Just what the NFC South needed: a significant injury.
The division is a mess, and now a team that looked at one point like it could actually get to eight wins this season has lost a top playmaker. New Orleans Saints rookie receiver Brandin Cooks, a first-round pick, has a broken thumb and could miss two-to-four weeks, according to multiple reports.
So, to recap, the Falcons are 0-6 in games outside of the division and are in first place. The Saints are tied with them at 4-6, but have lost two in a row at home and just lost their second leading receiver. The Panthers are 3-7-1 and haven't won a game since Oct. 5, and the Buccaneers are 2-8.
The only thing that might get the NFC South champion to seven wins this season is that someone has to win the games when they face each other.
Cooks had become a consistent target for Drew Brees in the offense, and the Saints haven't been all that great on offense this year even with Cooks' contributions. Cooks had 53 catches for 550 yards and three touchdowns, with another rushing touchdown. Losing him for up to a month isn't going to help New Orleans turn things around.
After the Saints won at Carolina on Oct. 30, it looked like they were on their way to running away with a bad division. Now their invincibility at home is gone after losses to San Francisco and Cincinnati, and their next two games are at home against the Ravens and at the Steelers. They'll likely be without Cooks for both those games.
The NFL has had just one 7-9 division champion, the 2010 Seattle Seahawks. The NFC South champ might join them on that list, or they may create a new list for 6-10 division champions.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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