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NFL standings, Week 5: Breaking down the NFC South heading toward Week 6

The NFC South is working its way through Week 5. We break down the standings and playoff implications as we move toward Week 6.

Grady Jarrett #97 of the Atlanta Falcons sacks Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The NFC South favorite remains atop the standings after five weeks, but it wasn’t easy. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-2 and hold a one-game lead in the division after holding off a tough Falcons squad.

The Bucs caught a huge break when Grady Jarrett was flagged for a dubious at best roughing penalty. He sacked Tom Brady and even though it seemed like a normal sack, he was flagged. Instead of the Bucs punting with 3:03 remaining in the game, they kept the ball and were able to run out the clock. It’s worth noting the refs missed a Falcons defensive pass interference call the play before, so we can just call it all-around bad officiating.

The Saints held off the Seahawks in a wild one, winning 39-32 thanks to a massive game from Taysom Hill. The gadget player threw a 22-yard touchdown and had nine rushes for 112 yards and three touchdowns. The team did lose Chris Olave to a concussion, so that will be something to track in the coming week.

As for the Panthers? We’ll just say, it would not be surprising to see Matt Rhule fired sooner than later.

Below is a rundown of the NFC South division standings, each team’s opponent next week, and their division title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook heading toward Week 6.

2022-23 NFC South standings

NFC South Record Wk opp Week 1 Week 17 Week 18
NFC South Record Wk opp Week 1 Week 17 Week 18
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-8 @ ATL -250 -450 OTB
Carolina Panthers 7-9 @ NO +900 +330 OTB
New Orleans Saints 6-10 vs. CAR +310 +1800 OTB
Atlanta Falcons 6-10 vs. TB +3500 OTB OTB