:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71793175/1452232500.0.jpg "NFL standings, Week 16: Where things stand in NFC South playoff picture moving toward Week 17")
If we didn't know the NFC South was the worst division in football, we likely do now. The Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints still have a shot at winning the division and even if they win out, each team could only finish 8-9 at best. It isn't unheard of to make the playoffs with a losing record, but it just doesn't look great for a top-four seed to have a worse record than their first-round opponent.
The Saints pulled off a 17-10 win over the Cleveland Browns in a frigidly cold game. The Panthers also secured a win, but theirs was against the Detroit Lions at home. The Atlanta Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention with their 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on a Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals and came away with a win to close out Christmas Day. The Bucs remain in first place a game up on the Panthers and Saints with two weeks remaining.
Below is a rundown of the NFC South division standings, each team's opponent next week, and their division title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook heading toward Week 17.
| NFC South | Record | Wk opp | Week 1 | Week 16 | Week 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFC South | Record | Wk opp | Week 1 | Week 16 | Week 17 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7-8 | vs. CAR | -250 | -300 | TBD |
| Carolina Panthers | 6-9 | @ TB | +900 | +400 | TBD |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-9 | @ PHI | +310 | +1600 | TBD |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-10 | vs. ARI | +3500 | +1600 | OTB |