The Carolina Panthers may have a different NFC South team to worry about than they expected.
The New Orleans Saints are 1-1 after rallying for a road win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-2. Carolina sits atop the division at 1-1 after demolishing the Atlanta Falcons.
Now the NFC South race isn’t suddenly a two-team battle between Carolina and New Orleans. There is far too much football left for that. It does mean the Saints have done enough to deserve a closer look.
Carolina Panthers must keep their foot on the throttle as a new NFC South rival surfaces
And the biggest reason is second-year quarterback Tyler Shough.
Questions remain about whether the Saints can maintain that level. Shough is only two games into his season, and New Orleans hasn't played Carolina yet.
But the early returns are difficult to ignore.
The other side of this equation is Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers entered the season with plenty of reasons to believe they could challenge for the division again, but they are now 0-2 after consecutive losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns. Pressure is building on head coach Todd Bowles, who might not survive another postseason absence.
Baker Mayfield admitted afterward that the offense has been too inconsistent in the red zone. That's a problem Tampa Bay can fix, so writing off the Buccaneers after two games would be premature.
Carolina Panthers should still feel confident despite Saints' early surge
But the Panthers don't need to write them off to recognize what is happening around them.
New Orleans has won a road game against a Baltimore team that is expected to contend in the AFC, while Tampa Bay is still searching for its first victory. The Saints have also gotten encouraging quarterback play from Shough and have shown the ability to make late-game plays on both sides of the ball.
That makes the NFC South more interesting for the Panthers, even this early.
The Panthers will get their chance to settle the question against New Orleans in Week 10 and Week 14. The Panthers also play Tampa Bay twice, hosting the Buccaneers in Week 7 before traveling to Raymond James Stadium for a Monday Night Football matchup in Week 12.
Those four games could have a huge say in how the division ends up.
The Panthers already know what Tampa Bay can be when everything clicks. What they don't know yet is how good this version of New Orleans can become.
Two weeks isn't enough to answer that question. It is enough to make the NFC South race a lot more interesting.
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