NFL Preview #2 - NFC South and NFC West

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints (11-5; playoffs) - If Reggie Bush will step it up to his true potential, this offense has all of the tools to be massively powerful, now that Jeremy Shockey has added a true tight end to this squad. Off-season acquisitions have improved the defense, so this team will be a true force this year.

2. Atlanta Falcons (10-6; playoffs) - Matt Ryan was the rookie QB of the year last season. If that proves not to have been a fluke because teams underestimated him, Ryan can take this team back to the playoffs again. The offense is perfectly poised, with Michael Turner leading the running game and experienced tight end Tony Gonzalez providing experience to the receiving corps. The defense may need a little work, but this team has all the elements to make another run at the playoffs.

3. Carolina Panthers (6-10) - This team continues to have one of the more potent offenses in the conference. Injuries have been the bane of this team in the past, and their bench still remains thin. Their best defenders are aging, too, so how resiliant will they be? This team may not be able to sustain success across 16 weeks.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) - Picking Luke McCown as starter over Byron Leftwich? Okay, Leftwich has lost some of his arm strength since his injury a couple of years ago, but McCown? He was a flop in Chicago, which had a high tolerance for mediocre quarterbacks. Without a capable QB, this team will be running a lot. They have a strong stable of runners, but teams cannot win with a running game alone; defenses will key off that.

NFC West

1. Arizona Cardinals (12-4; playoff bye) - Can the defenders of the National Conference do it again, or will they suffer the curse of the Super Bowl losers. In the past two decades, the loser of the Super Bowl has rarely returned to the playoffs the following year. I think that depends upon the health of Kurt Warner. Matt Leinart still does not seem consistent enough to lead this team, so Warner must remain healthy for a healthy chunk of the season (pun intended). If he does, this offense will run smoothly and efficiently. The defense has a few question marks, but not many. The defense backups aren't stable, so this squad needs to remain healthy, too.

2. Seattle Seahawks (9-7; playoffs) - The offensive line is weak, but the rest of the offense is strong. The starting defense is good, but the backups are weak, so injuries could fracture this team.

3. St. Louis Rams (6-10) - The Greatest Show on Turf is no more. This group is young and less experienced, although QB Bulger still gets the job done. The defense is stronger than it has often been, but still has holes. It may be a while before this team sees the postseason.

4. San Francisco 49ers (4-12) - The 49ers augmented their offense a bit during the off-season (although whether they will have Michael Crabtree remains a mystery), except where it really counts -- quarterback. They are going back to failed starter Alex Smith, and don't have a trusted backup, either. Their defense has some stars but lack depth, so this team will again struggle.