Week 7 in the NFC South delivered two results that nobody would have penciled in without second-guessing themselves: Tampa Bay rolling in Charlotte, and Atlanta knocking off the unbeaten 49ers.
Start with the Buccaneers, because the final score told the whole story in loud, blunt fashion. Tampa Bay went into Charlotte and beat the Panthers 43-13, a result that landed as one of the more unlikely blowouts in a while.
Baker Mayfield was back in the lineup, though the passing volume was almost comically light for a player who played most of the game. He threw just 11 times, completed 7 passes for 64 yards, and found the end zone once.
The real engine for Tampa Bay was Bucky Irving. He cleared 100 rushing yards and scored twice, giving the Buccaneers the kind of ground-game pop that made the margin look even harsher. The defense also deserves a mention for how completely it helped tilt the game, but the biggest picture item was simple: the Bucs turned this into a lopsided win no one saw coming.
For Carolina, it was the kind of afternoon that goes from bad to worse in a hurry. This was the Panthers’ worst game of the season, and the problems were everywhere.
Bryce Young was sacked five times, threw two interceptions, the run game never got going, and Carolina also lost a fumble. When the defense is already struggling, that kind of offensive mess makes the whole operation fall apart.
The one consolation is that the Panthers should be able to move on quickly, though their first-place lead is now a lot thinner.
Atlanta, meanwhile, was responsible for the week’s biggest shock. The Falcons beat the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in what qualified as the upset of the week, and they did it without leaning on Bijan Robinson’s rushing ability the way they usually do. That made the win stand out even more.
Michael Penix played a clean, controlled game, steering the offense without turnovers, while the defense came up with takeaways that swung the outcome. It was a formula that worked against a team nobody had beaten yet.
The Saints’ Sunday turned into a different kind of problem. With Tampa Bay’s win, New Orleans slipped to last in the division after its loss to the Steelers.
It was not as ugly as some of their earlier defeats, but it still underscored the same old issues that have followed them all season. Even more concerning, their major improvement in the red zone took a step backward.
Now the Saints head into the bye needing changes across the roster. Kellen Moore may be safe for now, but another loss could put his future in New Orleans in serious doubt.
In Other News...
Kellen Moore Knows The Saints Have A Rushing Problem To Fix Fast
The Saints left Pittsburgh with a running game that looked nothing like a reliable foundation, and head coach Kellen Moore did not try to paper over it afterward. He pointed to inconsistency, a lack of movement and the impact of injuries to Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara as reasons the ground game has fallen short, stressing that the fix has to come from a full-season evaluation rather than a quick patch.
New Orleans has been searching for answers in that phase for a while, but the latest outing made the issue impossible to ignore. Against the Steelers, the Saints had just 17 runs for 18 yards, a number that underscores how little resistance the offense is currently offering defenses on early downs and how urgent the turnaround has become. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Have A Painful Devaughn Vele Decision Ahead
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching, the Saints may be facing a tough call on Devaughn Vele. In a season that has not gone the way New Orleans hoped, the receiver has become a name to watch because of the value he can bring as a big-bodied target and the kind of market that can develop around players with his skill set.
ESPNs Ben Solak even floated a potential deal with Kansas City, and the idea underscores how real the conversation could get if the Saints decide to listen. Teams such as the 49ers could also make sense as possible suitors, which leaves New Orleans weighing whether to keep Vele in the fold or turn him into draft capital before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Gayle Benson Just Turned Up The Heat On Saints Leadership
Gayle Benson did not sound like an owner content to let the Saints drift through another rough opening. With New Orleans off to a 1-4 start for the second straight season, she made clear her frustration with the direction of the team and put accountability at the center of the conversation, a sign that the pressure is not just on the sideline but across the organization.
What comes next is the part everyone around the team will be watching. Benson stopped short of laying out a timetable or naming specific changes, but her comments leave little doubt that she expects the situation to improve and that she is willing to make decisions to push it there. In a season already feeling uncomfortably familiar, that kind of public tone from the top can change the temperature fast. [Read more 🡒]