A few weeks ago, the New Orleans Saints were unbeaten and appeared to be on the verge of running away with the NFC South.
Not if the Panthers and quarterback Cam Newton have anything to do with it.
Carolina has a winning record at the midway point for the first time since 2008, when it won the division. Offensive tackle Jordan Gross said the Panthers have developed mental toughness and are finding ways to close out games.
It could be worse,Wholesale Jerseys Authentic. Tampa Bay (0-8) is still looking for its first victory of 2013.
"We don't care where Carolina is at or what they're doing," Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton said. "We care about what we can control. ... November and December is the time where the real teams start to separate themselves. The great teams separate themselves from the good teams. We know that, and that's what we're going to do."
They remain atop the division at the halfway point of the regular season, bolstered by the return of coach Sean Payton from his 2012 bounty suspension. But the surging Carolina Panthers are now nipping at the Saints' heels.
"Certainly things have not gone the way we had hoped,Buffalo Bills Apparel Clearance," quarterback Matt Ryan said.

"That's the difference between this year's team and the teams in years past,Adidas NMD China Wholesale," Gross said. "We are tough. We hang in there."
New Orleans (6-2) has dropped two of three games, while the Panthers (5-3) have won four straight to pull within a game of the Saints,Cheap Football Gear, whom they'll play twice in December.
Atlanta, by contrast,Authentic Jerseys Cheap, struggled to close out several tight games early, all while injuries mounted. Only one season after narrowly losing the NFC championship game to San Francisco,Stitched Arizona Cardinals Jerseys, the Falcons (2-6) are on the brink of their first losing campaign in coach Mike Smith's six seasons.