NFC South optimist, pessimist view of every team

Ridder is not the answer in Atlanta, and Smith's stubbornness in sticking with him will be the Falcons' ultimate downfall. Atlanta's inconsistent usage of top-10 picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson also speak to the struggles Smith has had trouble getting the most out of the talent around him. 

Robinson has been held under 50 yards and four yards per carry in three of the past four games. London had a season-high nine receptions and 125 yards in a 24-16 Week 6 loss to Washington and has at least six receptions and 60 yards in three games. He totaled five receptions for 59 yards in Atlanta's other three games.

Meanwhile, a Pitts sighting is about as rare as one of Bigfoot, with the former No. 4 overall pick only having two games with at least five receptions this season. Atlanta's defense is one of the most improved units in the league, making Smith's sluggish offense even more problematic. The Falcons are ready to contend for a division title, but Smith and Ridder will hold them back.

Carolina Panthers (0-6)

Optimist: Carolina is the only winless team in the league, which wasn't the expectation when it traded up to draft quarterback Bryce Young first overall. The Panthers were 7-10 a season ago, and adding Young was supposed to elevate them to a contender for the NFC South crown. That has yet to happen, but few teams are contenders with a rookie quarterback. After a rough start, Young is growing more comfortable. Among rookies with at least 20 pass attempts, Young has the highest completion percentage (63.2 percent). (h/t StatHead)

Pessimist: While Young has made incremental steps in the right direction, Houston's second-overall pick, C.J. Stroud, has looked like the better quarterback in the class through six weeks. Young's sack rate (8.1 percent) is 2.6 percentage points higher than Stroud's, and he's yet to finish a game with a passer rating above 100 while Stroud already has done so three times. Houston is 3-3 and on the precipice of a breakthrough. The gulf between it and Carolina is vast and will grow larger as Stroud solidifies himself as the best QB of the 2023 NFL Draft.

New Orleans Saints (3-3)

Optimist: Did you see that 34-0 whooping of the Patriots in Week 5? New England stinks, but that game showed how good the Saints can be. New Orleans has the oldest roster in football, and its veterans will lead it to the franchise's first division title since 2020. The Saints have an excellent defense, ranking sixth in scoring (16 points per game) and fifth in yards allowed (278.3 yards per game). Even with the unit giving up a season-high 120 rushing yards to Houston, the Saints rank ninth against the rush. 

Derek Carr and the offense moved the ball well against the Texans, gaining a season-high 430 yards, but stalled in the red zone. With big targets Michael Thomas (6-foot-3), Juwan Johnson (6-foot-4) and Jimmy Graham (6-foot-7), as well as talented playmakers such as Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the Saints will be better inside the 20 going forward. 

Pessimist: It's a bad sign that this veteran group still makes amateurish mistakes. Most veterans should be counted on not to blow a 17-point fourth-quarter lead like New Orleans did in Week 3 against Green Bay. Veterans usually show up for massive divisional games, which didn't happen when the Bucs steamrolled the Saints 26-9 in New Orleans in Week 4. Good teams also don't lose games they outgain their opponent 430-297, but - you guessed it - that's exactly what happened in a 20-13 loss to the Texans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)

Optimist: The Bucs emphatic Week 4 win against the Saints signaled the division still runs through Tampa. Baker Mayfield is rejuvenated, his 65.4 percent completion percentage the highest in his six-year career. He's also been excellent at avoiding pressure with an impressive three percent sack rate. The defense is led by the same core that helped Tampa win the past two division crowns, plus a Super Bowl. We doubted Tampa at the beginning of the season. Not anymore. 

Pessimist: The Bucs were not competitive in their two losses, which not-so-coincidentally came against two of the best teams in the NFC. Tampa was outscored 45-17 against the Eagles and Lions and still has road games against the Bills (Week 8) and 49ers (Week 11). Unless the Bucs run the table in the division, losses will pile up, knocking them off their pedestal.