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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Each team in the NFC South now has a mark in the win column after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned their first victory of the season on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
With the Carolina Panthers on an early bye week, the division went 1-2 in Week 5 and only a half-game separates the two teams at the top of the standings.
Throughout the season, this piece will check in on the four teams in the division, tracking their performance and noting the standout players from each game. Teams will be listed in the order in which they appear in the division standings.
Carolina Panthers: 2-2 (1-0 vs. division)
Atlanta Falcons: 2-3 (1-1 vs. division)
New Orleans Saints: 1-4 (0-1 vs. division)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-4
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Carolina Panthers
Last game: Bye week
Offensive standout so far this season: QB Bryce Young
In 2026, Young is making the leap Panthers fans have long hoped for. He leads all NFL quarterbacks in passing yards per game, averaging 317 yards this season. Young has nine touchdowns to just two interceptions and is sixth in expected points added per dropback among quarterbacks. He entered the bye week off one of the most impressive performances of his career, completing 70.7% of his passes for 329 yards with two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in Week 4.
Defensive standout so far this season: LB Devin Lloyd
This is Lloyd's first season with the Panthers, and he's quickly making a name for himself in Carolina. He's averaging 10.3 tackles per game, which ranks third among all NFL linebackers, and has shown a knack for making big plays. He's got a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six, a sack and three pass defenses in only three games.
Stat behind the stat — Powered by Microsoft Copilot: 239
While the Carolina Panthers were on a bye in Week 5, one trend worth monitoring is the recent workload and production of Chuba Hubbard. Over Weeks 3-4, Hubbard totaled 239 yards from scrimmage, the sixth-most among NFL running backs during that span.
Much of the attention has deservedly gone to Bryce Young's hot start and the emergence of Tetairoa McMillan, but Hubbard's efficiency has prevented defenses from becoming one-dimensional in their approach. During Weeks 3-4, Carolina averaged 25.0 points per game and won when opponents were forced to respect both the run and pass.
Atlanta Falcons
Offensive standout: WR Drake London
Atlanta's top receiver is off to a fast start again this season, and he caught seven passes for 118 yards against the Ravens on Sunday night. Although he has yet to reach the end zone, London ranks fourth among all wide receivers in yards and is first in yards after the catch.
"[Offensive coordinator Tommy] Rees is doing a heck of a job marrying up the pass and the run," London said. "It's funny, I haven't been in that open space in a long, long time. People make fun of it and stuff, but it was a shock. Definitely getting used to it now, and trying to do my job to the best of my ability. If it's there, I'm going to go take it."
Defensive standout: S Jessie Bates III
The veteran safety's fumble return for a touchdown on Sunday night was huge for the Falcons in the first quarter of the game. Baltimore came out hot and threatened to take control early, but Bates was in the right place at the right time to capitalize on a forced fumble by Sydney Brown. He's scored a touchdown each season since he arrived in Atlanta.
Telling quote: "We didn't do enough to win that game. We had, really, missed opportunities, and when you're playing a good football team, and these margins are razor thin, like we knew they would be, we've got to come through on some of those plays. But that's all of us. That's coaches, that's players. We can be better in those moments, and then you can put a good football team away late, which we did not do." — Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stat behind the stat — Powered by Microsoft Copilot: 9.9
The Falcons averaged 9.9 yards per play on third down against the Baltimore Ravens, the highest mark by any team in Week 5.
The number highlights an evolving dimension of the Falcons' offense. During Atlanta's two-game winning streak entering Week 5, the story was a dominant rushing attack. Against Baltimore, the Falcons proved they could remain efficient in the NFL's most serious passing situations as well. Averaging nearly 10 yards per third-down snap means Atlanta wasn't just converting. It was creating explosive plays in moments when defenses typically have the advantage.
New Orleans Saints
Last game: Lost 23-13 vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Offensive standout: RB Kendre Miller
The Saints' offense had another tough week against a relentless Vikings defense. Miller was the only player to find the end zone on Sunday, and he finished with 10 carries for 30 yards.
Defensive standout: DE Carl Granderson
After missing the Monday night matchup against Atlanta, Granderson made his presence felt against the Vikings. He led the Saints with 1.5 sacks and also had a pair of quarterback pressures and five tackles. Against a quarterback as elusive as Kyler Murray, that's quite impressive.
Telling quote: "We have to get better. That's the thing we have to focus on. We are going to have to get better during the week and give ourselves an opportunity to play better football next Sunday. That's going to take all week long. Obviously, from an on-field, schematic game plan, we have to get better in all areas." — Saints head coach Kellen Moore.
Stat behind the stat — Powered by Microsoft Copilot: 50%
The Minnesota Vikings generated pressure on half of the Saints' dropbacks in Week 5. That pressure translated directly into results. The Saints managed just 142 total yards, averaged only 3.3 yards per play, converted 20% of their third downs, and turned the ball over three times. Tyler Shough finished with only 96 passing yards and two interceptions as the offense never found rhythm.
The Saints' offensive struggles over the last two weeks have coincided with opponents winning up front. Minnesota's 50% pressure rate offers a clear explanation for why New Orleans produced its lowest yardage total of the season and may provide a blueprint for future opponents.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last game: Won 24-16 at Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
Offensive standout: RB Bucky Irving
Irving ran the ball hard in this game. His 72-yard run on the first play of the second half set the tone for Tampa Bay to take control after halftime. He finished with 165 rushing yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns against the Cowboys, one on the ground and one as a receiver. According to Next Gen Stats, Irving forced 10 missed tackles against Dallas, the most of his career.
Defensive standout: S Tykee Smith
Without Antoine Winfield Jr. in the lineup, Smith was all over the place for Tampa Bay's defense. He led the Buccaneers with a career-high five pressures on seven pass-rush snaps, and that pressure helped force a few incomplete passes in pivotal moments in the second half.
Telling quote: "We lost the first quarter of the season. We don't lose the second, third and the fourth. We've still got to play those. So we start the second quarter tonight. We got one win. We've got three more to go. We'll try to even this thing up. It's a long way to climb out, but at the same time, we're upbeat. If we play this hard and play this effective, we'll be okay." — Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.
Stat behind the stat — Powered by Microsoft Copilot: 110.2
In just his second NFL start, Jalon Daniels posted a 110.2 passer rating and helped lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first win of the season.
It's notable how rare that accomplishment is. According to Tampa Bay's team website, Daniels became just the third undrafted rookie quarterback since 1950 to win a primetime game in either his first or second career start. He also became just the ninth undrafted rookie quarterback to quarterback an offense that generated more than 400 total yards in a game, and the first to do so since Tommy DeVito.