The race for first place just got a bit closer.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Entering week 4, the Buccaneers were close in all their games, but somehow managed to squeak out win after win. This week was their most challenging opponent
so far, the Eagles. This was always going to be a difficult win, and this proved to be true, with the Eagles taking the win here. The final score of this game was 31-25, and the Buccaneers nearly made a comeback with a great third quarter, but fell short in the fourth. Looking at the rush attack, Tampa Bay had another fine decent game, but the strength was through the air. The offense as a whole had a fine game, but the defense was the only reason the Bucs were in this game near the end. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ passing offense were suppressed, and the run game didn’t do much either. The final score may seem like an offensive battle, but it was quite the opposite.
Atlanta Falcons
This was a tough week for the division, but the one team that did win was the Falcons. After an unbelievably emberrasing loss to the Panthers last week, the Falcons needed to bounce back, and they had to do it against the Commanders. Good news, though, Washington would be without star QB Jayden Daniels, and that was one of the main reasons the Falcons were able to win. The team was able to bounce back, but if one player had to be chosen as the player who improved the most from last week, it would be QB Michael Penix. At one point last week, Penix was benched, and he struggled. The Falcons made some coaching changes in the hope of getting Penix back on track, and at least in this game, their moves made a big difference.
Carolina Panthers
On the other side of that result last week, the Panthers were coming off a massive win and built some momentum. Well… that came crashing down quick. The Patriots, who have been okay this season, completely destroyed this team. QB Bryce Young was below average, the rush game was missing, and the Panthers’ defensive line was bad. New England felt no pressure in this game and did anything they wanted to. Carolina will need to bounce back again from a horrible loss, and time may be ticking for Bryce Young as the starter.
New Orleans Saints
After the Seahawks defeated the Saints in embarrassing fashion, New Orleans had to travel to Buffalo to play one of the best teams in the NFL. Many people, including myself, believed the Saints were going to get dominated once again, but that’s not what happened. Head coach Kellen Moore coached a great game, Spencer Rattler and the running backs destroyed the Bills’ defense, Quincy Riley and Jonas Sanker showed they can be important pieces on defense, and fewer penalties were committed. This was the best Saints game so far this season, and they did it against a Super Bowl contender. Yes, New Orleans didn’t win, but this was a great performance from a rebuilding team.
Current NFC South Standings
- Buccaneers (3-1)
- Falcons (2-2)
- Panthers (1-3)
- Saints (0-4)
