Don’t look now but the NFC South might not be a tire fire after all

What a difference a year (or in some cases, a week) makes in the NFL. Just a year after the NFC South was an impossibly terrible division with no real signs of life, it’s rapidly shaping up to be one of the more interesting divisions in the league.

The Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints all dropped games in Week 3 while the Panthers got their first win of the season with Andy Dalton as their starter. All four teams are within a game of each other as intra-divisional play begins next week with the Falcons and Saints adding a new chapter to their ill-spirited rivalry.

Week 3 dramatically changed the scope of things after the Saints and Buccaneers looked like they were going to run away with the divisional race at the start of the season. The Panthers got on track, and while the Falcons lost to the Chiefs, they were able to just about go blow-for-blow with one of the best teams in the NFL and appear to be more formidable team than they looked in their Week 1 loss to the Steelers. The Saints’ offense came back down to Earth and the Buccaneers somehow got blown out at home by the Broncos, setting the stage for the NFC South to return to its roots as a chaotic, competitive division.

The Panthers have to be the story of the weekend as far as the NFC South is concerned. They just looked like a completely different team with Dalton in the lineup. He gave them a chance to make plays downfield and was flat out better in every aspect of being a quarterback than Bryce Young. That singular start renewed hope with the Panthers, although they still have a long way to go and will not get to play teams like the Raiders every week. What this does show is that maybe the moves Carolina made in the offseason did make it a more credible team, but Young was holding them back. Next week’s game against the Bengals will give a lot of information about where this team is currently.

Atlanta should be upset with the result of their game against the Chiefs considering how close they were to an upset victory, but they should feel OK about their performance. The pass rush needs a lot of work, but the defense overall has been able to play more efficient football than many people predicted. That paired with Kirk Cousins seemingly getting healthier each week has allowed the Falcons to at least set a floor as a competent offense as they continue to play together and figure out what does and does not work. They’ve put themselves in a bit of a hole with their 1-2 start, but appear to be coming together a bit more each week. The upcoming game against the Saints is an early pivotal moment in their season.

Tampa Bay and New Orleans are still in the driver’s seat for now, but they’ve been put on notice a bit. After torching teams through the first two weeks, the Saints were held to just 12 points at home and resembled the team that people assumed they would be coming into the season. They’ll need to figure out how to evolve this offense in the midst of offensive line injuries, which is easier said than done. Tampa Bay will just have to look in the mirror and say “never again” after making the hazardous Broncos offense look like a real unit, but both teams are 2-1 and all is not lost.

The NFC South is back, maybe! At the very least there’s reason for intrigue in following this division throughout the year after an exciting Week 3. Hey, that’s more than what this division promised prior to the season, this could end up being a back-and-forth battle throughout the season, especially if the Panthers can replicate what they did on Sunday with Dalton under center.