Let’s start with the good news. There’s absolutely a scenario where a seven-win New Orleans Saints team claims the NFC South title and goes into the postseason looking for an opportunistic win hosting an opponent with a better record — that is a distinctly real possibility. If the Saints can get some key players off of the injury report and onto the field, and if the coaches can do their jobs and cut down on all of the self-inflicted wounds, they’ll have a shot.
Now the bad news. Week 7 is nearly in the books and the Saints are ranked dead-last within the division. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s the reality they’re in.
So we’ll swing back to focus on more good news. The division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers choked in a big spot against the Carolina Panthers to lose 21-3 and fall to a 3-4 record on the season. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons got shellacked by the Cincinnati Bengals to the tune of 35-17. There’s just a game and a half separating the last-place Saints and first-place Bucs. The whole division is mediocre, which creates an opportunity for the Saints to rally back.
Bad has New Orleans has been, their division hasn’t been much better, and that’s keeping their competitive window open. Let’s take a deeper look at the state of the NFC South after Week 7’s games:
1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
Last game: 21-3 loss to Carolina Panthers
Next game: vs. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
2
Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
Last game: 31-17 loss to Cincinnati Bengals
Next game: vs. Carolina Panthers (2-5)
3
New Orleans Saints (2-5)
Last game: 42-24 loss to Arizona Cardinals
Next game: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1-4, pending result vs. Houston Texans)
