Week 8 left the NFC South with one clear bright spot, one team on a break, and one game that nobody will want to watch again.
Tampa Bay came out of the mess with the division’s only win, and it was a strange one. The Buccaneers blanked the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 in brutal weather, a game that turned into a slog almost immediately.
Baker Mayfield finished 0-3, and Tampa Bay somehow posted zero passing yards. That kind of line looks more like a snowstorm box score than something from Florida.
The Bucs won anyway because the ground game took over. Bucky Irving ran for 170 yards and a touchdown, while Kenneth Gainwell added 140 yards of his own. That was enough to push Tampa Bay to a two-game winning streak, though the next test is a tougher one against the Chicago Bears.
Carolina was the other NFC South team in action, and the Panthers still couldn’t get back on track after firing their defensive coordinator. The loss wasn’t a disaster, but it did keep the skid going and cost them ground in the division race.
Bryce Young was solid, the run game held up, and the run defense did its part. The pass defense, though, remained the weak spot and got exposed again, even if Carolina did come away with an interception.
The Panthers now have to stop the slide before it gets away from them, with the Broncos next on the schedule.
Atlanta, meanwhile, was on the wrong end of that ugly shutout and never looked settled on offense. Michael Penix completed just 8 of 24 passes and threw 4 interceptions.
The Falcons did have some success running the ball, but they didn’t lean on Bijan Robinson enough. The defense held up, but the offense never answered.
A matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals is next, though that won’t be an easy fix for a team that’s now 5-2.
In Other News...
Gayle Benson Sends Saints A Clear Message About This Season
Gayle Benson made it clear this week that the Saints are not being judged solely by their 2-5 start, at least not in the moment. The New Orleans owner said she has confidence in the players effort and signaled that the organization will take a broader look at the roster and staff once the season is over, a familiar stance for a team trying to steady itself while the losses pile up.
There has already been one notable change on the coaching side, with the Saints parting ways with run-game coordinator T.J. Paganetti after the rushing offense struggled badly. Benson also touched on the leagues growing international footprint, including the possibility of New Orleans being part of an NFL International Series game in Italy as the league expands its Global Markets Program there, adding another layer to a season that still has plenty of questions attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face A Bigger Question Than The Offense In New Orleans
The Browns head to New Orleans on Sunday with both teams trying to steady themselves after recent losses, and the matchup carries a little more weight than a simple rebound spot. The Saints come out of their bye week as slight home favorites, which says plenty about how odd this season has been for both sides and how much the market still trusts New Orleans to sort things out at home.
Much of the attention will naturally fall on the Saints offense, where Chris Olave remains the most important name to watch even as his production has cooled from the strong start he gave them. Cleveland has its own issues to clean up, but the bigger question in this game may be whether New Orleans can use the extra week to re-establish itself before the pressure around the season starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Reach A Roster Crossroads With Deadline Pressure Building
With the Saints still sorting through a difficult stretch, the next few days have become about more than just the game plan. New Orleans is evaluating injured players Jordyn Tyson, Travis Etienne Jr. and Kelvin Banks Jr. for possible returns to practice, a sign the staff is at least hoping to get some bodies back in the mix as it tries to steady the roster.
At the same time, the front office is keeping an eye on the bigger picture. Kendre Miller and Justin Reid are among the names being monitored as possible trade candidates if the Saints decide to sell, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster already facing important decisions. Nothing has been finalized, but the pressure is building as New Orleans weighs whether to push forward with what it has or start reshaping the group around it. [Read more 🡒]