The New Orleans Saints have long been out of the running for the NFC South. But they still have a chance to impact the race.

The upset knocked the Bucs out of first place in the division and put the Carolina Panthers on top by one-half game. With its fifth loss in its past six games, including a 24-20 setback to NFC South cellar-dweller New Orleans on Sunday, Tampa Bay dropped to 7-7 for the 2025 season.

Whoever wins the NFC South will host a playoff game, which could eventually mean that the Rams go on the road to play the Bucs or the Panthers, and that is so frustrating. Winning a division should count for something, but it sometimes feels like mediocre football is being rewarded, as would be the case this year in the NFC South.

Carolina isn’t just in the playoff hunt. They’re back in the national spotlight, and every remaining snap could shape the NFC South title race.

The New Orleans Saints (3-10) face the Carolina Panthers (7-6) on Sunday at Caesars Superdome. The Saints beat the Panthers 17-7 in November in Charlotte and have won four of

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Week 16 begins with an NFC South showdown between the Atlanta Falcons (4-9) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6). Although the Falcons have been eliminated from playoff contention, they can still play spoiler for a Bucs team fighting for the division title with the Carolina Panthers (7-6).