The modern day NFL has truly developed into a passers’ league, and if you can’t defend against the pass, chances are you will find yourselves picking pretty early in the NFL Draft. Last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary was horrendous, and the statistics speak for themselves.  The Buccaneers gave up 297.4 passing yards a game (worst in the NFL), which resulted in them being just 38 yards short of the single season record for passing yardage given up. In fairness to the Tampa’s secondary, blame must also be laid at the feet of the Buccaneers’ pass rushers, who notched  just 27 sacks (T-30th) and quarterbacks often had plenty of time to allow their receivers to gain separation and make composed throws.

There are now whispers around the NFL however, that the league’s worst pass defense could actually become the league’s best in 2013. Valid? Maybe. Pre-emptive? Certainly.

Heading into this offseason, General Manager Mark Dominik probably only had confidence in one player in his secondary; safety Mark Barron. The Alabama product showed flashes of ability in his rookie season, and is certainly one of the most talented young safeties in the league. Dominik and Head Coach Greg Schiano will hope that he can show more consistency this season, and that the year playing with veteran Ronde Barber helped the younger player develop.

Outside of Barron, there was very little proven talent in the Buccaneers secondary. Corner Eric Wright underperformed last season, whilst also takin

g up a sizable chunk of the salary cap, and Barber, in addition to being 37, was heading into free agency. The Buccaneers had no higher priority than improving their secondary heading into free agency and the NFL Draft.

First up was the signing of safety Dashon Goldson, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, potentially adding an effective ball hawk, and the perfect complement to the physical, enforcer-type play of Barron.  If you look at the more successful teams on the defensive side of the ball in recent years, they have almost all had a play-making tandem of this type. You need look no further than the San Fransisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers or Seattle Seahawks for evidence.

The next move made, the trade for Darrelle Revis, will likely define Dominik’s tenure as Tampa’s GM. If Revis can return from his injury and replicate the kind of form which has had people labeling him as the best defensive player in the NFL, then the price Tampa paid for him will seem almost insignificant. It’s a question which, at the moment, remains unanswered, and could possibly stay unanswered until his second season with the Buccaneers. If Revis does regain both his fitness and form this season however, there is no better single addition the Buccaneers could have made to improve their woeful pass defense.

Then came the addition of Johnathan Banks in the second round of the NFL Draft, and despite not grabbing the same headlines that the arrivals of Goldson and Revis did, Banks could prove to be a very good move by Dominik. A tall, rangy corner, Banks is reminiscent of Richard Sherman, and could prove to be a valued press corner in the NFL. He will probably need to put on some more muscle to be as effective in the pro game as he was in college, but he certainly has the talent and mentality to be a success.

It is almost unthinkable to presume the Buccaneers pass defense will not improve. They have added key veterans and a solid rookie, whilst they will also be confident of an improved showing from their defensive line. However, the question posed was: can the Buccaneers secondary be the best in the league? And the short answer is no. There is little to no quality depth behind the starters, meaning that an injury to Barron, Goldson, Revis or Banks would be hugely impactful. It is also arguably a year or two too soon, with Barron and Banks still inexperienced.

That being said, if the Buccaneers can keep this group together, and perhaps add a dominant pass rusher, there is no reason why this same question won’t receive a different answer in a season or two.

Image credit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Facebook

The article Buccaneers’ Secondary – Best in the NFL? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

After last weeks pivotal divisional loss over the Washington Redskins, the New York Giants bounced back strong, demolishing the New Orleans Saints 52-27.

Giants’ rookie running back and returner, David Wilson had a career day, single-handily becoming the Saints worse nightmare. Wilson compiled 327 all purpose yards, third-highest total for a rookie since the NFL-AFL merger.

Right after the Saints intercepted Eli Manning and went ahead 7-0, Wilson’s day started. On the ensuing kick-off Wilson jolted past the Saints special team unit and returned the the kick, 97-yards to the tie the game back up.

Wilson punched in a six yard run in the third quarter to give the Giants a 28-13 lead and then put the Saints to sleep with a career long 52 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to seal off the victory. Wilson averaged 7.7 yards per carry rushing for 100 yards on 13 carries, the rookie’s first 100 yard game of his career.

Manning quickly bounced back after throwing an interception on the Giants second offensive drive of the game. On the Giants’ next drive, Manning connected with tight-end Martellus Bennett on a six yard touchdown. Bennett caught five passes for 32 yards along with his touchdown.

Right before the half, Manning connected with wideout Domenik Hixon to take a 21-13 lead into the third quarter.

Manning also connected with wideout Hakeem Nicks for a 25 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Nicks caught four passes for 67 yards along with his touchdown. Nicks has been suffering through injury all season long and after the win over the Saints was re-examined. Coach Tom Coughlin expects Nicks to continue to play however it is unlikely he will be at 100% for the rest of the year.

Manning threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game at the start of the fourth quarter to wideout Victor Cruz. Cruz led the Giants in receiving hauling in eight catches for 121 yards along with his touchdown catch.

The Giants’ defense was on point, limiting Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees. Brees completed 26-of-43 passes for 354 yards one touchdown and two interceptions.

Brees lone touchdown came towards the end of the third quarter, connecting with speedster Darren Sproles. Sproles caught four passes for 28 yards along with his touchdown reception. He also had five carries for 56 yards and punched in 13 yard run in the third quarter.

Brees was picked off twice by Giants’ safety, Stevie Brown.

With the victory, the Giants remain atop the NFC East at 8-5 with both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins breathing down their neck at 7-6. The Giants have a tough match-up next week on the road against the NFC’s current number one seed the Atlanta Falcons. As for the Saints, who have now dropped to 5-8,  they will face NFC South division rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Image Courtesy : New York Giants

The article Giants Surge Past Saints appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Sunday’s showdown between the Detroit Lions (1-2) and Tennessee Titans (1-2) in Nashville ended up turning into a good old fashioned shootout. One which needed an extra 8:25 to decide a winner.

And at the end of the day, it was the Titans who found themselves on top, 44-41, in what was probably the wildest game the day had to offer.

“Both of us looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve never been through something like this in our lives,’” said Titans head coach Mike Munchak of his counterpart Jim Schwartz. “It’s hard to put in words what to say about that. We both could’ve won in so many ways.”

Titans quarterback Jake Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns while completing 29 of 42 passes and leading his team to their first win of the season.

Tennessee, who was previously winless, went into halftime with a 20-9 lead over a Lions team that is anything but a pushover.

After only seven points were scored in the third quarter via a one yard Mikel Leshoure rushing touchdown, the fourth quarter saw scoring come from left and right in every which way, through offense, defense and special teams.

A total of 46 points were scored in the final period of regulation.

Brandon Pettigrew’s fumble at the Tennessee 28 yard line with the Lions trailing 34-27 with about three minutes remaining in the fourth was recovered by Tennessee cornerback Alterraun Verner and run back 72 yards for a touchdown and what undoubtedly appeared at the moment to be the final dagger.

But Lions backup quarterback Shaun Hill had other plans.

Matthew Stafford, the Lions starting quarterback, did not return to the field due to injury following Pettigrew’s fumble. He had an outstanding day nonetheless, going 33/42 through the air for 278 yards and a touchdown.

Hill suddenly found himself thrown into a game trailing two touchdowns with just 1:16 left on the clock. He would put together an 80 yard touchdown drive in just 58 seconds, which ended with a 3 yard scoring toss to Calvin Johnson, who had yet another monster performance with 164 yards on 10 receptions to go with that touchdown grab.

Detroit successfully recovered the ensuing onside kick, and was stationed at the Titans 46 yard line with just 18 seconds remaining.

Hill’s prayer on second down was answered downfield by receiver Titus Young, as he hauled in a touchdown that set up the game-tying extra point as time expired.

Locker remained composed, however, and put Tennessee in position to take a 44-41 lead with 10:36 left in overtime.

Schwartz wanted to end it once the Lions made their way all the way down to the Tennessee seven. It would be a decision that would come back to bite him, as Hill attempted to scramble for the first down on fourth and one, but lost a yard and came up short to seal the victory for the Titans.

The play did undergo a booth review and was upheld, ending the madness.

