In 2024, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their fourth consecutive NFC South title, and their biggest obstacle to getting there was the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons swept the Bucs in their two matchups, which should’ve had major playoff implications, but Tampa Bay caught fire down the stretch while Atlanta cooled off, allowing the Bucs to keep their division streak alive.
Atlanta had a strong offseason, headlined by an aggressive 2025 NFL Draft. The Falcons overhauled their pass rush by selecting EDGE/ILB hybrid Jalon Walker out of Georgia, before trading back into the first round for Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr.
Michael Penix Jr., the team’s first-round pick in 2024, is entering his first full season as the starting quarterback after making three starts late last year. Penix is surrounded by a fully-loaded arsenal of potent weapons with star running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, and wide receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney.
The Falcons have all the pieces to give Tampa Bay another run for their money, but there’s another team that could quietly emerge as a threat to the division crown.
Panthers could challenge Bucs in race for NFC South
Carolina finished just 5-12 last season, but those paying attention saw a team starting to figure it out down the stretch.
The Panthers went 2-1 over their final three games, with Bryce Young throwing for 612 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions during that stretch. They ended the year by taking down the Falcons in a 44-38 overtime thriller, doing the Buccaneers a favor by officially eliminating Atlanta from playoff contention.
The Panthers’ biggest issue going into the offseason was a historically bad defense that allowed a record-breaking amount of points scored with 534, over 31 points per game.
They followed in the Falcons’ footsteps by focusing on rebuilding their defensive line, drafting EDGE Nic Scourton out of Texas A&M, EDGE Princely Umanmielen out of Mississippi, and nose tackle Cam Jackson out of Florida.
They also signed defensive tackle Bobby Brown III from the Rams in free agency. This massive flurry of moves, combined with the return of Pro Bowler Derrick Brown from injury, will give the Panthers defensive front an entirely new look this season.
They made another big splash by signing safety Tre’von Moehrig as a versatile Swiss Army knife for the defense. Pro Football Focus grades Moehrig as the No. 7 safety in the league in run support, further signaling the Panthers’ desired stop-the-run identity after allowing a league-worst 180 rushing yards per game last season.
On the other side of the ball, Carolina invested in Young by getting him the No. 1 weapon the offense has been lacking, drafting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round.
Now entering his second season under head coach Dave Canales, the former Buccaneers offensive coordinator, Young is poised to take a big step forward and build on the momentum he showed late last year.
His development, combined with the Panthers’ significant offseason upgrades, makes Carolina a legitimate sleeper in the NFC South. Tampa Bay needed overtime to escape with a 26-23 win in one of their meetings against Carolina last season, and this year’s matchups could be just as tight, and perhaps more meaningful for the playoff race.
With Baker Mayfield’s brief and bumpy stint in Carolina and Canales’ ties to Tampa, the familiarity between these teams could be the start of an exciting NFC South rivalry in the making.
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