Jessie Bates sees the Falcons through a different lens when Michael Penix Jr. is under center, and he made that much clear after Atlanta’s latest showing.
“We just want to show the world who we can be,” Bates said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com. “The first two weeks were not up to our standards.
Obviously, when you got [Penix] back there dealing, it’s a whole different team. So, we’re just excited to continue to go with this.”
In Carolina, Dave Canales defended Akayleb Evans after a Week 4 outing against the Lions that included some costly moments. The Panthers head coach said he thought the cornerback did plenty of good work even while allowing the big plays.
“I would say, by and large, [Akayleb] did a really good job,” Canales said, via PanthersWire.com. “He gave up some big plays.
He’d be up here telling you there’s a few opportunities that he would love to have back to play differently. I was able to connect with him on the sideline and just be like, ‘Look, this is a great opportunity.
You’ve given up a few plays, you know they’re gonna come back here. So just be ready for the next opp-because you’re gonna get that.'”
Canales also gave an update on several Panthers players. He said he is hopeful DE Jaelan Phillips (hamstring) and OT Monroe Freeling (knee) can suit up against the Eagles in Week 5, though he couldn’t say that with certainty.
Joe Person reported that. Mike Kaye reported that Canales said RB Trevor Etienne will for sure return after the bye, while DE Tershawn Wharton and OT Taylor Moton still need medical clearance.
Canales added that OT Ikem Ekwonu has more ground to cover.
In New Orleans, Tyler Shough didn’t hide from the mood around the Saints after the Falcons spoiled the anniversary of the team’s return to the dome. Shough said he understood the reaction from the crowd after a rough performance.
“Fans understandably are upset,” Shough said. “We had some opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of and you’re playing the Falcons and you lose like that?
I mean, I’d boo, too. That sucks.
We want to get everybody going. It’s part of it.
You have to have the energy of the crowd and we’re gonna need them next week too against a really good team. That’s the best part about New Orleans.
You feel it and we feel it too, and we’re gonna keep going.”
In Other News...
Panthers Fast Start Feels Real But One Concern Isn't Going Away
At the start of the 2026 season, the NFC South looked like a division waiting to sort itself out, with all four teams dropping their openers and Carolina buried near the bottom of the early power rankings. Since then, the Panthers have forced a very different conversation. A win over the Lions helped lift them to 14th in NFL.coms latest rankings, and their offense has been one of the leagues most productive groups, leading the NFL in passing yards per game while piling up 121 points through four games.
The fast start is real, and it has Carolina looking more like a team that belongs in the playoff picture than one trying to dig out of the preseason projections. Still, there is one concern that has not gone away, even as the rankings have moved up and the offense has kept humming. The Panthers have changed the tone around the team in a hurry, but the next stretch will tell whether this is a breakthrough or just an early burst that still has something vulnerable underneath it. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Has Changed Carolina's Biggest Long Term Question
The Panthers head into their bye week at 2-2 and in first place in the NFC South, with Bryce Young giving the organization something it has not had in a while: a reason to think long term without immediate hesitation. His early-season play has not just steadied the offense, it has shifted the conversation around the franchises biggest decision, because a quarterback who looks like this changes the timeline on everything that comes next.
Princely Umanmielen has created a similar kind of momentum on the other side of the ball, stepping into a larger role as a pass rusher and making it matter while Jaelan Phillips is injured. The Panthers still have plenty to sort out over the stretch run, but the combination of Youngs rise and Umanmielens emergence is giving this team a much sturdier foundation than it had a month ago. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Offense Could Get A Timely Boost Before Eagles Test
The Panthers head into their Week 5 bye with a chance to come out of it looking a little healthier on offense, which matters with the Eagles waiting in Week 6. Carolina has been hoping to get wide receiver Jalen Coker back after he missed time with an injury, and any reinforcements would be welcome for an attack still trying to find its rhythm.
Dave Canales also said running back Trevor Etienne will definitely be back after the break, giving the Panthers at least one clear addition before the next stretch begins. The bigger question is whether Coker can join him, because adding another option to the passing game would come at just the right time before Carolina takes on one of the leagues tougher matchups. [Read more 🡒]