Of all the bad football being played this season, the epicenter is the NFC South.
The New Orleans Saints got things started with a dismal showing Thursday night, highlighted by Andy Dalton doing this:
Andy Dalton with his SECOND PICK-SIX IN THE LAST 1:14
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 21, 2022
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/ZhIChYPag5
Then Dennis Allen said this:
Dennis Allen’s halftime message to Andy Dalton (who has thrown two pick-sixes) is to “keep doing what he’s doing” pic.twitter.com/S3EKwEr6Cg
— RosterWatch (@RosterWatch) October 21, 2022
It was a disaster.
As raging of a dumpster fire as that was, it pales in comparison to what happened Sunday with the other teams in the division.
The Atlanta Falcons allowed Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to throw for over 300 yards in the first half and finish with over 500 total yards and four touchdowns. The Falcons were outgained 537-214 and lost 35-17.
Joe Burrow is on one today.
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2022
This time to Ja'Marr Chase for a 32-yard TD!
: #ATLvsCIN on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/CArnZv4iDN pic.twitter.com/KxW2RKGWn4
Things got even uglier in Carolina.
Bucs vs. Panthers so far pic.twitter.com/BlXaIDnIlW
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 23, 2022
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers couldn’t get in the end zone all game. They lost 21-3, a week after a 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Tom Brady has a losing record this late into the season for the first time since 2002. That was his first full season as a starter and the only season he's missed the playoffs.
The last time Tom Brady was under .500 this far into the season (7 games in) was 20 years ago, when the 2002 Patriots lost four straight to fall to 3-4. The Patriots were also 3-4 after 7 games in 2001.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 23, 2022
Brady's never been under .500 eight or more games into an NFL season.
After being outplayed by P.J. Walker, there's serious concern Brady isn't the player he's always been. He spent the majority of the game looking less than happy to be there.
Tom Brady showing some frustration on the field. pic.twitter.com/HM6CbkHTb1
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 23, 2022
Brady shows visible frustration on the field after trailing the Panthers 21-3
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 23, 2022
: FOX pic.twitter.com/MD8Xz6K6PX
As for the Panthers, the celebration most teams would feel after moving a game out of first might be tempered after Carolina traded two of its highest-profile offensive players this week. The moves — no matter what Panthers officials would have us believe — were meant to jump-start a rebuild.
Trading valuable players and bottoming out now means the team stands a chance at drafting a franchise QB in the upcoming draft. For a team that’s punted this season away, getting the first overall pick feels like a better goal than going 5-12. Unless the team believes one of Walker, Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold is the future at quarterback, then any win this year diminishes the chances of getting that guy in the building.
The Buccaneers and Falcons had a chance to distance themselves from the cellar-dwellers in their division. Instead, all four teams are within a game of each other and have losing records. The NFC South is the only division in football without a team above .500 after Week 7.
The worst team in the NFC East is the Washington Commanders.
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) October 23, 2022
They are 3-4.
The best teams in the NFC South are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons.
They are 3-4.
The NFC South is the worst it’s been since 2014 when Carolina won the division at 7-8-1. There’s time for any of the four to get hot and make the division more respectable as the season evolves, but as we reach the midway mark of the season, let's be real. At a certain point, how a team has played outweighs the hope of how a team could play. We're reaching the tipping point.
The Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints are showing us who they are. It’s time we start listening.
Brady tried to warn us.
"I think there's a lot of bad football from what I watch."
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 6, 2022
- Tom Brady when asked about the parity around the NFL this season
: @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/2zHQuqXMAV
"I've watched a lot of bad football," he said.
He's been experiencing it firsthand ever since.
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