A season ago, the NFC South was won by a team that lost more games than it won. That would be the Carolina Panthers, who captured its first division title since 2015 with an 8-9 win-loss record. Of course, that was also the case back in 2022, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished 2022 also managed an 8-9 mark and walked away with the top spot in the division.

Panthers and Saints own the best record in the woeful NFC South

Speaking of the Panthers, they are currently tied for the best record in the NFC South with the 3-5 New Orleans Saints. Dave Canales's team currently has the tie-breaking edge due to the fact that they have split a pair of divisional games. On the other hand, Kellen Moore’s club was blasted at home by the Atlanta Falcons, 45-24, on a Monday night in Week 4 in the club’s lone clash with an NFC South rival this season.

That changes this week when the Saints host the Panthers on Sunday afternoon for the first of their two meetings. A year ago, Moore’s team finished 6-11 and in the division basement (the 3 other clubs all posted 8-9 records), but they managed to sweep Carolina. And given the way things have gone for each of the four clubs at home this season, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen at the Superdome.

Home is not where the NFC South’s heart is

Not only is every team in this division at least two games under .500, the four clubs all own sub-.500 marks at home. Now keep in mind that the Saints and Falcons have “home” losses to the Steelers and Bengals in Paris and Madrid, respectively. Take those setbacks out and Carolina (1-3), New Orleans (1-3), Tampa Bay (1-4), and Atlanta (1-3) are a combined 4-13 in their own buildings this season.

As for Canales’s club, it is currently in the midst of a three-game skid, the latest loss a 26-21 home setback to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The slide began back in Week 7 at Bank of America Stadium, when the Bucs opened up a 33-6 halftime advantage on the way to a 43-13 victory. That was followed by a Thursday night loss at Lambeau Field and yesterday’s loss to Sean Payton’s surging club.

Could the NFC South be had without a winning record again?

Ultimately, it may be the Saints who decide who wins this division due to the fact that they will face NFC South rivals in four of their final five games.

Here are the latest NFL Power Rankings via Vinny Iyer of The Sporting News, and it certainly speaks volumes when it comes to this quartet. He has the Buccaneers as the division’s top team, but at No. 21. They are followed by the Falcons at No. 22, the Saints at No. 23 and the slumping Panthers at No. 25.

Is it a foregone conclusion that the NFC South will have a champion with a losing record for the third time in five years? And is it possible we could see this division by a team with 10 losses?