Tyrann Mathieu sat down with Rich Eisen this week and was asked the perception of where the New Orleans Saints stand in the NFC South. He understands why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are picked as favorites in the division, but Mathieu made it clear the Saints shouldn't be slept on.

The safety acknowledged Tampa Bay's three straight division titles and the arrival of a new quarterback in Atlanta have those squads looked at as the class of the NFC South. He deemed both of these qualifiers as valid but that doesn't diminish New Orleans' chances.

Mathieu says the Saints are "a motivated team. We're itching for it. We want the challenge and we're looking forward to it. I wouldn't turn an eye to us too much."

The Saints haven't lived up to their own expectations, and that has resulted in being disregarded nationally. Their own failures are a motivating factor going into the season.

"We're pretty mad about it," Mathieu delivered with a smirk. "You can expect an angry bunch, a team that plays with attitude, plays with an edge."

It's been a few years since the Saints have made the playoffs. Mathieu hasn't made the playoffs since joining the team and is ready for the Saints to "get back to who we are."

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Tyrann Mathieu says to expect an 'angry' Saints team this year