NFL Power Rankings: Division Rankings After Week 15

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown (12) runs for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers strong safety Roman Harper (41) and defensive end Mario Addison (97) and defensive back Colin Jones (42) defend in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 19-17 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

8) NFC South

Week 15 qualified as a positive week for the NFC South, despite a 2-2 record. The biggest victory came from the New Orleans Saints, who held serve against the Chicago Bears on Monday night to claim the outright lead in the division. The Saints have long been seen as the most talented team in the division, but now, they fully control their own destiny as the only team capable of reaching 8-8 for the season.

Carolina and Atlanta are, as of now, jockeying for second place, but the Panthers did secure a division win (!) over the Bucs this week. The Falcons competed for the majority of their loss to Pittsburgh, but with Carolina winning without Cam Newton, they certainly did more to positively affect their perception.

Tampa Bay isn’t very good at football this season, and even when they’re “frisky”, it can’t be ignored that they are 2-12 on the year. In the end, the NFC South isn’t quite as bad as it looked a couple of weeks ago, but when your flagship franchise is searching for an optimal 8-8 finish, the choice isn’t difficult at the “top” of these rankings.

Next: AFC South

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