The NFC South has long been a run division, with the Bucks recently dominating the Saints, Falcons, and Panthers. Tampa Bay is the district champion for the second year in a row, and Todd Bowles & Co. is aiming for a fourth straight championship in 2024.
Since its formation in 2002, the NFC South had never had a back-to-back champion until the Panthers won back-to-back championships in 2014. In fact, Carolina won the division in 2013, 2014, and 2015, which started a trend of multiple teams taking over for years at a time. The Falcons won in 2016, but the Saints won every year from 2017 to 2020. And as Bucs fans know, Tampa Bay bounced back from there, winning the South in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
So what does the NFC South look like until Week 4 of the 2024 season? It’s time to tear it all down.
NFC South Update: Week 4
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield and TE Cade Otton – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The Bucks enter Sunday’s Week 4 matchup with the Eagles as joint holders of first place in the NFC South. By the end of the game at 1 p.m., the three-time consecutive division champions were in control. top spot in the south Through 4 games.
Of course, they had to do their part to get there. In a clash between the two teams at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay led 24-0 at the half. Defeated Philadelphia 33-16. Baker Mayfield threw for 347 yards and three total touchdowns, and the Bucs defense racked up six sacks in an effort led by Lavonte David.
Overall, the Bucks outscored the Eagles 445-227 and held a significant time-of-possession advantage from 36 minutes, 17 seconds to 23 minutes, 43 seconds. This improved Todd Bowles’ team to 3-1 on the young season.
The Bucks did their part by taking the lead in the NFC South, but they also benefited from results elsewhere. The 2-1 Saints faced off against the 1-2 Falcons in Atlanta, and it was a close game. Two Taysom Hill touchdowns gave New Orleans an early 14-7 advantage, but a 53-yard Yong-Ho Ku field goal, a Troy Andersen pick-six, and another Ku field goal gave Atlanta an early lead. He took the lead again.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Photo Credit: USA Today
From there, both teams traded field goals until Alvin Kamara’s touchdown run with one minute left gave the Saints a 24-23 lead. But all it took was a costly 30-yard defensive pass interference penalty to squander that lead. Kirk Cousins missed three consecutive passes after the penalty, but Koo came on and made the game-winning 58-yard field goal, helping the Falcons escape and win. Raheem Morris’ team now has two wins and two losses, while Dennis Allen’s team lost and now has two wins and two losses.
And the Panthers, who are in last place in the division, were unable to win consecutive games after replacing Bryce Young with Andy Dalton. Carolina, hosting the 0-3 Bengals, had the advantage in the first half, but the middle half of the game proved costly for Dave Canales’ team.
The game was tied 14-14, but the Bengals scored with one second left in the first half to make it 21-14. They added a touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter to extend their lead to 31-14. Despite getting within 31-24, the Panthers were unable to complete the comeback. Evan McPherson made a 46-yard field goal late in the game, clinching a 34-24 victory and pushing Carolina to 1-3.
NFC South standings updates from Week 4:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-1 (0-0 in NFC South)
Atlanta Falcons: 2-2 (1-0 in NFC South)
New Orleans Saints: 2-2 (1-1 in NFC South)
Carolina Panthers: 1-3 (0-1 in NFC South)
3️⃣-1️⃣ And we’re just getting started. pic.twitter.com/OYWkbrmbaC
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 29, 2024
The Bucks head into two straight games against NFC South foes.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield and LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo courtesy of USA Today
That’s obviously premature, and the Bucks’ lead in the NFC South through four weeks means little. But Tampa Bay will have a big chance to further build on its lead at the top of the division in the coming weeks.
After splitting a two-game homestand, the 3-1 Bucks will now begin a two-game road trip against the other top two teams in the NFC South. First is a short week’s trip to Atlanta for Thursday Night Football’s game against the Falcons.
Besides the basic fact that a win against the Falcons would create some separation, there’s also the fact that the Saints will play the two-time Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 5. So if you combine the win with Kansas City’s win, it would be Tampa’s win. They had a two-game lead in the district early in the season.
Not to mention, divisional games can help or hurt you in close games later in the season. The Bucks saw that last year, and winning is most important when you can get the banking division.
Following a mini-bye week after the Thursday night game in Week 5, the Bucks will face the Saints in New Orleans on October 13th. This is obviously another big game in a series of big games for Tampa Bay, and needless to say, a win in the Superdome would bode very well in the long run.
The Bucks play their next two games in the NFC South before hosting the Falcons in Week 8, followed by a long stretch of non-division games. After the Oct. 27 game against Atlanta, the rest of Tampa Bay’s NFC South schedule will play out as follows:
Week 13 (Dec. 1) – At Carolina
Week 17 (December 29) – vs. Carolina
Week 18 (January 5) – vs. New Orleans