Trying to somehow put everything into words, Munchak said, “I can honestly say, 30 years being around the NFL, I never saw anything close to what we experienced in this game, the highs and the lows, both sides of the ball.”

Image Courtesy of  Official Tennessee Titans

The article Titans Edge Lions in Overtime, Spoil Late Comeback 44-41 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New Year’s Day means a change in lifestyle for many people. Not so much for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their losing ways, however. The Bucs (4-12) laid an absolute egg in the first half in Atlanta and fell 45-24 to the Falcons (10-6) – Tampa Bay’s 10^th loss in a row to close out a miserable season that ironically began with a promising 4-2 start.

“If I was in the business of working out my future, I wouldn’t be coaching,” said Raheem Morris shortly after. “I’m going to go to work tomorrow until they tell me to stop.” Unfortunately, that’s exactly what management told him to do on Monday. Unable to win a game since October 16^th, Morris was fired after 3 years as the Bucs head coach. A 42-0 first half lead for the Falcons pretty much sealed his fate.

Aware that a Lions loss in Green Bay would give them an opportunity to clinch the 5^th playoff seed, Atlanta held nothing back from the get-go. By the time the Packers had defeated the Lions 45-41, the Falcons entered the 2^nd quarter with a commanding 21-0 lead.

Matt Ryan touchdown passes of 17 and 48 yards to rookie receiver Julio Jones on the second and third Falcons’ possessions of the game, respectively, put Atlanta up three scores following a one yard rushing touchdown by rookie Jacquizz Rodgers to open the game. The first of Josh Freeman’s three interceptions set up Ryan’s second and final touchdown pass of the game.

Atlanta put up just as many points in the 2^nd quarter. A Freeman fumble put the Falcons at the Tampa 30, and Michael Turner finished off the drive with a one yard touchdown run on 4^th and goal to make it 28-0. Turner would add an 81 yard sprint to the end zone on Atlanta’s next possession after scoring on a 26 yard Curtis Lofton pick six.

Freeman struggled mightily yet again, turning the ball over a total of 4 times. His counterpart’s day was the exact opposite scenario. With a 35 point lead just before halftime, and a team record of 42 points in one half, Falcons coach Mike Smith had the luxury of sitting Ryan for the rest of the game after just 9 passing attempts.

Ryan also set the Falcons single season franchise record for passing yardage. With just 106 yards he totaled 4,177 on the year, breaking Jeff George’s 1995 mark. ”We had opportunities the week before and just didn’t make the plays,” Ryan said. “Today, we made the plays and I think that’s what we needed moving forward.”

The Falcons were only able to add one more field goal in the 2^nd half with Chris Redman taking snaps. This was of no concern for Atlanta though, as Tampa Bay fell three touchdowns short with just two touchdowns and a field goal for the remainder of the game. The Falcons will now head to New Jersey for a 1 p.m. Wild Card showdown with the Giants. They hope to rebound after a disappointing divisional round loss to Green Bay last year despite being the number one overall seed after a 13-3 record.

“Honestly, I’ve said it all year: I think we’re a better team than we were last year,” Gonzalez said. This is only the first time in Falcons history that they have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Now that the Bucs’ spiraling downfall has finally come to an end, they will search for a new head coach before seeking an impactful franchise player with the 5^th overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Image Courtesy of  https://www.facebook.com/atlantafalcons

The article 10 Game Losing Streak as Bucs Fall 45-24 to Falcons appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It’s almost as if the Buccaneers never recovered from the long flight to London to play the Bears in Week 7.

Tampa Bay’s 4-2 record upon their arrival to England is now a distant memory after dropping their seventh consecutive game with a 41-14 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.

There haven’t been any major changes made to the roster, so the continuous losing following a 10-6 season last year remains a head-scratcher.

Things looked more than promising out of the gate for the Bucs. After missing last week’s game with a shoulder injury Josh Freeman opened up the game by leading his team on an 80 yard scoring drive. A one yard LeGarrette Blount touchdown run gave them a quick 7-0 lead.

The defense held 10^th overall pick Blaine Gabbert, league rushing leader Maurice Jones-Drew, and the rest of the Jacksonville offense completely in check throughout the first quarter.

