Rich’s Pick to Win the NFC South This Season Is ...?

The NFC South predictions came with a conflict of interest disclosure, and it wasn't Rich's.

Chris went first, and Rich reminded everyone that this is dicey territory in his own household, since Chris is now married to an Atlanta Falcons fan. Chris's position on that: "Their success is my success. Except that they're not going to have any this year."

He has the Falcons fourth. "The quarterback is going to be an issue all season," Chris said, adding that if you ask Falcons fans, they would rather bottom out and get an actual quarterback next year. The Panthers are third.

Chris had talked up the Saints as a division winner for most of the offseason, but the Tyson injury and Alvin Kamara going down for a bit cooled him off. The show also talked to Baker Mayfield last week, and "he seems like he's on a mission." So Chris has the Buccaneers winning the division with the Saints second.

TJ opened with full disclosure of his own. He had a list ready before remembering that Bijan Robinson was coming on the show, and out of respect, he flipped it. "I didn't want to do this to him because he took time out of his day to come on our show."

The revised version has the Panthers fourth and the Falcons third. Like Chris, TJ has the Saints and Buccaneers in the top two, and the Saints have been one of his sleeper teams all summer. What tipped him toward Tampa Bay was, of all things, watching Quarterback on Netflix. Two things popped into his head. "One, I think we're a little too hard on the Tennessee Titans. And two, something about this Bucs team and the way they rally around Baker Mayfield makes me feel like they're going to do the same and carry them to victory in this division."

Rich thanked him for his honesty and then went the other direction entirely on New Orleans. He has the Saints finishing last again.

The room pushed back, and Rich held firm. "It's not that I don't believe in them. I need to see it," he said. "This is called a prediction, and until I see it, I'm not confident in it."

He has the Falcons third, citing the quarterback situation and the loss of both of their stud pass rushers from last year's draft, one for the season and one for half of it. New coach, new everything. "We'll see how it works."

Rich has the Buccaneers winning the division too, but his second place pick set him apart. He has the Panthers second, and he wanted to know where all the Panthers hate was coming from.

The answer from the table was about the quarterbacks. "I don't think Bryce Young's as good as Tyler Shough."

"You may be right on that front," Rich said, but he pointed out that Carolina added Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to a front seven that was already pretty stout. The counter was that the Panthers also have to play a first-place schedule. Rich acknowledged it and kept them second anyway.

So the three of them are in lockstep on the Buccaneers. Asked whether this is a one-playoff-team division, Rich still thinks the Panthers have a shot. The disagreement lives in the middle. Rich is higher on the Panthers, and the others are higher on the Saints.

Everyone was quick to insist it isn't hate for anyone. "We just have to make a prediction," someone said. "It's what we do."

The last word summed up how every fan base will read it anyway. "The disrespect is real."