Bijan Robinson torches Saints as Falcons climb back — NFC South and West roundup

The Atlanta Falcons jumped right back into the NFC South race with a blowout win in New Orleans, Bryce Young kept Carolina’s passing game at the top of the league, and the Seattle Seahawks moved quickly to shore up their backfield ahead of a showdown with the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers.

Falcons 45 – 24 Saints: Robinson dominates, NFC South tightens up

Bijan Robinson controlled Monday night from start to finish, piling up 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 45-24 Falcons win at the Superdome. Atlanta climbs to 2-2 and tightens a division where every early result matters, turning what was billed as a key quarterback matchup between Tyler Shough and Michael Penix Jr. into a statement on the ground by Robinson and the Falcons’ offense.

For the New Orleans Saints, now 1-3, the night carried emotional weight beyond the scoreboard. Steve Gleason returned to the Superdome 20 years after his famed blocked punt in the Rebirth game against Atlanta, honored by the franchise and still at the forefront of the ALS fight. On the roster front, New Orleans remains without rookie first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson, whose hamstring injury is expected to keep him on injured reserve until at least Week 7.

Panthers rising behind Young, Buccaneers stuck at 0-4

At 2-2, the Carolina Panthers are riding a very different version of Bryce Young than the one that was once benched. The quarterback just threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-26 Sunday night win over the Lions, capping a scorching start that has him leading the entire NFL in passing and reshaping the early NFC South picture.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at the opposite end at 0-4 and just lost a veteran presence from their secondary. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting is heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed him off Tampa Bay’s practice squad to help a battered defensive backfield, leaving the Bucs thinner as they search for their first win.

49ers stay perfect, Seahawks active, Rams under scrutiny

Out West, the San Francisco 49ers are out front at 4-0, powered by a defense led in Denver by Dre Greenlaw’s 12 tackles in a 24-14 win over the Broncos. The 3-1 Seattle Seahawks are pushing to keep pace, signing veteran running back Joe Mixon to help an injury-ravaged backfield a week before a crucial divisional matchup with San Francisco. Seattle is also navigating the league’s new injured reserve rules, which are already influencing how they manage potential returns in Week 5.

The Los Angeles Rams, sitting at 2-2 after a notable Week 4 comeback over the Eagles, are dealing with non-football headlines as well. Head coach Sean McVay said he addressed his assistants about their viral interaction with Eagles fans in Philadelphia and stressed the need for better emotional control. Elsewhere in the division, the 1-3 Arizona Cardinals are part of a league-wide talking point after the NFL handed rare suspensions to officials Jeff Seeman and Adrian Hill for unprofessional conduct toward players, the first such bans since 2018.