A Ronde Barber interception late in the first immediately erased the threat of a scoring drive for the Jags. Barber recorded the 43^rd interception of his career with a pick off Gabbert that he returned to his own 48.

Freeman would turn the takeaway into six after a 13 yard touchdown rush to give the Bucs a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Jaguars then suddenly woke up, and they did so with a bang.

Montell Owens crushed Buccaneers punt returner Preston Parker on the Tampa Bay 20. The ball came flying out and was recovered, and returned eight yards into the end zone by Jacksonville’s Colin Cloherty. The Jags had unexpectedly cut the deficit in half at 14-7.

However, the Bucs still believed that they were in good shape, as they were still containing the Jaguar offense.

But Gabbert’s day completely turned around on the next drive after completing a 62 yard throw down field to tight end Mercedes Lewis. He was just 2-7 for 9 yards prior to the throw, but went 17-23 for 208 yards after. It was clear that he gained a new found confidence from it.

Maurice Jones-Drew then punched home a one yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 2:05 remaining in the half.

Tampa Bay tried to remain composed, but a sack of Freeman near the end zone ruined that plan. Nate Collins recovered the ball in the end zone for the Jags to give them their first lead of the day.

And the Jags would not lose that aggression. An Ashton Youboty interception at the Tampa Bay 49 eventually set up five yard touchdown throw to Jones-Drew with just four seconds left in the quarter.

The touchdown was Jones-Drew’s 71^st of his career, passing Fred Taylor for number one on the Jags all-time touchdown list. He reached the end zone four times before the clock hit triple zero.

“It means a lot,” said Jones-Drew. “To break a record that Fred set, it means a bunch. Words can’t explain how excited I am to have a guy that mentored me the whole time, taught me how to play this game the right way, how to take care of my body and do those things.”

The record-breaking touchdown capped a less than eight minute span in which the Jaguars put 28 points on the board.

“I can’t remember a quarter like that,” said interim Jags head coach Mel Tucker. “When you’re playing like that, that’s fun. That was good for us to have that feeling, to experience that. That’s what it takes to win consistently at a high level in this league. We got a taste of that today.”

Turnovers were a major contributor to the huge scoring output by the Jags. Giving the ball away seven times gave Tampa Bay no shot at victory.

“Yeah, once again, turnovers,” said Freeman. “It seems every time we started to get something going, we’d shoot ourselves in the foot. It makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to win a football game when you turn the ball over like we did.”

The Bucs offense was unable to put anything together throughout the entire second half, and 13 fourth quarter points sealed a comfortable victory for the Jags.

Jaguars fans enjoyed watching their fourth win of the season, but this one was different for the team. This was their first victory under Tucker.

So they just had to celebrate by giving him a classic Gatorade bath on the sideline.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

The article Jacksonville Beatdown Hands Bucs Seventh Straight Loss appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In a game of ups and downs and highs and lows, the Atlanta Falcons (3-3) came out victorious over their division rival, the Carolina Panthers (1-5), in Sunday’s NFC South showdown.

Michael Turner led the way for the Falcons, rushing for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. QB Matt Ryan also pitched in, going 14-for-22 for 163 yards and a touchdown.

As for the Panthers’ rookie QB, Cam Newton, the growing pains showed as the young stud threw three interceptions against Atlanta’s unusually staunch defense. Newton went 21-for-35 throwing for 237 yards but had no touchdowns in the game — the first time he’s been held touchdown-less all season.

The game was close for the most part, the Panthers holding a 17-14 lead going into the fourth quarter. But following a Carolina defensive breakdown and an interception thrown on a busted screen pass, the Atlanta Falcons established what would become an insurmountable lead.

At 3-3, Atlanta is trying to re-establish themselves as the dominant team they were so predicted to be. After a rocky start, taking losses to Chicago, Philadelphia and Green Bay, the Falcons will look to get back on track next week against the undefeated Detroit Lions.

As for the Carolina Panthers, the problems continue to build up as they lost their fifth game of the season. They’ve got a chance to get a few wins with games against Washington, Minnesota, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay approaching, but it looks as though they’ll be looking for good picks in this year’s upcoming draft.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/atlantafalcons

The article Atlanta Falcons Triumph Over Carolina Panthers; 31-17 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) welcomed the New Orleans Saints (4-1) to the Raymond James Stadium, hoping to improve their record before they jet off to London to entertain the NFL’s UK-based fans next week.

