Could the NFC South see more than one team make the playoffs this year?

That's a question that once seemed ridiculous, given just how much the teams have struggled over the last few seasons. Outside of Tampa Bay, there hasn't been much competition within the division; in most cases, the remaining three teams have been among the worst in the entire league.

However, one team has put together a string of victories over the past few weeks and, if that continues, it could very well help bring some pride back to the NFC South. It's certainly not the New Orleans Saints.

Here's a look at where the NFC South stands following Week 9.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)

The Buccaneers look like one of the top teams in the NFL, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is rightfully in MVP talks at this point.

Tampa Bay got a bit of a break with a bye week in Week 9, but it couldn't have come at a better time. The Bucs are gearing up for a tough three-game test over the next few weekends: they'll host the New England Patriots, travel to take on the Buffalo Bills and stay on the road to face the Los Angeles Rams. 

Win two or three of those games, and Tampa Bay is sitting pretty heading into a much easier stretch to end the year. On the other hand, a few losses won't completely derail the season, but it will definitely put a dent in any high expectations.

2. Carolina Panthers (5-4)

The Panthers seem to alternate between living up to some high expectations and falling apart each week, but this team has shown that it's capable of making a run for a postseason appearance.

Carolina picked up a big win in Week 9, taking down a one-loss Green Bay Packers squad by a score of 16-13 on a field goal as time expired. While quarterback Bryce Young underachieved -- with just 102 passing yards and one interception -- Rico Dowdle stole the show with 25 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns. 

Additionally, a Panthers defense that has looked lost at times came together in a big way, making all of the right plays when needed.

If there's one thing that seems obvious about Carolina, its that the team is never going to be the same week-to-week. The Panthers have shown that they can be good, but can they be consistent enough to make a push for a wild card spot in the playoffs, or even a divisional title? 

3. Atlanta Falcons (3-5)

Atlanta continues to find creative ways to lose every week, and that was emphasized in a 24-23 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. 

Michael Penix Jr. made some noise in his return, going 22-for-37 passing for 221 yards and three touchdowns. The defense let the game get out of hand early, but the unit forced a strip-sack late in the first half that directly led to points, then held its own in the second half. 

However, a missed extra-point attempt on a Falcons' touchdown with less than five minutes remaining in the game would ultimately cost the team the win. The team tried to put together one last scoring drive, but an intentional grounding call by Penix took the team out of field goal range and gave the ball right back to the Patriots. 

Atlanta just can't do the little things right, and that's going to be the downfall of its season. 

4. New Orleans Saints (1-8)

Saints fans must be wondering what they did to deserve the product they are forced to watch on the gridiron, and a 34-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday was about as bad as it gets. 

Head coach Kellen Moore has moved on to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, while showing Spencer Rattler the bench moving forward. In all honesty, both signal-callers look equally mediocre, and neither has been helped by bad offensive line play and a lack of weapons. On the defensive side, things are just bad. 

Everything that could go wrong for New Orleans has gone wrong so far, with no end in sight. At this point, the Saints are just going to have to hope they find some stars in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they've at least better positioned themselves to do so with the decision to sell assets at the trade deadline.