With the last-place Carolina Panthers having lost four straight games and the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers churning out six wins in a row, the poles of the NFC South were beginning to part. A pair of inter-divisional matchups, however, put a stop to any added breathing room towards the top and the bottom.
Here’s how the four foes drew closer together after Week 8.
Panthers run over Falcons to snap their skid
Carolina was desperately grasping for a new offensive identity following the loss of running back Christian McCaffrey and the implosion of quarterback Sam Darnold. A Sunday afternoon in Atlanta gave them that grip.
Led out of the backfield by rookie Chuba Hubbard (82 rushing yards and a touchdown), the Panthers ran to a 19-13 victory over the host Falcons. As head coach Matt Rhule previously emphasized, the offense committed to the ground—amassing a healthy 47 carries for a season-high 203 carries.
A pair of returns in linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Stephon Gilmore also highlighted the team’s first win in 37 days. Their respective interceptions helped limit Atlanta to just 213 total yards of offense on the day.
Saints deny Bucs’ furious second-half comeback
New Orleans lost their starting quarterback in Jameis Winston for what’ll likely be the rest of the season in Week 8. So they probably couldn’t stomach also losing a game where they held a 23-7 lead in the third quarter.
Luckily for them, that defeat wouldn’t come—as the Saints held off the defending champions in a 36-27 win. While a mind-boggling 50-yard touchdown catch from Tampa wideout Cyril Grayson gave the Buccaneers a 27-26 lead with 5:44 left in the game, New Orleans drove back for a go-ahead 23-yard field goal by Brian Johnson on the next touch.
Less than 20 seconds of game time later, safety P.J. Williams picked off quarterback Tom Brady for a house call to put the cherry on top of a huge triumph.
NFC South standings through Week 8
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)
2. New Orleans Saints (5-2)
3. Carolina Panthers (4-4)
4. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)