Lamar Jackson out vs. Falcons, NFC South roundup

There were no games on the schedule for the NFC South, but it was far from a quiet day. The headline across the division is Lamar Jackson’s confirmed absence for Baltimore’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ stunning win in Dallas continues to reverberate and the Carolina Panthers look toward key injury returns.

Atlanta Falcons: facing the Ravens without Lamar Jackson

According to Pro Football Rumors, star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who suffered a sprained ankle in Week 4, will miss at least one game and has been ruled out for the Ravens’ Week 5 clash with the Falcons. The outlet notes that this moves Tyler Huntley into the starting role. CBS Sports echoes that report, stating that Baltimore has ruled Jackson out for the matchup in Atlanta. For the 2-2 Falcons, that’s a significant shift in the scouting report, as they will now see the Ravens’ backup instead of a two-time league MVP.

Carolina Panthers: inching closer to reinforcements

Also sitting at 2-2, the Panthers hit their bye week with some cautious optimism. Pro Football Rumors reports that tackle Taylor Moton and defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton are moving toward a return. The site points out that Carolina reached the .500 mark despite a wave of early-season injuries that sidelined Jaycee Horn, Ikem Ekwonu, Michael Jackson, Jonathon Brooks, Nic Scourton and Wharton. Left guard Damien Lewis also missed Week 4. How quickly the Panthers can get this group back will help define the next stretch of their season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: rookie QB at the center of a wild upset

At 1-4, the Buccaneers sit at the bottom of the standings but are making league-wide noise. CBS Sports highlights that rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels engineered a “wild upset” of the Dallas Cowboys in just his second career start. The outlet notes that Daniels is an undrafted product out of Kansas who has stepped in while injured starter Baker Mayfield is sidelined. In a separate piece, CBS Sports reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, despite what it calls an “embarrassing loss” to Tampa Bay, is expressing interest in pursuing trades, pointing to Dallas’ draft capital as a reason to be aggressive. Tampa Bay’s surprise win is clearly having ripple effects beyond the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints: quiet day at 1-3

There were no major headlines surrounding the 1-3 New Orleans Saints. In a division where no team is above .500, however, even a quiet day comes against the backdrop of a tightly packed NFC South race that could swing quickly with the next round of games.