Buccaneers Don NFC South Crown For First Time Since Week 5

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled out ahead of the Atlanta Falcons for the first time in a long time in the NFC South.

Dec 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Tykee Smith (23) celebrates after intercepting the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back on top — for now.

It's been a while, but after Sunday's 28-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are kings of the NFC South once again. They stand at a 7-6 record, and after the Atlanta Falcons dropped their game against the Minnesota Vikings 41-21, the Bucs hold sole possession of the NFC South as the only team in the division that currently boasts a winning record.

The New Orleans Saints defeated the New York Giants 14-11 to move to 5-8, while the Panthers dropped yet another close game to the Philadelphia Eagles 22-16. Check out the full NFC South standings here below, with the Buccaneers on top:

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA	Home	Away	Strk.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7	6	0	.538	363	309	3-4	4-2	W3
Atlanta Falcons	6	7	0	.462	278	333	3-4	3-3	L4
New Orleans Saints	5	8	0	.385	290	292	3-4	2-4	W1
Carolina Panthers	3	10	0	.231	233	388	2-5	1-5	L3

This, of course, doesn't mean the Buccaneers can rest. The Atlanta Falcons hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bucs after sweeping them in the regular season, so the Bucs will have to continue to win games during this back stretch — and that means trying to beat the tough Los Angeles Chargers on the road this weekend at SoFi Stadium.

The Atlanta Falcons will have a chance to regain the NFC South crown by playing the Las Vegas Raiders themselves next week in Week 15. The New Orleans Saints will have a tough matchup against the Washington Commanders, while the Carolina Panthers will go head-to-head with the Dallas Cowboys.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Beat Raiders 28-13, Take First Place in NFC South

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