Baker Mayfield is surprisingly defending the Saints and the rest of the NFC South

The NFC South is a competitive division with a lot of bad blood. One of the major storylines at the end of last season was the New Orleans Saints running up the score on Atlanta Falcons because the team wanted Jamaal Williams to get a touchdown. It didn’t go over well, but who cares. New Orleans and Atlanta are rivals, and you don’t consider the opposing team’s feelings in a rivalry.

With all of this bad blood flowing through the division, one player recently found it in their heart to come to the defense of the entire NFC South. That player was Baker Mayfield and he’s tired of the disrespect the division has been getting.

Recently speaking with the media, Mayfield said everyone wants to hate on the NFC South, but in reality, the division is competitive. Additionally, the veteran quarterback argued the group is only improving.

Baker Mayfield said everyone is hating on the competitive NFC South

The division has consistently been ranked near the bottom of NFL divisions in the last couple of years. Just recently, ESPN’s Dan Graziano ranked the NFC South as the worst division in the league. He essentially argued the Atlanta Falcons could be really good or bad, with neither outcome being surprising, the Buccaneers will likely be around the same level as they were a year ago, the Saints could be the worst team in the league, and the Carolina Panthers will probably improve, but since they have so far to go, the improvement won’t make them a threat.

Last season, both the Bucs and the Saints finished the regular season with 9-8 records. The Falcons were 7-10, and the Panthers were a league worst 2-15. Still, Tampa Bay went to the playoffs and upset the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9, so all the commentary on divisions don’t matter. At the end of the day, teams have to go out on the field and prove themselves every game, and that’s what the NFC South will be looking to do this season.

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