Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This division makes no sense. The Buccaneers needed to bounce back from their embarrassing loss to the Saints in week 15, but instead of getting the job done, they lost again, this time against the Falcons.
Tampa Bay’s defense could not stop Kirk Cousins and the entire Falcons offense, and on the other side of the ball, QB Baker Mayfield still struggled with accuracy. Many of the things that were exposed against the Saints stayed true against the Falcons. After this loss, the Bucs lost first place in the division.
Atlanta Falcons
On the other side of the battle, the Falcons had a really good game. As I mentioned, Kirk Cousins was balling against the Buccaneers’ defense. He finished with 373 passing yards and three touchdowns. Their running game was also really great, and Bijan Robinson totaled 93 rushing yards and one touchdown. The Falcons’ defense also disrupted much of the Bucs’ passing game and got to Mayfield 5 times.
Carolina Panthers
Also at the top of the NFC South, the Panthers needed a win here to keep their first-place spot after the Buccaneers’ loss. Well, they blew it just like Tampa Bay did three days earlier, and it happened against the Saints. QB Bryce Young, who has been really up and down all season, actually did well throughout this game. The game came down to the offense slowing down, allowing the Saints to come back from a 17-7 deficit.
Both the Panthers and Buccaneers had a great opportunity in Week 15, but the tie at the top remains.
New Orleans Saints
A New Orleans Saints win streak? In 2025? Who would have thought?
Down 17-10, with injuries racking up and momentum all over the place, QB Tyler Shough went to another level. The rookie looked like a pro against this Panthers pass defense, and Kellen Moore had a much better second-half performance. When it mattered most, the defense finally began making third and fourth-down stops after not doing so all game. In the end, all the pressure was on a Charlie Smyth kick with seconds left, and the clutch FG was made.
Current NFC South Standings
- Buccaneers (7-7)
- Panthers (7-7)
- Falcons (5-9)
- Saints (4-10)
