Buccaneers' biggest NFC South competitor gains ground in Week 9

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a much-needed rest on their bye week in Week 9, but now, their quest to win a Super Bowl kicks off once again — and to do that, they'll want to win their division first.

There were two favorable outcomes among three NFC South games this week, but the one the Bucs likely wanted to go their way the most did not. Here's how the NFC South is looking these days, and what each team has coming up:

Buccaneers must fend off Panthers in NFC South

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain the kings of the South, but their closest competitor is gaining ground. Here's what the NFC South looks like after Week 9:

The Bucs were happy to see the Atlanta Falcons drop to 3-5 after a loss to the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints get beat by the Los Angeles Rams, but the Carolina Panthers pulled off a big upset over the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field. With that, the Panthers are now 5-4 and are one game back from the Bucs in the NFC South.

The Bucs are still one game up on the Panthers, but they'll play a brutal stretch these next three weeks that includes the Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Rams. The Panthers and Bucs won't play until Week 16 and then again in Week 18, so that first and second game could have big NFC South ramifications if the Buccaneers and Panthers are close in record toward the end of the year.

The Bucs will face the Patriots in Week 10 in a big test, while the Panthers will face off against the Saints at home. The Falcons will travel overseas to face off against the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, which should be a tough game for them.

Commanders' nightmare loss to Seahawks continues to get worse with more unfortunate injury updates

The season is officially over for the Washington Commanders, and the nightmare somehow continues after the worst night in recent memory for this franchise.

The Commanders got blown out at home in primetime during a night that was supposed to be special with the throwback uniforms and Art Monk jersey retirement, but it turned into fans leaving in the middle of the second quarter, and a gruesome injury. You can move on from a loss, but seeing Jayden Daniels go down with a severe elbow injury was gut-wrenching.

Daniels' injury wasn't the only significant injury last night, as the hits continue with two more season-ending injuries

Luke McCaffrey suffers a season-ending injury

The game barely started before the Commanders suffered yet another injury, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey went down after returning the opening kickoff. He went down awkwardly on his left side, which is now being diagnosed as a broken collarbone that will have him out for the rest of the year.

McCaffrey was starting to really find his role in the offense and special teams, and now his season comes to an end. He was second in the league in kickoff return yards with 769, and also averaged 18.5 yards per catch. The Commanders turned to McCaffrey after injuries to Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, and he was showing a lot of promise with multiple tough catches.

He should be part of the offense next season, but another injury just shows even more how badly this team needs help at the position. The Commanders added Treylon Burks and hope to get a roster win from him, but major changes need to happen with McLaurin and Brown injured, and Deebo Samuel not under contract next season. The defense is another conversation, and they lost another starter for the rest of the season.

Marshon Lattimore is feared to have torn an ACL

The defense was an embarrassment once again, with the Seahawks blowing the team out before halftime, and it never got any better. Busted coverage and wide-open explosive plays were all over the field, and major changes need to happen on and off the field. It got even worse for Marshon Lattimore, who went down with an injury that is feared to be a torn ACL.

There's no easy way to put it, but it was a nightmare night for Lattimore. He played really well last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's time to admit that this trade was a massive swing and a miss by Adam Peters. It's unfortunate to see the season go down like this for Laittmore in what is very likely his last game with the Commanders. He's under contract for next season as well, but I don't expect him to be here after the defense faces an overhaul this offseason, if not sooner.

Injuries have been the biggest headline of the season with multiple starters suffering long-term injuries, and the roster honestly needs an overhaul as well. It will be a long rest of the season, with a massive offseason coming up.

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