If you told someone after the first two weeks of 2026 that the Atlanta Falcons would be right back in the mix to win the NFC South, they'd be preparing to drag you into a padded cell. The idea of the Falcons winning the division felt impossible after two dismal Cooper Rush starts, but like Michael Corleone once said, just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
Despite the 0-2 start, the blowout win over the Packers on Thursday night has the Falcons right back in the mix. Michael Penix Jr.'s return to the starting lineup ignited the offense and has offered a glimmer of hope to a team who is hoping their long playoff drought won't continue for another season.
And apparently, the rest of the division poured gasoline on this flame yesterday with bad performances.
A Sunday where the Dirty Birds weren't playing turned out to give us the biggest glimpse of this team's potential. The NFC South is arguably the most wide-open division in football, and it just so happens that all three teams in the division who took the field lost, making this division even tighter.
The Atlanta Falcons have a real shot to win the NFC South this year
The Saints lost to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Panthers were upset by the Browns, and the Buccaneers lost to the Vikings and fell to 0-3. So currently, the Falcons are tied with the Panthers and Saints atop the NFC South at 1-2--so they have a real shot to win the playoffs with solid QB play.
For starters, that makes next Monday night's clash in New Orleans that much more important, but this also has the Falcons in a good spot. Now that momentum is on their side after a commanding win at Lambeau Field, hopefully they can lock up Tyler Shough and the Saints at the Superdome in a week.
Let's dive into what happened in the NFC South yesterday for those living under a rock.
Panthers:
For the second consecutive week, the Deshaun Watson-led Browns upset an NFC South team, but unlike the Bucs last week, the Panthers were on the road. They trailed for a good chunk of the game and were forced to settle for field goals while Cleveland tight end Harold Fannin Jr. had a 2-TD game.
After Bryce Young lit up Atlanta's secondary last week, he returned back down to earth. He threw a game-losing interception, and his 291 passing yards are deceiving because it came on 48 pass attempts and their defense did not lock up Watson like they did Cooper Rush and Jack Strand.
Saints:
The Saints have been a team who have received a lot of hype after their shocking upset victory over the Ravens last weekend, but unfortunately they were unable to build on it. They hosted the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but they lost simply because they couldn't get out of their own way.
Tyler Shough threw four touchdown passes, but the Aints turned the ball over on every possession of the fourth quarter. Some ill-timed Shough turnovers lost them a game they probably should've won, which is good news for Jeff Ulbrich after the way this defense stifled him in both games last season.
Bucs:
The vibes around a Todd Bowles and Zac Robinson-led Bucs team could not be worse. Who could've seen this one coming? I'll tell you who: quite literally everyone in the greater Atlanta area who watched Robinson butcher Penix's development, and things have been just as bad, if not worse with a better QB in Tampa.
The Bucs hosted the Minnesota Vikings, and Robinson's offense facing Brian Flores' defense was a legit nightmare. In the 20-16 loss, they went three-and-out six times, scored just one touchdown, and lost Baker Mayfield to a hand injury at the end of the game. Yeah, how does this guy have a job?
The Falcons were the only team in the NFC South to win this week, and given it was such a commanding victory on primetime, it's starting to feel like they have real merit to win this division as long as the Michael Penix Jr. we saw on Thursday is able to show up consistently.
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