The Buccaneers took another hit in Week 4, but the NFC South still isn’t running away from them.
At 0-4, Tampa Bay is technically in the race because the division has not separated itself. Four weeks into the 2026 season, the standings are crowded enough that the Buccaneers enter Week 5 only two games back. That’s the kind of break you get when nobody in the NFC South is lighting the league on fire.
Carolina is sitting at 2-2 and looks like the early favorite. The Panthers turned in their best showing yet Sunday against the Detroit Lions, and they’re starting to look like a team that has found its footing after a slow opening stretch.
Their defense has been steady, helped by LB Devin Lloyd and free agent addition Jaelan Phillips, while Bryce Young was sharp against Detroit’s pressure. Tetairoa McMillan was a problem all afternoon, finishing with 14 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
Atlanta is right there too at 2-2, and the Falcons made a loud statement on Monday Night Football by rolling over the Saints 45-24 in New Orleans. With Michael Penix Jr. back and playing solid football, the offense has picked up, and Bijan Robinson continues to show why he matters so much to what they do. The Falcons also look like a team with real buy-in, and after four weeks, the division is starting to feel like a two-team race.
That leaves New Orleans at 1-3, and the Saints are the one club in the division that looks behind the curve. Tyler Shough has shown enough to suggest he can be their franchise quarterback, but the offensive line couldn’t hold up against Atlanta, and the pressure never really let up. The Saints have pieces worth building around, but they’re not consistent yet and still look like they need another year before they can be taken seriously as contenders.
So while Tampa Bay’s record is ugly, the NFC South picture remains wide open enough to keep the Buccaneers hanging around.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Already Have Two Tough Offseason Contract Decisions
The early part of the season has already put Tampa Bay in an awkward spot with a pair of homegrown starters whose futures are suddenly far less straightforward than they looked not long ago. Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby and right guard Cody Mauch are both playing out the final year of their rookie deals, and both were expected to be key pieces as the Buccaneers tried to keep their core intact on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Through the first four games, though, neither has made the kind of case that usually leads to a quick extension. Diabys pass rush production has tailed off, while Mauch has had a rough return from injury in both the run game and protection. If those trends hold, Tampa Bay could be staring at two more obvious free-agent decisions next spring, and neither one looks simple right now. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Heat Is Rising But Bucs History Says Plenty Too
The early part of the 2026 season has not gone the way Tampa Bay hoped, and the frustration is starting to spill over beyond the standings. Todd Bowles is suddenly part of the league-wide coaching conversation, with some bettors even tagging him as a possible first firing of the year, a reflection of how quickly the temperature can rise when a veteran team stumbles out of the gate.
Still, the Buccaneers own history matters here. Bowles is 35-37 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason since taking over in 2022, so there is real pressure around the program, but Tampa Bay ownership has not made a habit of cutting loose head coaches in the middle of a season. That track record makes any in-season move feel unlikely for now, even if the noise around Bowles keeps getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Brutal Thursday Test With Early Pressure Mounting
Thursday night brings a tricky reset point for Tampa Bay, which heads into Week 5 still searching for its first win and doing it without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. The spotlight is on the kind of primetime matchup that can either steady a season or deepen the early damage, and the Buccaneers are walking into a Dallas team that will be eager to respond in front of its own crowd.
For Tampa Bay, the challenge is not just surviving the short week but finding enough stability to hang around against a Cowboys team that needs better defense while counting on its offense to set the tone at home. The matchup feels like a steep ask already, and the expectation around it is leaning heavily toward Dallas taking control by a wide margin. [Read more 🡒]