The Atlanta Falcons went into Week 8 with a chance to take control of the NFC South but were instead shut out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to fall to 3-5 for the season. One week after stunning the red-hot San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons lost to a Bucs team that didn't complete a single pass on offense.
On Atlanta's side, Michael Penix Jr. had a brutal game, throwing four interceptions just a few days after winning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.. The heavy rain didn't help Penix or the Falcons defense, which looked a step slow attempting to stop Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell on Sunday.
Despite an 0-4 start, Tampa Bay is now poised to seize control of the NFC South at 3-5 - with wins over the Falcons and the Carolina Panthers in back-to-back
weeks.
As you can see below, the Panthers still sit atop the division, but they hold just a half-game lead over the Bucs going into NFL Week 9.
NFC South standings going into Week 9
- Carolina Panthers (3-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
- Atlanta Falcons (3-5)
- New Orleans Saints (2-5)
In Week 9, the Falcons will play the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain on Sunday. In case you were wondering, the Bengals are good again, having won three games in a row. Cincinnati sits at 5-2 overall, just behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC South.
The Buccaneers will head to Chicago to face the Bears on Sunday Night Football. As fans in Atlanta know first-hand, Chicago is an absolute powerhouse. Tampa Bay will likely need to complete a pass to win in Week 9.
The Panthers will host the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. The Broncos just upset the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Panthers had a few extra days to prepare since they had a Thursday night game in Week 8.
The New Orleans Saints are coming off of a bye week and will host the Cleveland Browns. Even though the Saints are off to an extremely rocky start, the Bucs have shown that it only takes a few weeks to get back on your feet in the NFL's most mediocre division.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFC South: Bucs back from the dead after shutout win over Falcons
