The Carolina Panthers got the luxury of watching events around the league unfold in Week 5 on their bye. Head coach Dave Canales must have been thrilled with the results elsewhere in the NFC South.
With the margins finer than ever, the Panthers saw two of their three division rivals suffer defeats. They remain at the top of the division at 2-2, but with things set to get tougher after their extended rest, complacency cannot become an issue.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the exception, ending their winless start to the campaign by stunning the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. Undrafted quarterback Jalon Daniels was sensational, but expecting that week to week is a lot to ask. But once Baker Mayfield gets back, this confidence boost could help them get back above water.
Carolina Panthers got good news during their bye as Saints and Falcons falter
That's still to be determined, but fans were more interested in the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, since they are expected to be Carolina's primary challengers for the crown.
Both lost.
The Saints became the latest team to be bamboozled by Brian Flores' relentless Minnesota Vikings defense. Tyler Shough looked like a deer in the headlights, and Flores blitzed him into oblivion.
He's not the first, and he won't be the last. However, New Orleans still lost on home turf.
Atlanta's fortunes seemed to be on the up. People were starting to look at the Falcons differently after they thrashed the Green Bay Packers. But just a few days later, a Baltimore Ravens team missing two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson undid them.
Carolina Panthers have NFC South destiny in their own hands
Michael Penix Jr. left the game with a rib injury, placing Atlanta's fortunes squarely on the shoulders of veteran Tua Tagovailoa. Unfortunately, he threw a crucial interception that All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton gratefully accepted. And the Falcons' race was run in overtime.
Now, the Panthers still have to take care of business themselves. But two of their three NFC South adversaries losing at the bye certainly doesn't hurt their chances.
Canales should be getting some key men back after the bye. The Panthers got an early chance to adjust and take stock of how things went over the first month of the season. And the timing was much-needed.
Destiny is in their hands. No standout team leads the division. And while they also have some problems to solve, the Panthers should feel confident about finishing on top of the pile if there are no more major injury setbacks from here on.
There will be many twists and turns to come. But as bye weeks go, this was a pretty profitable one for the Panthers.
And they didn't have to lift a finger.
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