The NFC South struggled this week, with three of its four teams suffering losses. The question is, how badly do they grade for those struggles? Here are my Week 8 report cards for each team in the NFC South.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Oct 20, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Overall Grade: B
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Tampa shellacked the Saints in New Orleans 23-3, but only performed well on one side of the ball. The defense dominated throughout the game, while the offense struggled to get anything going. The absences of Mike Evans and Bucky Irving significantly impacted the flow of the Tampa Bay offense, which will need to improve for the Bucs to make a successful playoff run.
Offense Grade: C-
They didn’t need to do much due to a dominant performance on defense, but the Tampa offense struggled in both the running and passing game. The combination of RBs Sean Tucker and Rachaad While was largely unproductive, and QB Baker Mayfield tossed for just 152 yards. The only reason this grade isn’t lower is that the unit did enough to ensure an easy win.
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Defense Grade: A+
This was a great bounce-back performance from the Bucs’ defense, which struggled to limit the Lions’ talented offense in Week 7. Against the Saints’ inferior personnel, Tampa Bay took control of the game and made plenty of big plays. Tampa recorded five sacks and forced four turnovers, including a pick-six by pass rusher Anthony Nelson.
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Atlanta Falcons:
Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (center) carries the ball against San Francisco 49ers safety Ji’Ayir Brown (27) during the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Overall Grade: F
Yep, this is a fail on every level for the Falcons. While the team was dealing with injuries on both sides of the ball, there is no excuse for being blown out at home by a genuinely awful team. The 3-4 Falcons are not playoff contenders until they make some major changes, and I have my doubts that they will be able to do so.
Offense Grade: F
Did the absences of star receiver Drake London and starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. affect Atlanta on Sunday? Absolutely. Should Atlanta’s offense have played much better than it did anyway? Again, absolutely. Elite running back Bijan Robinson was a non-factor for the second straight week, even losing a fumble, and Atlanta’s passing game was nonexistent.
Defense Grade: F
I don’t know if any unit had a worse performance than the Atlanta defense did in Week 8. Tua Tagovailoa came into Atlanta fresh off two consecutive three-interception games and turned the Falcons into fried chicken. He completed 20 of 26 touchdowns for 205 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, which is absolutely unacceptable.
Carolina Panthers:
Oct 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs with the ball during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
Overall Grade: D-
The Panthers were also missing their starting quarterback in a blowout loss, but at least they lost to a good football team. Carolina was destroyed by a pissed-off Bills team coming off its bye week, which isn’t all that surprising. However, losing at home by 30 points is still a terrible look, and Carolina will have to hope that starting QB Bryce Young returns to the lineup soon.
Offense Grade: D-
With backup Andy Dalton operating the Panthers’ offense, it was natural to expect regression. But at home against a mediocre Bills defense, they at least should have been better than this. Carolina scored just nine points and was unable to get the run or pass game going. Dalton had a big hand in the unit’s struggles, throwing zero touchdowns and committing three turnovers while being sacked seven times.
Defense Grade: D-
The Panthers were never the favorite to shut down the Bills’ offense, but this performance was still incredibly embarrassing. RB James Cook ran riot in Carolina, running for a jaw-dropping 216 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers’ inability to stop him made this an easy win for Buffalo and a frustrating loss for a Carolina team that was just finding its footing.
New Orleans Saints:
Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Overall Grade: D
The Saints lost by 20 points to a good football team, but they hung tough and kept the game close for a large part of it. Although the New Orleans offense continues to struggle with turnovers, committing four of them in the loss, the defense surrendered just 16 points and made it tough for the Bucs’ excellent offense to get going.
Offense Grade: F
The Saints committed more turnovers than points scored on Sunday, which is just awful. QB Spencer Rattler committed two turnovers and was benched for rookie Tyler Shough, who tossed an interception of his own. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed also lost a fumble in the downright ugly performance. Struggling to move the ball is one thing, but committing turnovers as well is unacceptable.
Defense Grade: C
The Saints’ defense kept the team in the game for much longer than it should have, which deserves praise. The unit sacked Baker Mayfield three times and also forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Chase Young. The run defense was also much better than it was in Week 7, allowing just 88 yards on 29 attempts (3.0 yards per carry).
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