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NFL standings, Week 4: Breaking down the NFC South heading toward Week 5

The NFC South closed its Week 4 schedule Sunday night. We break down the standings and playoff implications as we move toward Week 5.

Dee Alford #37 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 02, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The NFC South is a one-team race, even if the standings might suggest it’s closer. The Buccaneers and Falcons are both 2-2 while the Panthers and Saints sit at 1-3, but this is the Bucs race to lose by a long shot.

The Bucs dropped to 2-2 thanks to a tough outing at home against the Chiefs. This marks two straight home defeats for Tampa Bay. They were to solid teams, losing to the Packers and Chiefs, but it’s still a troubling trend. If they were in a more difficult division it’d be a bigger issue for now, but they have time to get things right.

The Falcons have won two straight over Seattle and Cleveland to climb to .500. Their two losses were by a combined five points to the Saints and Rams, so it’s safe to say they’re going to be a frisky team all season. It’s hard to see them hanging with the Bucs, but they can at least make each week interesting.

Meanwhile, the Panthers and Saints are struggling to do much of anything. The Saints are injury-riddled, playing without Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas in a London loss to the Vikings. The Panthers took a 10-3 lead early against Arizona, but fell apart after that and couldn’t do much of anything against a Cardinals squad that hasn’t really impressed.

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 5.

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