NFC South
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The NFC South refers to the Southern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League that was created prior to the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams.
The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Prior to the 2002 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers belonged to the NFC Central while the other three teams were part of the NFC West.
Contents |
| Season | Team | Record | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 12-4-0 | Won Super Bowl XXXVII |
| 2003 | Carolina Panthers | 11-5-0 | Lost Super Bowl XXXVIII |
| 2004 | Atlanta Falcons | 11-5-0 | Lost NFC Championship Game |
| 2005 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 11-5-0 | Lost NFC Wild Card Playoffs |
| 2006 | New Orleans Saints | 10-6-0 | Lost NFC Championship Game |
* The year listed is the year the regular season took place although the playoffs generally occur during the following year.
| Season | Team | Record | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Atlanta Falcons | 9-6-1 | Lost NFC Divisional Playoffs |
| 2003 | None | -- | -- |
| 2004 | None | -- | -- |
| 2005 | Carolina Panthers | 11-5-0 | Lost NFC Championship Game |
| 2006 | None | -- | -- |
| Team | Championships | Playoff Berths |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1 | 2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | 2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 1 |
- The NFC South has connections with the NHL's Southeast. Three of the cities have corresponding teams in that division: the Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. There is also a fourth team in this division that shares the Panthers moniker, the Florida Panthers.
- From 2003 to 2006, the team that had finished last in the NFC South finished first the very next season. Carolina finished last in 2002, and first in 2003. Atlanta finished last in 2003, and first in 2004. Tampa Bay finished last in 2004, and first in 2005. New Orleans finished last in 2005, and finished first in 2006.
- A team from the NFC South has appeared in every NFC Championship Game since the 2002 realignment: Tampa Bay in 2003, Carolina in 2004 and 2006, Atlanta in 2005, and New Orleans in 2007. The NFC South is also the first division since the realignment that has had each team in the division make at least one NFC Championship Game appearance.