The NFC South was created in 2002 when the NFL realigned into four divisions per conference. Former NFC West teams the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers have been placed in the new region. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, previously in the NFC Central, will also be added to create a four-team race.
In the 22 years since the NFC South’s creation, the division has represented the NFC in six Super Bowl appearances. The division emerged with a Super Bowl championship three times, New Orleans once and Tampa Bay twice.
The division has been arguably the worst in football over the past two years, with the Buccaneers winning the division with a poor 8-9 record in 2022. Tampa Bay also won the title last year but was only a slight improvement at 9-8.
Entering 2024, the Buccaneers are poised to make NFC South history. The division is expected to once again have the worst record in the league. However, each of the four teams made major changes this offseason. Here’s a look at all four of his teams in the NFC South and their history since the division’s creation in 2002.
November 5, 2017. New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore breaks up a pass thrown to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans/Scott Krause – USA TODAY Sports
• 8 playoff appearances
• 7 division titles
• 1 wild card
• 3 NFC Championship Games (1-2*)
• 1 Super Bowl (1-0)
• 2 last place finishes
New Orleans holds a record in the NFC South by winning the division four years in a row from 2017 to 2020, and Tampa Bay could match that this year. The NFC South’s best record of seven division titles could be matched by the Buccaneers. They are also tied with Atlanta for the most playoff appearances of any team in the region.
The Saints have the fewest last-place finishes among their South rivals. The last time the team finished last was in 2008, and in that 15-year span it has far outpaced its opponents in the other three divisions. Their three NFC Championship Game appearances are tied with the Falcons for the most in the division.
New Orleans missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. This is the longest postseason drought since 2014-2016. They also missed the playoffs in the first four years after the NFC South was created (2002-2005).
New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) intercepts a pass to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) / Kim Clement Neitzel – USA TODAY Sports
• 7 playoff appearances
• 6 division titles
• 1 wild card
• NFC Championship 2 games (2-0)
• 2 Super Bowls (2-0)
• Bottom 10 people
Tampa Bay has won the last three NFC South titles, one of only three times in the division’s 22-year history. The Buccaneers are the only multiple Super Bowl champions in the division, winning both of their appearances in the big game. This also includes his 2002 district championship and Super Bowl XXXVII title, the NFC South’s first year of existence.
The Buccaneers have an impressive track record of finishing last in the NFC South 10 times, four more than the other team in the division (Carolina). They finished eight of their 10 seasons in the NFC South cellar from 2009-2018, including five straight years from 2011-2015.
Tampa Bay also claims 13 consecutive years without a playoff berth from an NFC South team. From 2008 to 2020, they watched postseason games from home. This is a streak more than double the current droughts in Atlanta and the Carolinas, which are the next longest.
November 26, 2023. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) breaks through an Atlanta Falcons safety Jesse Bates III (3)/Dale Zanin – USA TODAY Sports
• 8 playoff appearances
• 4 division titles
• 4 wildcards
• 3 NFC Championship Games (1-2)
• 1 Super Bowl (0-1)
• 4 last place finishes
Atlanta is tied with New Orleans for the most trips to the playoffs since the division’s inception. They also have the least number of division wins among the four teams. However, it will be countered with more wild card spots than any other South team.
Since joining the NFC South, the Falcons have advanced to the conference title game three times. This was his only win on three tries and he then blew a 28-3 lead, leading to his loss in the Super Bowl LI in historic and embarrassing fashion.
Atlanta has now missed the playoffs for the sixth year in a row, the second-longest streak in division history. They lost by double digits for four consecutive seasons.
September 18, 2023. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) catches a deep pass against the Carolina Panthers/Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
• 7 playoff appearances
• 5 division titles
• Two wildcards
• NFC Championship 3 games (2-1)
• 2 Super Bowls (0-2)
• Bottom 6 people
Carolina is coming off a 2-15 season, the worst record in NFC South history. They also finished 15-1 in 2015 en route to their 50th Super Bowl loss, the best single-season record in district history.
The Panthers have missed the playoffs for the sixth year in a row. They have won the NFC South eight years in a row since winning, which is currently the longest winning streak in the division. Carolina has had a double-digit losing season for the fifth straight year. This is also a questionable NFC South record.
The New Orleans Saints are the only NFC South team with a winning record against divisional opponents since NFL realignment. Since 2002, the Saints are 78-56 against the NFC South with a winning percentage of .582. During that span, they are 28-16 (.636) against Atlanta, 27-18 (.600) against Tampa Bay and 23-22 (.511) against Carolina.
It’s worth noting that New Orleans has a mediocre 6-6 record against its division since Dennis Allen took over as head coach two years ago. If the Saints have any hope of returning to the playoffs for the first time in three years, they will need to regain their edge over their NFC South rivals.
