Buccaneers have new competitor in NFC South after loss to Lions

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have another team to watch out for after an ugly loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' comfortable lead has shrunk to just one game after a brutal Week 7 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.

The Bucs lost to the Lions 24-9 in a game that was quite frankly not as close as the score would indicate, and as a result, they dropped to 5-2 on the year. The Bucs are still in the lead in the NFC South, but they now have a new threat that many may not have seen coming after Week 7's slate of games in the Carolina Panthers.

Here's what the NFC South looks like after Week 7:

Carolina Panthers emerge as new contender in NFC South

Carolina Panthers cornerback Corey Thornton celebrates with Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA	Home	Away	Strk,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	2	0	.714	174	175	2-1	3-1	L1
Carolina Panthers	4	3	0	.571	145	152	3-0	1-3	W1
Atlanta Falcons	3	3	0	.500	110	120	2-1	1-2	L1
New Orleans Saints	1	6	0	.143	125	186	1-3	0-3	L1

The Buccaneers remain ahead in the NFC South at 5-2, but now, a new contender appears — the Carolina Panthers, who defeated the New York Jets on Sunday, are now just one game back. The Atlanta Falcons lost their game against the San Francisco 49ers to drop one game back of the Panthers at 3-3 (though they've had a bye week) and the New Orleans Saints lost to the New England Patriots to move down to 1-6.

The Buccaneers will face the Saints on the road in Week 8 before their bye week, so that NFC South matchup will be crucial for Tampa Bay. The Panthers are set to play the Buffalo Bills next week, but they'll do so without quarterback Bryce Young, who is recovering from a high-ankle sprain, and the Falcons will face the Miami Dolphins.

The NFC South no longer has a team with a positive point differential, with the division-leading Buccaneers holding a -1 point differential through Week 7. They had the exact same point differential through Week 7 in the 2023 season (with one less game), and they still made the playoffs then — the Buccaneers are currently in the driver's seat in the NFC South, but they can't take more performances like the one they had in Detroit.

The Bucs are on a short week, so they'll get back to practice on Wednesday in preparation for their game against the Saints.

READ MORE: Buccaneers get major boost with key defender back at practice

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Buccaneers may have hit jackpot with standout rookie

• Buccaneers starter who fans wanted cut is having a huge 2025 season

• Stephen A. Smith drops bold take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Former Buccaneers quarterback pursued by Colts