NFC South: Bucs back from the dead after shutout win over Falcons

Matt Urben, Falcons WireMon, November 2, 2026 at 11:08 AM UTC

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The Atlanta Falcons went into Week 8 with a chance to take control of the NFC South but were instead shut out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to fall to 3-5 for the season. One week after stunning the red-hot San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons lost to a Bucs team that didn't complete a single pass on offense.

On Atlanta's side, Michael Penix Jr. had a brutal game, throwing four interceptions just a few days after winning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.. The heavy rain didn't help Penix or the Falcons defense, which looked a step slow attempting to stop Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell on Sunday.

Despite an 0-4 start, Tampa Bay is now poised to seize control of the NFC South at 3-5 - with wins over the Falcons and the Carolina Panthers in back-to-back weeks.

As you can see below, the Panthers still sit atop the division, but they hold just a half-game lead over the Bucs going into NFL Week 9.

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NFC South standings going into Week 9 -

Carolina Panthers (3-4)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

Atlanta Falcons (3-5)

New Orleans Saints (2-5)

In Week 9, the Falcons will play the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain on Sunday. In case you were wondering, the Bengals are good again, having won three games in a row. Cincinnati sits at 5-2 overall, just behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC South.

The Buccaneers will head to Chicago to face the Bears on Sunday Night Football. As fans in Atlanta know first-hand, Chicago is an absolute powerhouse. Tampa Bay will likely need to complete a pass to win in Week 9.

The Panthers will host the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. The Broncos just upset the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Panthers had a few extra days to prepare since they had a Thursday night game in Week 8.

The New Orleans Saints are coming off of a bye week and will host the Cleveland Browns. Even though the Saints are off to an extremely rocky start, the Bucs have shown that it only takes a few weeks to get back on your feet in the NFL's most mediocre division.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFC South: Bucs back from the dead after shutout win over Falcons

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Source: “AOL Sports”