Having collected impressive victories over the likes of the Atlanta Falcons so far this season, the Bucs were keen to keep their win percentage over the 500 mark, despite having fallen to a franchise record defeat to the San Francisco 49’ers last week. Standing in their way however, was an in-form Drew Brees and his Saints were not going to be pushovers, as their impressive record so far shows.

With LeGarrette Blount sidelined through injury, the Buccaneers turned to Earnest Graham, but the running back failed to make much of an impression with his early rushes. The Bucs did however grab the lead when the Saints turned over possession, and the home side kicked a field-goal after failing to convert a 3^rd down.

The lead was to be short-lived however, with Brees finding tight end Jimmy Graham for a 16-yard gain, giving the Saints great field position, and also furthering Graham’s lead at the top of the tight end reception table in the NFL. From here, wide receiver Marques Colston collected a 38-yard TD pass from Brees, putting the visitors into the lead for the first time.

The lead changed hands again early in the 2^nd quarter however, when Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman found Arrelious Benn, who had escaped the man coverage, for a 65–yard TD pass, the longest for the Bucs since 2008.

The Bucs continued to press home their advantage, with Graham rushing for big gains consistently on a drive which culminated in a field goal, extending their lead to six points. Meanwhile, the Saints continued to struggle to get their offense going, and when the Bucs regained possession, they worked their way down the field before Freeman found Preston Parker on the slant route for a 19-yard TD pass.

The Saints came close to striking back just before the interval, having started on their own 2-yard line, but Brees passed successfully to Graham for 43 yards, and then to Colston for 37 yards, but had to settle for three points with a field goal as time ran out.

The 3^rd quarter went by fairly uneventfully for both sides, with neither side truly threatening the opposition end-zone, until the Saints moved to within 10 yards of the Bucs end-zone with just three minutes left in the quarter. Unfortunately for Sean Peyton’s side though, the Tampa Bay defense were more than a match for the New Orleans offense, and limited them to the field goal.

This did however make it a one-possession game heading into the 4^th,, until the Buccaneers struck back quickly, kicking a field goal themselves, and re-establishing the 10-point lead. The Saints soon closed the gap on the Bucs once the 4^th quarter started, driving to Tampa Bay’s 12 yard line, which then allowed explosive rookie Mark Ingram to power into the end-zone, reducing the lead to just three points.

With time running down in the 4^th, and the Bucs having added three more points to their lead, Brees was moving them Saints offense down the pitch, taking them to the Bucs 4 yard line. The usually infallible Brees then threw an interception in the Bucs end-zone, with Quincy Black picking the ball, and allowing Tampa Bay to run the ball away, with the game finishing at 26-20 to the Bucs.

Raheem Morris will be thrilled with his team’s effort and performance last night, especially that of his defense, who made life extremely difficult for Brees.

The Saints will not be entirely disheartened however, with tight end Graham collecting over 100 receiving yards for the fourth game in the row, and really establishing himself as a danger-man for the Saints, as they hope to bounce back this week, and continue their march towards the playoffs.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/tampabaybuccaneers

The article NFL Week 6: Saints 20 – Buccaneers 26 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Yes, it is a little unfortunate to be the Miami Dolphins or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These teams belong to a pretty strong division, AFC East and NFC South.

The Bucs, who were 10-6 last season didn’t even make the playoff while the NFC West’s winner, the Seattle Seahawks, cruised through the elimination round with a losing record of 7-9.

“I mean the rules are the rules but it’s just a little unfair for the teams that play well to have missed the playoff, just because there are better teams in their field.

We got to admit it: if they play so well this year, they likely will again next season. Barely, we see a team that goes from 13-3 to 4-12 next season and some teams are just so consistent” said a Bucs fan.

After watching the first two preseason games, it’s pretty safe to say that the Fins have improved offensively, the area they needed to made adjustments. During last season, QB Chad Henne really didn’t do much; often throwing interceptions and were unable to get past the third and fourth down.

