alone. It's too early in his career to say for certain how far Jameis can reach, but the first two years indicate that the journey won't be a boring one!

Who would you say is the main man for your team beyond the quarterback?

This is a tough question. Immediately I'd suggest Mike Evans, as he creates so much of the Bucs offense, but I'm going to go with Kwon Alexander. The young LB has been the lynchpin of the LB corps these last couple of years, even taking over from that role from Lavonte David. When Kwon has missed or been taken out of games the defence has looked noticeably uncoordinated. He really is a leader on the field, despite his tender years. I'd expect Alexander to be voted as one of the team captains this year as well, a sign of his respect in the locker room.

Which member of your team or coaching staff is under the most pressure in this coming season?

Doug Martin will start the year under suspension, and won't return until week 4. Given his drop in performance, it's not unthinkable that he might have lost his place altogether by then, if Jacquizz Rodgers or Charles Sims can shine while he's in the sidelines. Martin has impressed in training camp and preseason though, so may get his job straight back, but he'll be on a short leash from the coaching staff. They expect to see the Muscle Hamster of 2012 & 2015, not the imposter seen at other times in his career.

How did you come to support your team?

I’ve watched NFL for a long time, since the early 90's, I just never had a team that I supported. After a brief spell away from the sport around the turn of the century I got back into NFL and wanted to find a team to root for. Or maybe a team would find me (as is true fandom, I always felt!). It was at this time that I found myself getting hideously lost in Tampa on holiday, trying to find my way out of the city and back to Orlando. I followed my nose (no sat-nav back then!) and ended up at an intersection staring at the Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs home. I figured that it felt close enough to fate, and as soon as I got home I started learning about the Bucs, their history, playing as them on Madden. I fell in love with them, and have been ever since.

For any new fans coming into the league this year, why would you endorse your team to support?

I always tell people who are looking for a team that there's only one place in the NFL where you can witness cannons firing from a pirate ship, whilst basking in the Sun, in November. And that place is Tampa! And on top of that, we now have a pretty entertaining team to watch at the same time, which hasn't always been the case! There's a growing movement in Tampa called 'The Stick Carriers' - which comes from. Dirk Koetter locker room speech, and the fans haven't been as animated or enthused about the team since probably the super bowl era under Jon Gruden. These are exciting times in central Florida.

Give us reasons for optimism for your team this season?

This is the most optimistic I've felt about a Buccaneers team in years, which usually I'd take as a bad sign - the Bucs do have a tendency towards breaking our hearts! However, with lots of exciting pieces on offence, and a great offensive mind in Dirk Koetter, this is possibly the most potent Buccaneers team in....probably ever! Defensively performances must improve but there is talent there, we've seen lots of ability in brief flashes, but that must become their base standard, not an occasional performance shown only here or there.

And what are your doubts for your team this upcoming season?

The Bucs will always break your heart. They'll always find a way to lose. The more ridiculous and inventive, the better. So there's always reason to doubt! Depth is a big issue on this team, there is an impressive array of talent among the starters, but if injuries mount (and in the NFL, injuries always mount!) then I could foresee some problems. The secondary looks at best to be perhaps league average. It's certainly not a top 10 unit, so I fear another year of giving up big plays (usually having done good work to hold the opposition to 3rd and long). Another unit that has not impressed that much is the offensive line, I think Jameis scrambling and talent for extending plays has hidden a multitude of sins there. Ali Marpet looks as though he's making the move from Guard to Centre a permanent one, so it'll be interesting to see how Hobart College's favourite son fares in anchoring the offensive line.

Name us one player within another team that you’d love to have at your club?

My immediate though was Le'veon bell. Everyone would want him, wouldn't they? However, I'm a defence guy at heart, and the Bucs need secondary help, so I'd take The Chiefs’ Marcus Peters. He's a total ball-hawk, a real game changer.

Can Jameis Winston join the class of elite quarterbacks in the NFL?

Jameis can join that elite tier of Qb's yes, he's in the mix to be one of the next generation NFL superstars after Brady, Roethlisburger et-al retire. However the silly mental errors and head first rushing dives have to stop. The first m for the good of the team, the second for his career longevity. He can make every throw in the game, he can read defenses and he can scramble and make something from nothing. He just needs to stop trying to win the game with every touch of the ball.

What are your predictions for the upcoming season for your team? What do you think your record will be, and how far do you think you will go in the postseason, if at all?

Expectations are so high after narrowly missing out last year, I think the majority of fans think 2017 is playoffs or bust. The trouble is that the NFC south is loaded, the panthers want to bounce back, the Falcons went to the Super Bowl and The Saints can beat anyone on their day. It could be that the Bucs win 10 games, improve hugely and still don't make the postseason! 10-6 is actually my prediction, and hopefully that'll be enough to either win the division or grab a wildcard spot, and to be honest I'd settle for that if you offered it to me. In the playoffs anything can happen, so hopefully we can get there and make some headlines.#

Who do you think will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season?

It’s really difficult to look past the Patriots for the Super Bowl, they're reigning champions and if anything have improved over the offseason. However, I've been firmly on the increasingly trendy Raiders bandwagon for a couple of years now, and I'm not going to get off. I really like what they've done in Oakland, and if anyone in the AFC can topple the patriots this year, it'll be them.

Anything else you’d like to say about the upcoming season, or anything you’d like to plug or mention?

I have nothing specific to say about the year, except for my excitement for this young Buccaneers team, and I also root for my wife's Detroit Lions, who are always entertaining, their offense is awesome when it's clicking, Matt Stafford is really making moves and climbing towards that top tier of QBs himself. If people don't already know, we have a solid community of knowledgeable NFL fans on the forum at http://forum.nfluk.com  and I'm one of the kind and gentle moderators over there. So sign up, say hi and jump into some discussions!