49ers stay perfect, Buccaneers sink to 0-4 — NFC South and West roundup

The NFC West is quickly emerging as one of the league’s toughest divisions, with the San Francisco 49ers still perfect at 4-0 and both the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams close behind. In contrast, the NFC South has a new low point as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers slipped to 0-4 and into the basement.

49ers in control at 4-0

The San Francisco 49ers extended their flawless start to 4-0 with a 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos. The game also featured a key injury on the other sideline, as star cornerback Patrick Surtain II exited in the first half with an ankle injury and was listed as questionable to return. With the victory, San Francisco strengthens its hold on first place in the NFC West.

Rams and Seahawks keep pace

The Los Angeles Rams moved to 2-2 and squarely back into the race with a dramatic 24-20 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Trailing 20-10 and with the Eagles on the verge of putting the game away, Los Angeles capitalized on a late offensive collapse by Philadelphia to flip the result, a performance that has reignited talk about the Rams’ Super Bowl ceiling.

The Seattle Seahawks stayed close behind at 3-1 after a 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. With three wins in four games, Seattle remains firmly in the hunt near the top of the NFC West, just behind the unbeaten 49ers.

Cardinals stumble, McBride incident under review

The Arizona Cardinals fell 36-24 to the New York Giants, dropping to 1-3. Adding to the frustration, the NFL is reviewing an incident between a game official and tight end Trey McBride that occurred during the loss in New York, after the official confronted the Cardinals’ pass-catcher on the field.

NFC South: Panthers back to .500, Bucs hit bottom

In the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers climbed back to 2-2 with a 32-26 win over the Detroit Lions, taking advantage of a division that remains wide open. The Atlanta Falcons (1-2) and New Orleans Saints (1-2) were idle and watched from afar as the race tightened.

Things are far bleaker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost 17-14 to the Green Bay Packers and now sit at 0-4. The game also brought bad news for Green Bay, as the team fears linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered a torn Achilles, an injury head coach Matt LaFleur suspects will end his season.