Not all stretches throughout an NFL season are created equal. A good month can launch a playoff push. A brutal one can bury a crew earlier than Thanksgiving leftovers hit the fridge.
Beneath, we look at essentially the most tough four-game stretches for every NFC South crew — the gauntlets that might outline division races, form playoff hopes and, in some instances, decide whether or not coaches and QBs enter the offseason beneath stress.
Weeks 3-6: at Green Bay Packers (Sept. 24) • at New Orleans Saints (Oct. 5) • vs. Baltimore Ravens (Oct. 11) • vs. Chicago Bears
(Oct. 18) | The early-season schedule consists of three consecutive primetime video games from Weeks 3-5. They play on the Packers on brief relaxation on “Thursday Night time Soccer,” then the Saints on “Monday Night time Soccer” in New Orleans. The prime-time sequence concludes at house towards the Ravens on “Sunday Night time Soccer.”
Atlanta will look to construct on a formidable 4-1 2025 prime-time report. It has received two consecutive “Thursday Night time Soccer” video games and is 9-1 in its past 10 “MNF” tilts relationship to 2015. The Falcons have had much less success on “SNF,” going 1-3 over the previous two seasons. They have not received at house in NBC’s sport of the week since 2019.
The four-game stretch ends on Oct. 18 with the Bears, who received their most up-to-date assembly and lead the all-time collection 16-14. By the top of Week 6, new head coach Kevin Stefanski could have all the information he wants on whether or not he made the best name between Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa at beginning quarterback and whether or not a change is critical.
Weeks 7-10: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Oct. 25) • at Packers (Oct. 29) • vs. Denver Broncos (Nov. 8) • at Saints (Nov. 15) | This stretch begins on Oct. 25 towards the Buccaneers and former Panthers QB Baker Mayfield, who’s 5-1 towards the Panthers with Tampa Bay. Then the 2025 division winner travels to Inexperienced Bay on brief relaxation for a “TNF” sport. The Broncos pose a tricky take a look at after making it to the AFC Championship Sport a season in the past, whereas the Saints could have the Panthers’ quantity after sweeping the 2025 collection.
Was final season a fluke or the beginning of a chronic run for Carolina atop the NFC South? These 4 video games will present readability.
Weeks 11-14: at Bears (Nov. 22) • at Cincinnati Bengals (Nov. 29) • vs. Packers (Dec. 6) • at Panthers (Dec. 13) | Even with a tough first two video games to the season on the street towards the Ravens and Detroit Lions, the Saints might simply discover themselves with a successful report coming into this pivotal mid-November by means of mid-December section that options three street video games. The Bears, Bengals and Packers have offenses that can take a look at New Orleans’ development on offense after spending the offseason constructing round second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. The Panthers will look to avenge final season’s house loss to the Saints in a sport that might have substantial stakes within the division race.
Weeks 6-9: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Oct. 18) • at Panthers (Oct. 25) • vs. Falcons (Nov. 1) • at Bears (Nov. 8) | The Buccaneers have skilled in-season lulls every year beneath head coach Todd Bowles, who’s 4-11 in Weeks 6-9 since turning into Bucs head coach in 2022.
Tampa is simply 2-10 all time towards the Steelers and back-to-back divisional video games are by no means straightforward. A “Sunday Night time Soccer” date towards the Bears, who the Buccaneers have not defeated at Soldier Subject since 2008, is a tricky finish to the stretch, which is able to decide whether or not Tampa has discovered from earlier errors or remains to be committing the identical ones beneath Bowles.
