The NFC South saw all four teams avoid defeat during Week 5, with the Atlanta Falcons on a bye week. The division standings now show the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading at 4-1, followed by the Falcons at 2-2, the Carolina Panthers at 2-3, and the New Orleans Saints at 1-4.
The Buccaneers secured a 38-35 win over the Seattle Seahawks, with quarterback Baker Mayfield delivering another strong performance. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka contributed seven catches for 163 yards and a touchdown. On defense, linebacker Lavonte David made a key interception in the final minute, helping Tampa Bay clinch the victory. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said, “It says we’ve matured. We’re finally playing 59, 60 minutes, and (getting) wins early. Got to keep stacking them. They’re hard to come by. We’re playing good teams, and with injured guys all over the place, and those guys come here and win with a long plane ride says a lot about them.” Despite their success, the Buccaneers’ red zone defense remains a concern, ranking 29th in the league.
The Falcons did not play this week but are coming off their best offensive performance of the season. Head coach Raheem Morris commented on the bye week: “It’s definitely a chance to go back and look at everything that you’ve done from all three phases of the ball and find out what you can do better and what you can add to it, or what you can take out, what you don’t like. So, it’s always a good time to look at those things and do those things.” The team will next face the Buffalo Bills.
The Carolina Panthers achieved a 27-24 win against the Miami Dolphins. Running back Rico Dowdle made an impact with 206 total yards and one touchdown, averaging nine yards per carry. Safety Trevon Moehrig contributed with three tackles for loss and seven total stops. Panthers head coach Dave Canales noted, “Lots of stuff to work on, but again, just the fight in this team, the belief in each other to continue to play, to continue to troubleshoot and find solutions together. I thought that was the biggest thing that I came out with today was guys were talking in between series and, (when) things happened, they collectively got together. They went out there, fixed some things, and continued to play well.” The Panthers’ passing offense remains an area needing improvement.
The New Orleans Saints recorded their first win of the season by defeating the New York Giants 26-14. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed had four catches for 114 yards including an 87-yard touchdown reception. Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter to secure the win for New Orleans. Head coach Kellen Moore said, “I think our guys have grown a lot through this journey. We know we have played some good football. We haven’t earned the wins. That is certainly the ultimate goal, but I think our guys battled each and every week.” The Saints’ red zone offense continues to struggle.
The division race appears competitive early in the season as teams prepare for their upcoming matchups.
