Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) celebrates an interception intended for New York Jets wide receiver Josh Reynolds (83) in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

NFC South given flowers as Panthers continue to improve

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Once again, longtime football writer Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com had some more thoughts about the league this week, and one had to do with a division that produced only one team with a winning record a season ago.

“Last week, the AFC South was mentioned as a winner in this space, largely because it had become relevant again. This week, it’s time for the NFC South to take a bow. This division has been so light on competition for the last few years that Tampa Bay has won it four consecutive times. The difference today is these other teams are starting to grow up.”

“The Carolina Panthers are 4-3,” added Chadiha, “and riding a three-game winning streak after Sunday’s victory over the Jets. There’s a legitimate concern about how they’ll handle an ankle injury that knocked quarterback Bryce Young out of that contest…The Atlanta Falcons also have turned heads recently, even after falling to 3-3 with a Sunday night loss to San Francisco. The Falcons beat the Commanders and Bills after starting the season with an offense that was so bad that it got second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. benched at the end of one game and wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard fired…”

Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buccaneers are in first place per usual, but the Panthers are right on their heels. The Falcons are certainly in the mix, but are already 0-2 vs. their NFC South rivals this season. For now, Todd Bowles’s squad (who own the NFC’s longest active playoff streak) rule the roost.

“Until hitting a speed bump in Detroit," explained Chadiha, "the Buccaneers have been able to overcome a slew of injuries to star players because of the quarterback play of Baker Mayfield . Losing Mike Evans to a broken clavicle on Monday was a serious blow, but other key figures should return, and the balance of Mayfield’s performances this season have been strong enough that Tampa should still be the favorite to take the division again. It just won’t be as easy as it’s been the last few years to stay on top.”

While the Saints are sitting at 1-6, could either the Panthers or Falcons present a challenge to Bowles’s team? As for Carolina, it’s worth a mention that they face the Bucs twice in the season’s final three weeks.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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