{"id":375150,"date":"2025-09-17T13:38:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T13:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/375150\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T13:38:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T13:38:10","slug":"nfc-south-week-2-review-2-winners-2-losers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/375150\/","title":{"rendered":"NFC South Week 2 Review: 2 winners, 2 losers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> keep getting away with it, while the Carolina Panthers<\/a> and New Orleans Saints<\/a> are starting to dig a hole in the loss column. Also, the Atlanta Falcons<\/a> secured their first win of the season on primetime. Here\u2019s the Week 1 NFC South Review.<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)<\/p>\n

Week 2 Result: Buccaneers 20 – Texans 19
Week 3 Opponent: New York Jets<\/p>\n

In back-to-back weeks, Mayfield drove the Buccaneers offense down the field in the final minutes of the game for the win. Tampa Bay is the favorite to win the NFC South for a reason. They know how to gut out tough wins regardless of their injury troubles, and Todd Bowles has taken strides as a head coach, managing that final drive to perfection.<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers, of course, suffered another devastating injury; DT Calijah Kancey tore his pec and will now be out for the rest of the season. Tampa Bay has embodied the \u201cnext man up\u201d mantra for years, but at some point, this team has to catch a break. They take on the New York Jets, who are dealing with their own injury troubles as Justin Fields recovers from a concussion.<\/p>\n

Week 2 Result: Saints 21 – 49ers 26
Week 3 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n

Mac Jones was too much for the Saints, who now fall to 0-2, a statistical nightmare that almost guarantees missing the playoffs. The defense has looked suspect across the first two games, but it does not bring me joy to report that the Saints offense doesn\u2019t look bad, and that\u2019s the closest thing to a compliment you\u2019ll be getting out of me.<\/p>\n

This team will definitely upset anyone who takes them lightly. They don\u2019t look like a winning team, but this doesn\u2019t look like the 2-15 Saints that were promised. They\u2019ll make the long trip to the Pacific Northwest to face off against Sam Darnold and the Seahawks in Week 3.<\/p>\n

Week 2 Result: Panthers 22 – Cardinals 27
Week 3 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons<\/p>\n

The Panthers are facing the same troubling start as the Saints. Bryce Young truthers will tell you he looked good during the comeback. As someone who watched that entire game, I would say \u201cgood\u201d is a relative term. For starters, the improved play didn\u2019t show up until his team was down multiple scores, and the Cardinals were down multiple defensive backs. Young also folded on the final drive, the one that could\u2019ve actually won the game. The Panthers will need to shake off this slow start because a revived Falcons defense is coming to town, and Atlanta is feeling the pressure after losing their first division game of the season.<\/p>\n

Week 2 Result: Falcons 22 – Vikings 6
Week 3 Opponent: Carolina Panthers<\/p>\n

The Falcons won with defense and the run game\u2014grandfathers everywhere nod in approval. Michael Penix\u2019s arm received all the attention in the offseason, but that Bijan Robinson fella is pretty good, too. There has been some stale playcalling, but some of that is by design, based on the opponent. It\u2019s also fair to point out that players have been missing opportunities in the red zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Atlanta\u2019s defense is making noise across the league with the instant impact that its controversial draft class has provided. Jeff Ulbrich has the entire defense humming, and Marquice Williams got the special teams unit up to par in Week 2. If Zac Robinson and the offense can start firing on all cylinders, too, then the sky is the limit for this team. The Falcons are on the road in Carolina this week, and they can\u2019t afford to drop another division game.<\/p>\n

Wins and losses were split 50\/50 this week. The season is still young, but if the Saints and Panthers want to have any hope of being competitive come winter, they\u2019ll need to start winning soon. On the flip side, Atlanta and Tampa Bay need to capitalize on their rivals\u2019 early slip-ups. How will it all work out, you ask? That\u2019s why they play the games.<\/p>\n

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