NFL Playoff Picture: Week 9

NFC South

1. Carolina Panthers (8-0)
2. Atlanta Falcons (6-3)
3. New Orleans Saints (4-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Last year’s laughing stock is now home to the NFL’s most fun team to root for in the Carolina Panthers. They steamrolled the Packers on Sunday and then hung on by doing what they do better than anyone: Forcing turnovers.

In fact, they are co-leaders in forced interceptions with 13 along with the Giants and Arizona. They have only faced Russell Wilson, Sam Bradford, Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers in their past four games. All of them, except Bradford, played in their conference championship game last season.

They are for real because they also have a dual-threat quarterback in Cam Newton who can score both with his legs and his arm. Newton needs to correct his recent tendency of throwing key interceptions, but his overall outlook is good.

They don’t play an opponent with a current winning record until they head to Atlanta for their Week 13 clash with the Falcons, so talk of them possibly going undefeated is not exaggerated.

You know what was exaggerated? The Falcons’ season. I was one of those who bought their potential after their 5-0 start and got a bag of fresh fertilizer instead.

How do you lose to Blaine Gabbert? How do you allow them to throw for two touchdowns and look like Steve Young in San Francisco during the first half? Most importantly, how the hell do you go 1-3 in your last four games averaging just 16.8 points per game against the Saints, Titans, Buccaneers and 49ers?

We are talking about teams with defenses ranked 31st, 15th, 29th and 18th in the league respectively. So what’s your excuse, Matt Ryan? They better fix that during their upcoming bye-week before playing at home against the Vikings, an opponent that just happens to boast the second-best defense in the NFL by allowing 17.5 points per game.

The Saints were on fire until they weren’t. They had climbed back up to .500 at 4-4 winning three straight games, then they tripped by losing 34-28 to the Titans at home in overtime.

They are mediocre both in terms of talent and mentality that can’t run the ball or defend well enough to put games away, relying way too much on Drew Brees.

They are not done though: They do visit the awful Redskins and Texans in the next two weeks with a bye in between, so the Superdome could be revitalized by the time the Panthers come to town in Week 13.

Meanwhile, the Bucs are a team that does just enough to be in the game but not to win consistently. Their 3-5 record is better than what many expected, and they might even be at .500 if Mike Evans hadn’t dropped so many passes against New York on Sunday, but it is what it is.

The most important thing is that progress is evident in Tampa each week, even if the playoffs remain a pipe dream for at least one more year.

Next: NFC North