I’ve been looking at the NFC South standings, and I’ll tell you what — this division isn’t good. And that’s what makes this whole thing so frustrating.
Carolina’s sitting on top at 8–7, Tampa’s right behind them, and the rest of the division is just… surviving. Nobody’s running away with it. Nobody’s scary. Nobody looks like a real playoff threat.
Which brings me to the Saints.
At 5–10, the record is what it is — and I’m not pretending otherwise. But when you look around this division, it’s hard not to think about all the games that slipped away. Missed opportunities. Self-inflicted mistakes. Games that should have gone the other way.
Carolina leads the division with a negative point differential. Tampa’s inconsistent. Atlanta can’t get out of its own way. And yet here we are on the outside looking in.
The part I do like? The Saints aren’t quitting. Three straight wins, some stability at quarterback, and a defense that’s still playing with pride. That matters — especially in a division where nobody’s clearly better than you.
But the truth is this: the NFC South didn’t pass the Saints by this year. The Saints let it get away.
This division was there for the taking, and too many mistakes early buried them before they ever had a chance to make a real run. That’s the lesson.
Going forward, I don’t want excuses. I want smarter football. Cleaner execution. And a team that understands that in this division, you don’t need to be great — you just need to be consistent.
Because right now, the NFC South is proof of one thing:
Nobody owns it. Someone just has to take it.
Who Dat.
— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank