NFL Week 11: Who's Hot, Who's Not in the NFC South

The NFC South is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. With three potential playoff teams, each week is more important than the next as the likes of New Orleans, Atlanta and Tampa Bay strive for the division lead.

While the tectonic plates of the division may have shifted with New Orleans' win over Atlanta this weekend, each team in the top three is still very much in the mix.

Here is a look at who is hot, and who is not in the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints

HOT

The Saints won a game they should have lost while the Falcons lost a game they should have lost at first, but then should have won by the time overtime rolled around.

It doesn't get much better than that for New Orleans—they hop a game above their division rivals as Sean Payton rejoined the sidelines. 

The Saints stopped Michael Turner (photo) on a critical 4th-and-inches from the Atlanta 30. After the game-changing defensive stop, the Saints, led by Drew Brees, were able to waltz their way to victory.

Atlanta Falcons

Somewhere in the Middle

I'd like to say they are not hot, but that is a bit too extreme for a team that seemingly just hit their stride. Win or lose against New Orleans, they played good football and will continue to do so.

They're 3-1 in their last four games and should probably be on a four-game winning streak. This team may have blown their opportunity by going for it on 4th-and-inches in their own territory, but to say this team is spiraling out of control or is going in the wrong direction is a bit too extreme.

Harry Douglas

HOT

The Falcons brought in Julio Jones to make big plays, which Harry Douglas must love because defenses forget about him.

The oft-injured wideout torched the Saints on Sunday with several big plays down the stretch in regulation. He caught eight passes for 133 yards, 46 of which came off a thrilling catch and run.

He's fast and can make defenders miss, and he is probably dismissed by opposing defensive coordinators. After last week, that could all change.

With Roddy White struggling, Douglas could emerge as the Falcons' most efficient receiver if he keeps this up.

Roddy White

NOT

What happened to the sure-handed receiver that led the league in receptions last season? 

Apparently, that receiver is gone. White dropped a potential game winner in the waning seconds of regulation. That, along with several other drops and miscues this season, has left Falcons fans in fear.

At times, Roddy White can be the best wide receiver in the league. But he isn't playing like it, and it's hurting the Atlanta offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NOT

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sliding fast.

After getting walloped by the Texans on Sunday, Tampa slips to 4-5 on the season and third in the conference, leaving them with a lot of ground to make up. 

They aren't moving the ball effectively. The ground game has come to a halt, and receivers aren't making many plays down the field. 

The Bucs need to tighten up their loose screws before they fall any further in a heated division race.

If they don't watch out, it'll just be the Dirty Birds from Atlanta battling it out with the favorite Saints for the top spot in the division.

Josh Freeman

NOT

Freeman has been dubbed the comeback kid more than once in his early career.

He has a knack for winning ball games late, but recently, he hasn't put his team in a position to make a comeback.

The comeback must be feasible by the time the fourth quarter rolls around. Right now, it's not in Tampa Bay, and that has a lot do with Freeman's ability to move the offense down the field.

The Bucs are losing ground in the division race, so Freeman will once again need to use his heroics to rescue Tampa Bay from destruction.

Carolina Panthers

NOT

Cam Newton may be a godsend for this team, but they still aren't very good—they got thrashed by Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans.

While Newton is exciting, the team as a whole is not producing enough to win football games.

The run defense is terrible, slightly worse than the overall defense itself, which has been allowing a massive amount of points all season long.

Carolina has a lot of young talent on their team, but it needs to be cultivated before we start seeing results.

The Division as a Whole

Somewhere in the Middle

The division, as a whole, is still one of the more prominent in the NFL.

There are three teams fighting for playoff spots, and two are likely to make it (New Orleans and Atlanta). 

However, with Tampa Bay's recent slide and Carolina not being there yet, the division, from top to bottom, is not as good as the AFC North or NFC North. 

A talented Panthers team and an up-and-coming Bucs team could change that in a few years, but for now, the division remains extremely competitive as the Falcons continue their uphill battle against the Saints.