Despite hot starts by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons now lead the NFC South five weeks into the 2024 NFL season. The Falcons have the same record as the Buccaneers but are 2-0 in the division with head-to-head tie-breakers over both teams.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Saints on Monday night to close out Week 5. New Orleans dropped to 2-3 on the season following a 2-0 start. Check out the updated NFC South standings entering Week 6 below:
| Pos. | Team | Record | Week 6 |
| 1 | Atlanta Falcons | 3-2 | @ Carolina |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-2 | @ New Orleans |
| 3 | New Orleans Saints | 2-3 | vs Tampa Bay |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 1-4 | vs Atlanta |
Week 6 will see an all-NFC South affair as the Falcons drive up to Charlotte and the Buccaneers travel to New Orleans for a battle for second place. However, Tampa Bay could move into first place if the Falcons lose to the Panthers on Sunday.
While we are barely a week into October, it’s never too early to look at the playoff picture. Currently, the Falcons are tied with the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC’s third seed. Overall, the team has a 54 percent chance to make the playoffs. Here’s a look at their current odds to finish in each playoff seed.
| Seed | Percentage |
| 1 | 5% |
| 2 | 10% |
| 3 | 12% |
| 4 | 9% |
| 5 | 5% |
| 6 | 6% |
| 7 | 7% |
| No Playoffs | 46% |
The Falcons need a statement win this weekend against the Panthers to build on what they’ve established over the first five weeks of the season. Sunday’s game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET inside Bank of America Stadium.
