They say the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. But the race for the NFC South won't really begin until nearly November. Then it will be fast and furious.
The first games between division rivals is Oct. 29 when the Panthers visit the Bucs.
The next Sunday, the Falcons get into the mix when they visit Carolina, and the Bucs travel to New Orleans on that day.
What this means is a team can't really win the division the first two months of the season, but it could lose it.
The Bucs, Falcons, Saints and Panthers play the AFC East and the NFC North this year.