Question of the Day, Least Likely Division Winner

Photo: Jim Brown, USA Today Sports

In August, we will ask our staff a single question on a variety of topics ranging from a huge news event to a tough fantasy decision or player evaluation.

See the landing for more pages just like this here.

If you like this format, come back for another Question of the Day. Today, we take our first look at the NFL as a whole.

According to VegasInsider.com, here are the favorites to win the eight NFL divisions.

NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles
AFC East - Buffalo Bills
NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
AFC West - Kansas City Chiefs
NFC North - Detroit Lions
AFC North - Cincinnati Bengals
NFC South - New Orleans Saints
AFC South - Jacksonville Jaguars

But we never see all of the favorites win. Teams always come up short.

Here's the question we asked our staff.

Which team are you least confident about to win their division? Why?

Here are the most common answers:

• New Orleans Saints - 5 votes
• Detroit Lions - 3 votes
• Buffalo Bills - 1 votes

Check out the full answers below for the reasons why.

Ben Cummins: I'm least confident in the New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South. It's questionable just how good the Saints are as a team, and they'll face significant competition against a tough Atlanta Falcons squad. Plus, #1 pick Bryce Young will be one of the storylines of the 2023 season, and for whatever reason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in win-now mode.

Jason Wood: I'm least confident in the New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South; I concur with Ben Cummins Ben. If you look at the eight teams favored to win their division, the Saints are the only team with a negative point differential in 2022; they allowed 15 more points than they scored. By comparison, the Eagles (+133), Bills (+169), 49ers (+173), Chiefs (+127), and Bengals (+96) all handily outscored their opponents. It's hard to have a winning record when you score less than you give up, much less win a division crown. While the Saints added Derek Carr and key veterans in the secondary, are they transcendently better? I don't see it.

Phil Alexander: I am least confident in the New Orleans Saints winning the NFC South. What the Atlanta Falcons lack at quarterback, they more than compensate for with a talented, cohesive offensive line and elite firepower at the other skill positions. Atlanta's defense ranked 26th in the league with a pass rush win rate of 35.3% in 2022. But they addressed the problem in free agency, surrounding star defensive tackle Grady Jarrett with steady veterans, including defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and outside linebacker Bud Dupree. Derek Carr does not move the needle enough for me to pick the Saints over the Falcons to win the division.