The NFL is a crazy place, and if there is one thing we learned from Week 5, it's that anything literally is possible. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' start to the 2026 season wasn't good, and injuries continued to pile up once again, but for some reason known only to the Football Gods, they're still within striking distance in the NFC South race.
Last year, the NFC South was one of the worst divisions in the league. All four teams finished below .500, and three of them, at 8-9, were tied for first. The Panthers won a Week 18 tie-breaker.
So far, through the first five weeks of the 2026 season, it doesn't look like anyone wants to run away with the division just yet. That's good news for the Buccaneers, who might be close to getting Baker Mayfield back.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers first win of 2026 sets them one game behind in their division race
Carolina Panthers 2-2: Bye week
The Panthers are tied for first with the Falcons at 2-2. This week, they were one of two teams that had the first weekend off. Carolina didn't lose ground thanks to a laughable finale at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday night. We will get to that soon.
Carolina will travel to Philadelphia to take on a reeling Eagles team that blew their own last-second comeback win. The Eagles took the lead with just 8 seconds left in the game but opted to kick to the Jaguars, who didn't have a timeout. A long return set up the game winning field goal.
The Eagles should be upset, and they should be looking to take it out on whoever comes next...Hey Carolina!
New Orleans Saints 1-4: Lost to the Vikings
An early rumor began spreading around social media prior to the Saints' kickoff against the Vikings. According to those rumors, a bad flu-like bug had made it's way through the locker room and many of the players were actually sick during the game.
Well, that may or may not have been the case, but they played like it. The Saints managed just 13 points against the Vikings' top blitzing defense. I mean, even the lowly Dolphins put up 10 points against them and were in position for several more. Remember, the Dolphins haven't won a game.
The Saints were just downright bad, and this is a team that many believe was going to lead the division this year. Not so fast. Tyler Shough isn't a bad QB, but he isn't elite either. Thanks to their poor performance this past weekend, they are listed below the Buccaneers in the division.
Atlanta Falcons 2-2: Lost to the Ravens
Losing to the Ravens isn't something to be ashamed of, even if they were playing against Tyler Huntley and not Lamar Jackson. Let's be honest, Derrick Henry can change a game on his own. Still, the Falcons were in a position to win the game, probably should have, but they have a Tua Tagovailoa problem.
Michael Penix Jr. once again got injured; cue the "surprise" emojis. Penix went down on the final drive of regulation with a rib injury that isn't expected to be too serious. Enter Tagovailoa.
The game went into overtime; the Ravens scored the go-ahead touchdown in the extra period, and Tagovailoa took the field. His first pass was a crisp over-the-middle shot to move the sticks and gain valuable field position. His second throw was vintage Tagovailoa. A well-designed play that should have been a completion was instead picked off because the QB threw it directly to a defender who wasn't even guarding the intended receiver.
If Penix misses any time this year for any reason, the chances of Atlanta taking over the division are slim. They may lead now, but that will only continue if Penix is calling the cadence.
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