Over the past few years the NFC South has been a real battleground. The nice part is that there has been no one team dominating this division. It’s almost as if they’ve decided to share the spoils. One of the best rivalries has develeoped between the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers, a rivalry that gained gusto when Saints backup Jake Delhomme decided to sign with Carolina. Delhomme eventually taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl only fed the fire.
Now, in what I believe will be one of the toughest division in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers is ready to take new heights. The Panthers are coming off a season that saw them notch a playoff berth, only to crumple when Jake Delhomme had maybe his worst game ever in a playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl participant Arizona. The Saints are looking for a year of redemption after stinging dissapointments the past two seasons.
Each team has approached the 2009 NFL season in different ways. Carolina has basically retained what they feel is a pat hand. Re-signing Julius Peppers and key lineman Jordan Gross the Panthers did little to revamp their roster. The feeling seems to be that Jake’s performance was a fluke, and the running game featuring DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, coupled with the passing attack starring Steve Smith, will be enough to keep Carolina in contention.
The New Orleans Saints meanwhile, aggresively addressed their glaring needs on defense. Calling on Gregg Williams to ignite a fiery attitude in an obviously beaten unit, New Orleans signed Darren Sharper at safety, Jabari Greer at corner, and drafted Ohio State defensive back Malcolm Jenkins. Banking on the return of a handful of other injured players from last season, the Saints defense looks to be completely transformed. Or at least that’s the hope.
The first opportunity to enjoy Panthers vs Saints tickets will come in the Superdome on Nov. 8. Meeting midway through the season lends this game an air of must-win in a division that features plenty of tough games between each NFC South rival on the board.
