The Buccaneers gathered around coach Todd Bowles for his postgame speech in the locker room after a 23-3 victory over the Saints on Sunday, waiting and hoping for the good news every player wants to hear heading into a bye week.

With the season approaching its halfway point, much has changed in the NFL since last season. However, not much has changed in the NFC South. Sure, new players and coaches have arrived, but the division’s hierarchy from 2024 appears unchanged.

The Carolina Panthers are currently riding a three-game winning streak. They are part of a division that is looking a lot better these days than in year’s past.

There are a few running backs around the league that have been talked about as potential options ahead of the trade deadline, and names like Breece Hall and Jerome Ford have been connected to the Chargers. However, Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News has come up with a name that is a bit of a surprise: Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers .

The Packers lead the NFC North and the conference. The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFC West on a tiebreaker. The Philadelphia Eagles are dominating the NFC East. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still hold the NFC South lead despite their loss.

The Carolina Panthers find themselves in a very surprising position: second in the NFC South. They're somehow just a game out of first place, which seemed impos