Edgerrin Cooper hurt vs. Bucs, NFC South and West roundup

No NFC South or NFC West teams were in action yesterday, but the most notable development in this sector still involves one of them. The Green Bay Packers fear linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an injury head coach Matt LaFleur already suspects will end his season.

Buccaneers: rough start keeps getting harder

Even though the injury hit the opposing sideline, it throws the spotlight back on Tampa Bay’s early struggles. Beaten by Green Bay on Sunday, the Buccaneers are now 0-4 and firmly in last place in the NFC South. Their winless start has quickly put them in a hole in a division that remains wide open on paper but is already slipping away in the standings.

That latest loss, combined with a quiet Monday on the field, freezes the picture in the South. The New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers all sit at 1-2. No one has separated from the pack, but the Bucs are already chasing hard with four straight defeats to open the year.

NFC South: standings on pause

Behind Tampa Bay’s 0-4 record, the rest of the division remains bunched together. The Saints (1-2), Falcons (1-2) and Panthers (1-2) used the off day to turn the page on uneven starts and prepare for the next stretch. With no games on the schedule yesterday, none of them could take advantage of the Buccaneers’ early-season slide.

NFC West: 49ers out front, traffic behind

Out West, the off day also left the hierarchy intact. The San Francisco 49ers remain on top at 3-0. The Seattle Seahawks are next at 2-1, followed by the Los Angeles Rams at 2-2 with an extra game played. The Arizona Cardinals bring up the rear at 1-3. Monday’s lull simply delays the next chance to see whether any of the chasers can mount a serious challenge to San Francisco’s early lead in the NFC West.