Despite a brutal start to the 2026 season, the stars may be aligning for the Atlanta Falcons to win their first NFC South title in nearly a decade.
First of all, things are finally looking up for the Falcons at the quarterback position. Michael Penix Jr. was superb in his first start of the season, inspiring hope that he may finally be growing into his game as a top-10 overall pick. Atlanta has the most-talented roster in the division - the only piece they were missing was at QB.
Meanwhile, elswhere around the division Atlanta's rivals are in near-total disarray.
The Carolina Panthers have been decimated by injuries, adding several more names to a long list of key players that are out in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns. That includes their
two starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson and their best wide receiver, Jalen Coker. They won the NFC South last year, but it's going to be really tough to repeat with all the pieces they are missing.
The New Orleans Saints have definitely found something in Tyler Shough, but otherwise the rest of their roster is uninspiring at best - especially with first-rounder Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve. Shough is going to have to play at a really high level for the entire season to keep the Saints afloat, and that won't be easy given his relative lack of experience in the NFL.
Finally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are actively imploding. Tampa has started out the season 0-3 in large part because of poor play by Baker Mayfield (who's now injured) and bad play-calling by former Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Kristopher Knox at Bleacher Report has named the Bucs' offense one of the biggest disappointments in the league so far this season.
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their streak of four straight NFC South titles snapped last season. However, there was some belief that with a healthier roster and a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson, they could rebound in 2026... While fans can certainly hope Daniels can provide a spark to the offense, Mayfield hasn't been the only issue. Robinson's predictable play-calling has made it difficult to sustain drives and establish a rhythm."
Yikes.
Robinson's replacement Tommy Rees has only had one fair game to judge him so far - as no play-caller on earth could have gotten much good out of Cooper Rush in Weeks 1-2. That said, Rees' playcalling against the Packers last week was very strong and a positive sign that he might be able to help Penix reach his full potential.
If that critical Rees-Penix connection continues to bear fruit, this race should be Atlanta's to win.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Former Falcons OC's offense among biggest disappointments of 2026
