Baker Mayfield got the contract he wanted, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't get what they expected. At least not through the first two games. Fans can get behind the loss to the Bengals. It was game one, and the Bengals are a playoff contender. But there are no excuses for losing to the Browns.
The loss kept Tampa Bay winless, but thanks to their rivals, the Falcons, they are not alone at the bottom of the NFC South just yet, but they are standing on the shoulders of Atlanta to keep their head out of the cesspool.
In Week 2, the Buccaneers did nothing to stake a claim on the division, and it is only going to get harder from here. From the outside looking in, Tampa is going to struggle against the Saints and the Panthers, but the Falcons? Not so much.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers can only look up at NFC South rivals after disasterous loss to the Browns
Carolina Panthers: 34-3 win over the Falcons, improve to 1-1
The Panthers are in first place, but their spot at the top is due to tiebreakers over the Saints. More on them in a moment. The Panthers beat the hapless Falcons 34-3 on Sunday. It was a cakewalk as the Falcons were starting their third-string QB, who was pulled from the game to give undrafted rookie Jack Strand a shot. The Panthers narrowly lost in Week 1 and are proving that they are the team to beat after two weeks in the division.
New Orleans Saints: 24-17 win over the Ravens, improve to 1-1
When the Saints and Panthers play, it's going to be a good game. Their two young quarterbacks lead the NFL in passing through two weeks. The Saints are playing good football this year, and Tyler Shough is showing the league why the Saints thought so highly of him. The QB looked very good on Sunday in their surprising win over the Ravens. The Saints and Panthers are the only two teams in the NFC South showing a desire to actually win the division. In Week 1, they lost by 1 point to the Lions when they went for a game-winning two-point conversion in overtime and missed.
Atlanta Falcons: 34-3 loss to the Panthers, fall to 0-2
The Falcons are on the bottom of the division. They have serious QB issues that even Michael Penix's return won't fix. Why they have Tua Tagovailoa at this point is anyone's guess. The Falcons are just a mess. Their offensive line can't block for Bijan Robinson, there is no quarterback to throw to their talented receivers, and there isn't much to be impressed by on the defensive side of the ball either.
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