Saturday 31 August 2019 20:59, UK
The wait is nearly over and the new NFL season is almost upon us!
The league's 100th year begins on Thursday, September 5 when the Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers, live on Sky Sports.
Before then, it's time to assess 2019's contenders.
We are previewing all eight divisions, and here you can find our views on the NFC South and cast your vote on who you think will win below...
Head coach: Sean Payton
Key man: The team is filled with superstars - with Drew Brees and Michael Thomas leading the way - but Alvin Kamara is going to be crucial for the Saints this season.
After being named Rookie of the Year in 2017 for churning out 1,544 total yards and 14 touchdowns, Kamara improved even further in 2018. He became the only player in NFL history to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the first 20 games of their career.
For the 2019 season, the Saints are expecting even more from Kamara. With Brees' age starting to become a bit of a concern, it is likely that Kamara will see even more action both on the ground and through the air.
Major additions: The Saints brought in former Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown on a three-year, $15m deal. Running back Latavius Murray was also signed to a four-year, $14.4m contract to replace Mark Ingram, who joined the Baltimore Ravens.
After the shock retirement of center Max Unger, they needed a long-term replacement for the three-time Pro Bowler. They drafted Erik McCoy from Texas A&M and he has been impressive so far this pre-season.
Last season: New Orleans kicked off the season with a loss in a 48-40 thriller against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, from then on, they went undefeated until Week 13.
The Saints still wrapped up the NFC South despite suffering a Week 13 defeat in Dallas, and a final-day loss to Carolina took their regular-season record to 13-3.
In the post-season, Brees and co overhauled the previous year's Super Bowl champions - the Philadelphia Eagles - before they controversially lost in the NFC Championship game to the Los Angeles Rams 26-23 after that no-call.
Prospects: The Super Bowl window with Brees is closing rapidly and this could be their final shot at another Vince Lombardi trophy with him at the helm.
The Saints have a stacked roster on both offense and defense, with five All-Pro players in total. All of the pieces are there for Brees to bring the Super Bowl back to the Bayou Country for the first time since 2010.
Prediction: 1st (12-4)
Head coach: Dan Quinn
Key man: Six-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and has led the league in receiving yards in two of the last four seasons.
Since he was drafted in 2011, the 30-year-old has used ridiculous speed and strength on the outside to embarrass his opponents. Jones hauled in 113 receptions for 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns last season even though the Falcons as a whole were not overly impressive.
Although Jones currently has two years left of a five-year contract he signed in 2015, he is pushing for a new deal before the regular season starts.
Major additions: The Falcons brought back defensive end Adrian Clayborn in the off-season after his deal with the New England Patriots expired. He previously played for the Falcons from 2015-17 and had a career-best 9.5 sacks with them in 2017.
In the NFL Draft, Atlanta used their first two picks to select offensive linemen in Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. Matt Ryan was the eighth most sacked quarterback last season, so it was clear the protection needed immediate improvement.
Last season: The Falcons were plagued with injuries throughout the 2018 season. They lost Deion Jones, Keanu Neal and dual-threat running back Devonta Freeman to season-ending injuries early in the year. They stumbled to a 4-4 record at the halfway point in the season.
However, a five-game losing streak all but ended their slim playoff hopes. They closed the season out with three victories, including road wins over division rivals Carolina and Tampa Bay to take their record to 7-9.
Prospects: Missing out on the playoffs last season can be put down mainly to the sheer amount of injuries the Falcons sustained.
This season, they are raring to go, with an improved offensive line and a couple of new faces on defense. Pair that with their elite attacking playmakers, and they should make a swift return to the postseason.
Prediction: 2nd (10-6)
Head coach: Ron Rivera
Key man: This is Cam Newton's team, it's as simple as that. When healthy, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
After missing out on the playoffs in 2018, the 2015 NFL MVP needs to have a great year if the Panthers want to get there again. The only way that can happen is if he stays injury-free.
Since being drafted by the Panthers first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton has thrown for franchise-record 28,469 yards and 182 touchdowns.
Major additions: Carolina brought in some lumber for the defensive line as they added six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy. Alongside McCoy, they also added depth at wide-receiver by bringing in 30-year-old Chris Hogan.
The Panthers selected Florida State linebacker Brian Burns with the 16th overall pick this year and the 21-year-old has been one of the standout performers for them in the pre-season. Third-round pick Will Grier is also a notable addition and will serve as the back-up to Newton.
Last season: The Panthers started the season in terrific form, with Newton leading them to a 6-2 record at the halfway point - including victories over the Eagles and Ravens.
However, after Newton sustained a shoulder injury, the team lost their next seven games and their playoff hopes, despite the 30-year-old trying to play through the pain.
Prospects: Fingers in Carolina will be lingering over the panic button this season as Cam Newton's overall health is still questionable. Although he is going to be fit to start, can Carolina really rely on Newton to stay healthy for the entire year?
They have brought in reinforcements on defense, but if Newton is not able to fully utilise their firepower on offense, it might be another tough season for the Panthers.
Prediction: 3rd (7-9)
Head coach: Bruce Arians
Key player: This season will be make or break for Jameis Winston. The former first overall draft pick has struggled majorly throughout his whole career with turnovers - throwing an average of over one interception per game.
The arrival of Arians is positive news for Winston as the 66-year-old has a past of nurturing quarterbacks into stars. Most notably, he was Peyton Manning's first quarterback coach in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts from 1998-2001.
If he can work on making the right decisions, Winston could lead the Buccaneers to a successful season, but the playoffs seem out of their reach for the moment.
Major additions: The Buccaneers had a tough off-season, and their only marquee signing was that of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers after his Los Angeles Rams contract expired.
In this year's Draft, the Buccaneers selected linebacker Devin White from LSU with the fifth overall pick. His speed and athleticism will fit in perfectly to run the Tampa Bay defense.
They also drafted defensive backs Sean Bunting and Jamel Dean. Both will help massively as the Bucs look to fix their leaky defense.
Last season: The Buccaneers got off to a surprisingly good start even with Jameis Winston suspended as they took down the Saints 48-40 - the first time they had scored 48 points in a game since Super Bowl 37! They followed this up by beating the Eagles, but the season went downhill from there, as they only managed to win just one of their next eight games.
Back-to-back victories against the 49ers and the Panthers were positive, but their last four games ended in defeat. They missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season with a 5-11 record.
Prospects: Arians excelled in his first head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals, but was handed a quality team. With the Buccaneers, that is not the case. The defense gave up 29 points per game last season (second-worst in the NFL) and has not improved much.
If Winston can find some consistency to connect with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Buccaneers could have some success. But if that is not the case, then it could be a bumpy ride in Tampa this season.
Prediction: 4th (4-12)
