There is one division in the National Football League where all four teams are each at least three games over .500. That would be the formidable NFC North, led by the 7–2 Chicago Bears, a pair of 6-2 teams in the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings and the 6-3 Green Bay Packers.
Then there’s the other side of the coin. There’s a division in which all four clubs are at least two games under 500. Both the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, who face each other this week in the Superdome, own 3-5 win-loss records. Just behind them are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, each with a 3-6 résumé.
Does anyone want to win the NFC South this season?
It’s certainly anyone’s guess who is going to emerge as the winner of this mess, and with what record? Keep in mind that twice in the previous four seasons, the 2022 Buccaneers and the 2025 Panthers were crowned champions with 8-9 marks.
On Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 pm ET, the window closed when it came to trading players. Both the Saints and Falcons were involved in deals earlier this week. On Monday, New Orleans sent defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a conditional 2028 sixth-round selection.
Meanwhile, Atlanta traded former Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates, tied for the team lead with 60 tackles, to Jacksonville for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round choice in 2028. The Falcons were also involved in a deal on Tuesday in which they acquired guard Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth-round pick for center Ryan Neuzil from the Baltimore Ravens.
Panthers were quiet when it came to making a midseason trade
On the other hand, the Panthers, who suffered their third straight loss on Sunday, sat on their paws and made no deals to fortify their injury-riddled roster. Starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson remain on injured reserve, as does right tackle Taylor Moton. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips has missed the last three games. This is a banged-up football team.
Nonetheless, general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales appear to be content with the hand they have been dealt to date. Perhaps an even bigger point is the fact that both the Saints and especially the Falcons were willing to part ways with performers that could certainly help a side of the ball that seems to be each club’s weak spot.
Carolina has four games remaining vs. NFC South rivals
Entering Week 10, the Saints are 29th in the league in total defense, are allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game and giving up the fifth-most passing yards per contest. The Falcons are 23rr in total defense and have already surrendered 24 offensive touchdowns in nine games.
This Sunday at the Superdome, Bryce Young and company look to get back in the win column and raise their record within the division to 2-1 with a victory over Kellen Moore’s team, who swept Carolina in 2025. Apparently, the shorthanded but still-talented Panthers are content to play with the hand they’ve been dealt—and it may indeed prove to be the right strategy.
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