A new twist in the race for first place?
Carolina Panthers
Regular Season record 4-11
Last week, the Panthers had an ugly loss against the Cowboys, but there was no reason to doubt that Carolina would bounce back in week 16. It took the game going to overtime, but the Panthers completed the upset against the Cardinals, which ended Arizona’s postseason hopes. Bryce Young had a solid game, but the offensive credit should go to Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard has had some inconsistent performances as of late, but he was absolutely dominate in this game, ending with 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Panthers defense struggled but still picked off Kyler Murray, which should have been the play that closed the game. The Carolina Panthers are only one game behind third place in the division, and that type of morale boost could be vital for next season.
Regular Season record 8-7
The Bucs needed to keep the winning streak alive to solidify their hold on first place in the division. They had one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league, and their opponent in week 16 was the Dallas Cowboys. Well, the Cowboys ended up actually upsetting the Buccaneers in an interesting game. Tampa Bay is one of the best running teams in the NFL, but the Cowboys did well in not allowing a single Bucs rusher to reach 100 yards. The offense then had to rely on Baker Mayfield, who played great, finishing with 303 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Tampa Bay’s pass defense did not play well. Cowboys backup Cooper Rush had just under 300 yards, threw a touchdown, and was barely rushed all game. The Buccaneers run defense continued their consistent dominance, but it did not do enough to hide the terrible pass defense. If it wasn’t for a late fumble by Rachaad White, then this game could have easily ended in a win for the Bucs, but because of this loss, Tampa Bay has relinquished their hold on first place in the division.
Atlanta Falcons
Regular Season record 8-7
Early last week, Atlanta announced that veteran QB Kirk Cousins was benched. This was not a surprising move due to his horrid play and where the Falcons season was going. Michael Penix was set to be the new starting QB. The first game of his career was against the mightily struggling New York Giants, and the Falcons dominated in this matchup, with the score ending 34-7. Although the stats don’t jump off the page, Penix had a great game, and Bijan Robinson had yet another solid performance, which definitely helped the young QB settle into the game quickly. Against the Giants, almost every defense looks dominant, and this was true for the Falcons, who picked off Drew Lock twice and stopped New York from getting any rushing consistency. This was a massive win for the Atlanta Falcons, and in a surprise twist late in the season, they are first place in the division.
New Orleans Saints
Regular Season record 5-10
Before Monday Night Football, the Saints were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. This took some pressure off their week 16 matchup against the Packers, but players/coaches were still trying to play for their jobs in this game. Well, a 34-0 shutout by the Packers did not help anyone’s case to stay. There were coaching issues with penalties, bad punting decisions, and terrible clock management. Regarding the offense, Spencer Rattler had a tough game but still created some nice highlight plays. It still feels like the Saints should stick with Rattler as the backup next season to develop him into a potential starter in 2026. Kendre Miller was great running the ball, but his familiarity with the offense and blocking is still a massive issue. The offensive line struggled the whole game, and many passes were dropped by receivers. With all the bad that happened on offense and coaching, the defense might have been the worst. The Saints DBs were all over the place, allowing Jordan Love complete control. The run defense and some nice stops, but overall, they had a tough night. The pass rush had little pressure throughout the game, and tackling is still an issue. The New Orleans Saints are now the only team in the NFL that was shutout so far this season. This was a game that exposed just how bad of a spot the roster is in and revealed that every single position besides center needs to be upgraded.
Week 15 NFC South Standings:
- Falcons
- Buccaneers
- Saints
- Panthers