It was bad to the point where the team’s most valuable player seemed to be Kicker Dan Carpenter, who scored countless field goals for them. “Chad cleaned up well and we hope he’ll continue with his good work through the season. He now gets the ball moving and keeps on getting first downs. ” said a sport analyze.

From the way the last game look, acquiring running back Reggie Bush was certainly a great move.  He, too, made improvement and played well during the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

Now, with better offense and the already strong defense, it looks like there’s a good chance the Fins can make it far this season. Although, they might have to hope that the Pats or the Jets will choke.

The New England Patriots, so far, looks unbeatable. A Buccaneer player whom they prevailed 31-14 last Thursday said “They treated the preseason game like it counts and that’s why they are who they are”. Tom Brady, who is still looking sharp, threw two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. But the end of first half, they were 28-0.

Patriot’s offense has always been in good form but the addition of improved defense will push them even further to catch up with.

Olga Bogatyrenko / Shutterstock.com

The article Miami Dolphins, Can They Breakthrough This Year? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

No division is more stacked with young proven talent then the NFC south.  A division that saw two teams make the playoffs and a 3^rd barely missing a playoff berth with a 10-6 record.  These teams will only get better and this division might see a new team on top of the wins column at season’s end.

The NFC South is home to the Atlanta Falcons who finished 13-3 this past season and although their record might not improve this upcoming season, the team along with its young quarterback most certainly will. At 26, young Ryan or Matty Ice as he has been called due to his cool calm demeanor in crunch time has had his best year in a very short career and look for that to improve.

Management and his coaches have drafted him a young, potentially great receiver in Julio Jones to go along with his many other weapons which will undoubtedly improve the offense that faltered in the playoffs.  Of course they will need to improve a poor pass defense that couldn’t stop anyone last season, but as the draft has shown us, they will be trying to outscore everyone and hope it is enough.  I see them coming 2^nd in the division at 11-5 this upcoming season.

Carolina Panthers finished 2-14 last season which got them the number one pick for their troubles…with that pick, the Panthers drafted a franchise quarterback or at least one who has the potential to be in Cam Newton.  They were the worst passing team in the league last season but the bright spot remains the running game.  That running game might suffer if they don’t sign Deangelo Williams this off season and improve that horrendous line.

It’s still a question who will start and what exactly they will do with Jimmy Clausen, the quarterback they drafted last season.  There are no real weapons on this team besides an old Steve Smith and the running game; so I don’t expect much on the offensive end of the ball.  At best, the Panthers will finish 5-11 this season… if we ever play and Newton will play by week 7.

New Orleans has been the class of this division for the last couple years but look for things to change a bit this season…not a big drop off in terms of wins but it won’t be as easy as it was at one point in this division.  The Saints finished 11-5 last season in an improved division that will only get better, but they are getting older while the division gets younger.

The offense will be there as long as the weapons stay healthy and Drew Brees remains at the helm, the running game needs help of course… which is why they drafted the Heisman winner Ingram- I wonder what that means for Bush who has had his fair share of problems along with USC lately.  The defense was good protecting against the pass but age is catching up to them quickly.  They didn’t do much to address that but we will see how that affects them in this division.  10-6, therefore finishing 3^rd in the NFC South.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the hand are young and on the rise in terms of power teams in the NFL.  What we saw last season was a glimpse of what was to come for this team and this quarterback Josh Freeman who I didn’t expect this much from at this stage in his career.

They finished 10-6 last season, it is quite obvious at this point that this team is much more than just a good young signal caller; although we can’t over state how good he proved to be.  The defense is young and fast, they will need to improve the rush defense…hopefully their two young D-Ends will help the defense as soon as possible.  Clayborn and Bowers are both beast on the line and will push each other; we will have to wait and see what they will get from Bowers whom every team passed on time and time again. I see big things for these two players and this team, the defense will need their troubled cornerback Aqib Talib to dominate this cover 2 in order for things work… if he even plays.

I’m picking the Buccaneers to come out of the NFC South and the play for the NFC title this season.  At 12-4, they will be the class of the NFC for a while.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherhawley/

The article NFC South: An Improved Division appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.