One year removed from a Super Bowl title, the Saints are poised for a rebound and are ready to battle the Green Bay Packers for supremacy in the NFC, although there is a palpable sense of urgency. With quarterback Drew Brees and the team’s core of young veterans in their prime, the Saints’ brain trust recognizes that the window to win another title is open only temporarily. Consequently, the front office has acted with appropriate haste to make deals and sign players at areas of need.

The Saints and Packers rode the explosive offense and opportunistic defense formula to the past two Super Bowl titles. The Falcons appear to be following a similar plan.

Few teams can match the Falcons’ firepower on offense. Their weaponry at the skill positions equals any team in the league. Yet instead of fortifying the defense, the Falcons used two of their first three draft picks on wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Jacquizz Rodgers, bolstering an already loaded offense.

Considering their young franchise quarterback, the brash head coach who speaks in salsa sound bites and a shrewd general manager, you would expect the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to jump at an invitation to be the subject of the HBO reality series Hard Knocks. After all, every game played at Raymond James Stadium was blacked out last season, so no team should crave camera time like the Bucs.