NFC South stock up, down at season's midpoint: Poor connection slows Saints

At the season's midpoint, here's whose stock is up and down in the NFC South.

Stock up

Falcons defense: Atlanta has one of the most improved defenses in football, ranking sixth in total defense after ranking 27th last season. The Falcons have feasted on a weak schedule, which shouldn't discredit what they're doing. A bad defense can get scored on by anyone; that isn't happening with Atlanta.

The team still must improve its pass rush. Entering Week 9, the Falcons are tied for 31st in sacks (15). However, the team's run defense has been solid, as has the secondary led by corner AJ Terrell and excellent free-agent addition Jessie Bates III. Considering the team's struggles offensively, who knows where Atlanta would be without its defense?

Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen: Cut during the offseason after nine seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Thielen, 33, wasn't anyone's first guess when predicting who would be rookie quarterback Bryce Young's favorite target in Carolina. However, he has been Mr. Reliable for the Panthers and it's leading to the veteran wideout putting up numbers that rival those from his two Pro Bowl seasons (2017-18). He has 57 receptions for 581 yards, an average of 83 yards per game. Thielen – who signed a three-year contract in the offseason – should remain one of Young's favorite targets for a while. 

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield: Potentially on his final NFL life, Mayfield has revived his career with a solid beginning to his 2023 season. He is completing a career-high 64.2 percent of his pass attempts for 1,600 yards, 10 touchdown passes and four interceptions. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Mayfield has been his ability to avoid sacks. Among the 32 quarterbacks this season with at least 100 pass attempts, Mayfield's sack rate (4.3 percent) is the fourth-lowest in the league. Mayfield has kept the Bucs competitive in the NFC South when many expected them to sink to the bottom. 

Stock down

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith: Public enemy No. 1 to fantasy football fans, Smith has been pretty bad for real football, too. The Falcons have one of the league's worst offenses despite boasting three top-10 skill-position players. Inconsistent usage of wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson has frustrated fans almost as much as Smith's flippant response when faced with criticism. 

London only manages one target or quarterback Desmond Ridder fumbles three times? None of that matters to Smith as long his team is winning, despite how unsustainable it is to win games without showcasing your best players or having your quarterback fumble multiple times in the red zone. It seems simple, but nothing is for Smith.

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer: Fitterer misjudged how close the Panthers were to contending by going all-in on rookie quarterback Young. Carolina traded its 2024 first-rounder – slated to be one of the top picks of next year's draft – as part of their deal to move up to draft quarterback Young. The team also parted with star receiver D.J. Moore in the trade, removing a valuable offensive weapon who would have made Young's job much easier. 

Carolina is in a rebuild and without a valuable first-rounder to get the team back to the playoffs. Exactly how valuable that pick becomes will determine how hot Fitterer's seat gets.

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave: The connection between Saints quarterback Derek Carr and Olave has been poor in recent weeks. Olave was one of the best rookie wideouts in the league last season and built upon his first year with an excellent three-game stretch to begin this season. From Weeks 1-3, Olave had 22 receptions for 302 yards; in the five weeks since, Olave has 22 receptions for 215 yards.

As good as Olave looked in his first season and through Week 3 this season, we're willing to bet that the former Ohio State star is experiencing a slump he'll eventually get over. The season hasn't gone according to plan. New Orleans needs him and Carr to get on the same page for the team to reach its full potential.