The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were clear favorites to win the NFC South coming into the season, but after struggling to a 3-5 record so far, the Atlanta Falcons have taken full possession of first place in the division. The Falcons took the lead in the NFC South following their wild 37-34 overtime win against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
Tom Brady‘s slumping team still remains the betting favorite to win the division despite the Falcons taking the lead.
Check out the full odds below, via DraftKings:
- Buccaneers -135
- Falcons +210
- Saints +550
- Panthers +1800
After losing to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football at home in Week 8, a clearly-dejected Tom Brady reportedly sat at his locker in his full pads for 15 minutes as his teammates started to trickle out. He was uncharacteristically inaccurate during the performance, going 26/44 for 325 and a touchdown.
Leading up to the game, Brady squashed any notion that he might call it quits amid his frustrating season and off-field issues.
“I said last week that there’s no immediate retirement in my future. There was a retirement in the past, but I moved on from that,” Brady said via Sporting News. “I made a commitment to this team and I love this team and I love this organization. I told them in March I was playing and I’ve never quit on anything in my life.
“And I know a bunch of teammates that we all count on one another to be at our best and to work hard and to put the team first. And that’s what you commit to and that’s what you want your teammates to commit to as well.”
As for the Falcons, they’re currently playing with house money in what was once considered a rebuilding year. They’ve used a stout running attack to remain competitive through the first eight weeks.
Atlanta’s 44.2-percent third-down conversion rate is fifth in the NFL, and even though they pass the ball at the lowest rate of any team in the NFL, quarterback Marcus Mariota‘s ranks third in the NFL in average yards per completion (12.8) and leads all quarterbacks with at least 135 attempts in air yards per target at 9.8.
Even with all the star power on the Buccaneers’ roster, the Falcons are finding ways to win with an unconventional style. They’re fully under the belief that they can remain competitive in the division throughout the remainder of the season.
“Our guys don’t blink,” Mariota told reporters after Week 8. “Good plays, bad plays, they stay pretty even-keeled. When bad things happen, our guys are ready to step up and make a play. Our guys did.”
The Falcons will defend their first place status in the NFC South on Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Bucs will try to turn their season around after an elongated week of practice when they take on the Los Angeles Rams.
