Just when you think you know how the division is going, almost nothing goes as everyone expected.
It’s not crazy to say that Bucs HC Todd Bowles could be fired after Week 4. This team has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL, and their performance against the Minnesota Vikings was bad. The score showed a 7-point game in the end, but the Bucs made mistakes, and Baker Mayfield struggled. Speaking of Mayfield, near the end of the game, he injured his finger, which looked really bad.
Next week, the Bucs play the Packers, so they could win, but it’s doubtful.
Speaking of shock, the Panthers lost to the Cleveland Browns. First thing, this means the Browns are 2-0 against the NFC South so far. May spell bad news for the rest of the division, but going away from that, let’s focus on this game. The Panthers’ defense didn’t do enough against a Browns offense they should have handled. It doesn’t help that star CB Jaycee Horn went down with an injury and will be out for most of the season.
The offense was also very disappointing and looked nothing like their first two weeks. A performance to forget.
Somehow, the Falcons are the only winners of the week. After Michael Penix returned, all eyes were on their QB situation, and he did well in his first game. The real hero was Bijan Robinson, who completely controlled this game for Atlanta and gave the Packers zero chance of winning. Could this win be the Packers just being a mess? I actually don’t think so. If Atlanta won by 3 points, then I would say that’s the case, but the Falcons won 35-14.
We are going to see up close what this Falcons team really is, because Atlanta is playing the Saints this week.
And now, a rant I have been waiting for. The Saints’ loss to the Raiders was one of the most frustrating losses since the Drew Brees/Sean Payton era. This game should have been won by New Orleans, and that fourth-quarter collapse was embarrassing. It was really one of the first times the Saints faced adversity while winning, and just like the Ravens last week, they couldn’t recover. The refs had a hand in making that happen, and some of those calls/no calls were truly mind-boggling, but this team had chances to overcome these, and they couldn’t.
It sucks for everyone because I do think many of the Saints’ early weaknesses were fixed in this game. The run game was much better, Taliese Fuaga’s blocking improved, the Saints started fast, the run defense played really well, and the playcalling was exceptional at times. Momentum is a killer, and the Saints fell victim to it. Travis Etienne’s injury is extremely worrying, and the Saints must bring in an RB ahead of this week’s game, but I also think the pass rush needs more talent. This defense had its worst game so far in 2026, and the pass rush behind Chase Young was completely missing. The Saints won’t be able to survive with these two units where they are right now.
1. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
2. New Orleans Saints (1-2)
3. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
See More:
* [New Orleans Saints Roster](/new-orleans-saints-roster)
* [New Orleans Saints Scores and Results](/new-orleans-saints-scores-results)