National Football League

Bucs clinch NFC South title, Saints rout Falcons, Arthur Smith not happy

Published Jan. 7, 2024 4:47 p.m. ET

Finally, there are answers at the top of the NFC South standings.

The Bucs, thanks to a 9-0 win over the Panthers and their first shutout in 13 years, have won a third straight division title, and the Saints' postseason hopes are still alive for a few hours at least. New Orleans pulled away to a 48-17 rout of the Falcons, though they'll need the Packers and Seahawks to win later Sunday to get into the playoffs as a wild card.

Tampa Bay (9-8) will host a playoff game next weekend, likely against the Eagles, who came to Tampa in the wild-card round and lost in the 2021 season. New Orleans (9-8) has the consolation of a winning record and a convincing win against their division rivals, sending Atlanta to their third straight 7-10 record.

Is this the end for Falcons coach Arthur Smith? Atlanta lost four of its last five games after having control of its playoff destiny in December. The Falcons blew a fourth-quarter lead on the Bucs on a touchdown with 31 seconds left, and that started a 1-4 finish. Smith cursed at Saints coach Dennis Allen after the game, upset that New Orleans punched in a 1-yard touchdown out of a victory formation after an interception return to the goal line.

Reportedly, the Saints asked if they could get Jamaal Williams a touchdown at the end — he led the NFL with 17 TDs last year and didn't have one this year — and he told them to take a knee. They ran it anyway.

Tampa Bay makes the playoffs for a fourth year in a row, but the Bucs offense has struggled in the last two weeks. They trailed the Saints 20-0 in the fourth quarter last week and could only manage three field goals Sunday against the league's No. 30 scoring defense in Carolina. Baker Mayfield, playing despite a rib injury, couldn't find the end zone but also managed to avoid any turnovers.

Part of the Saints' strong late-season surge was improved play from quarterback Derek Carr, who threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in Sunday's win. In Carr's final four games, he threw for 12 touchdowns against a single interception, leading New Orleans to a 3-1 finish to its season. He ends the year with 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions, matching the second-fewest picks in his career and getting his most touchdowns since 2020.

The Bucs' win bodes well for coach Todd Bowles coming back for a third season, and the same is likely true for Allen, but Smith has made it a tough decision for Falcons owner Arthur Blank moving forward. Only three NFL coaches have been kept after three straight losing seasons in the past decade, and none ever had a winning season with that team again.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.