NFC South still doesn't have any playoff-ready teams

The NFC South does not have any playoff-caliber teams. 

However, the division will still send its winner into January competition. 

The NFC South has become the NFL's bargain bin, with the 5-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers holding onto a slim lead over of the 5-7 Atlanta Falcons, 4-8 Carolina Panthers and 4-8 New Orleans Saints. 

The Bucs lost in overtime to the Cleveland Browns, 23-17, on Sunday. The Falcons lost to the Washington Commanders, 19-13, on a last-minute red zone pick. The Saints got shut out by the San Francisco 49ers, 13-0. The Panthers beat the abysmal Denver Broncos, 23-10. 

What does any of this mean? Any four of these teams could win the division at the moment. Two of these teams, the Panthers and Saints, are slated to pick in the top 10 of the draft. They could also go on a late run and snag a playoff spot. Nonsense abounds. 

The future of the division doesn't look too hot, either. 

The Saints are in cap hell. They would have to rework more than 10 contracts via restructures to get out of the red. The Bucs probably won't have quarterback Tom Brady back and are $41 million over the cap for 2023. 

The Panthers might be able to snag a franchise quarterback if they stay in the top 10 of the draft. However, interim head coach Steve Wilks has made the team surprisingly competitive down the stretch. That competitiveness could knock the team away from picking their next quarterback.

The Falcons might have the best fortunes going ahead with $72 million in cap space for 2023 and a youth movement sweeping through the roster. However, the team's quarterback situation remains a mystery. 

Whoever wins the NFC South this season probably won't make it very far in the NFC playoffs. Stranger things have happened, but none of these teams look playoff-ready right now.