The NFC South was on center stage in Week 15, as the Buccaneers hosted the Falcons. Tampa Bay was slated to run away with this victory, but an improbable fourth quarter comeback iced the win for Kirk Cousins and the Falcons.
It's clear that this division isn't any good this year, and it doesn't seem like it's going to get better anytime soon. As of now, the 7-6 Carolina Panthers are in first place, which really tells you how bad this division is overall.
Let's power rank the NFC South after an amazing game on Thursday Night Football.
Power ranking the putrid NFC South following Buccaneers' major TNF collapse
4. New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough, the New Orleans Saints' rookie QB, seems to be something, and I would not be surprised if New Orleans went forward with him as their starter in 2026. The Saints are obviously a bad team and years away from competing for anything noteworthy, but the silver lining here is how much Shough seems to look and feel like a franchise QB.
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons really impressed on Thursday Night Football, and Kirk Cousins put out a vintage performance, leading a fourth quarter comeback in a hostile environment. The Falcons are still just 5-9 on the season and have major coaching issues, but a win is a win. I would be shocked if Atlanta did not make some major changes this coming offseason, as this team is too talented to have nearly double the amount of losses as wins.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It is becoming clear that Todd Bowles is the primary issue with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as this second-half collapse really centers around coaching. The Buccaneers are getting healthy at the right time, but now they simply can't win games. All of a sudden 7-7 on the season, Tampa is reeling but still could win the division this year and host a playoff game. Could this be the last year of the Bowles' era in Tampa?
1. Carolina Panthers
For the time being, the Carolina Panthers are in first place in the NFC South, and that really isn't saying much. Carolina is just 7-6 on the season, and while they have improved from 2024 into this year, they still are far from great and absolutely are not one of the seven-best teams in the NFC at this point. It's hard to love much of anything with Carolina, as they are close to as average as it gets, but if they can fend off the Buccaneers down the stretch, they'll host a playoff game.