NFC South

Carolina Panthers receiver D.J. Moore was not fined as a result of his controversial 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct in Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Moore caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from P.J. Walker to tie the game in the closing seconds in Week 8:

PJ WALKER TO DJ MOORE HAIL MARY. PANTHERS TIE IT UP 😱😱😱😱

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/on7Li6kOK1

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 30, 2022

Unfortunately, he received a personal foul call for removing his helmet on the field. Kicker Eddy Pineiro missed the potential go-ahead extra point after the 15-yard penalty, and Carolina lost 37-34 in overtime.

Panthers' tight end Stephen Sullivan was fined $4,583, however, for his actions during the celebration. Sullivan (No. 84) can also be seen with his helmet off in the end zone after the touchdown.

While Moore seemingly didn't take off his helmet until after he was out of the field of play through the end zone, Sullivan had run with his helmet off through the field to greet his teammate after the touchdown.

Moore was criticized after the game for his costly penalty, although he said he doesn't regret his actions.

"Regrets? Nah," Moore told reporters Friday. "Not to that extent. Should I not have done it? No. Did I do it? Yeah. And I own up to that. It was just like in the moment type of deal. Can I say if I would do it differently in that moment? Nah, probably not."

It was only the second personal foul call of Moore's career, coming after a taunting in September 2020.

His only career fine came in 2020 when he was docked $10,000 for breaking COVID-19 protocol.

Though it might have cost the 2-6 Panthers a chance at a win, it seems the NFL and Moore are ready to move past the incident. Carolina is looking to get back on track against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

The Atlanta Falcons are activating Cordarrelle Patterson ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

The team placed Patterson on injured reserve on Oct. 3 because of a knee injury. He has missed the last four games as a result, which is the minimum required for a player on IR.

The 31-year-old returned to practice this week and told reporters Wednesday he was back to about 90 percent healthy.

Patterson hit the ground running in 2022, going for 120 yards and one touchdown in a Week 1 defeat to the New Orleans Saints. His 141 rushing yards and one touchdown helped Atlanta earn a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. He scored another touchdown and had 38 yards on nine carries in a Week 4 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Without Patterson, the Falcons have leaned on Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley. Together, they've done well to maintain a steady running game.

Allgeier has carried the ball 84 times for 324 yards and one touchdown this season, while Huntley has 265 yards and one score on 57 carries. Atlanta's 158.1 rushing yards per game are the fifth-most in the NFL.

Many expected the Falcons to tread water in 2022 until they turn the offense over to Desmond Ridder or find a better long-term solution at quarterback than Marcus Mariota. Instead, they lead the NFC South with a 4-4 record.

Atlanta is in a good position to stay there in Week 9. With a healthy Patterson, the offense should be able to exploit a Chargers defense that is allowing a league-worst 5.7 yards per carry and ranks 27th against the run.

A video obtained by TMZ Sports appears to show New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara punching a man several times during a February altercation at the The Cromwell hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

Sources close to Kamara told TMZ the video "doesn't tell the full story," saying Kamara was responding after the other person, Darnell Greene Jr., started the violence.

Kamara was arrested after taking part in the NFL's Pro Bowl in Las Vegas and charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. The criminal case is ongoing.

Greene filed a civil lawsuit against the Saints star in October seeking $10 million in damages.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released details related to the case in October, saying surveillance video appeared to back up Greene's story, per WGNO's Kylee Bond.

Greene said after speaking with a woman he attempted to enter an elevator with Kamara's group, but was stopped when Kamara placed a hand on his chest. Greene said he pushed the hand away, which is when the violence started.

He suffered a fracture to the right side of his face along with minor injuries to his head, knee and arms, per Bond.

In July, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler the NFL was "monitoring all legal developments" related to Kamara's case but remained without a timetable to decide whether he'd face league punishment.

The NFL can punish players under the Personal Conduct Policy based on its own investigation, but it often waits for the results of the criminal case before a ruling is made.

Kamara has remained active for the Saints to open the 2022 season. He's recorded 700 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns in six appearances across the team's first eight games.

The 27-year-old Atlanta native is under contract with the team through 2025 as part of a five-year, $75 million deal.

New Orleans' next game is Monday night when it hosts the Baltimore Ravens at the Caesars Superdome.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara stood up for teammate Michael Thomas on Friday amid mounting criticism from fans and observers regarding the wide receiver's injury woes.

According to NOLA.com's Luke Johnson, Kamara backed the embattled wideout, saying: "For people to be talking s--t, it irks my soul to see that."

Thomas was placed on injured reserve this week with a dislocated toe that requires surgery, and Saints head coach Dennis Allen expressed his belief that Thomas will miss the remainder of the season, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell.

Injuries have ravaged the 29-year-old veteran in recent seasons, as he missed nine games in 2020 with an ankle injury and the entire 2021 campaign after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

Thomas played in three games this season before being sidelined by the toe issue, recording 16 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

New Orleans selected Thomas in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Ohio State, and he quickly established himself as one of the NFL's premier pass-catchers.

Over his first four seasons, Thomas missed only one game, and he finished with at least 90 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards in each of those years.

Thomas earned three Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections during that time, and his best season came in 2019 when he led the NFL with 149 receptions and 1,725 yards while also scoring nine touchdowns. Thomas was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.

Kamara and Thomas have been teammates since 2017, which was the year New Orleans used a third-round pick on Kamara.

Like Thomas, Kamara has been an elite player at his position when healthy, earning five Pro Bowl selections in five seasons entering 2022.

With Kamara, Thomas and quarterback Drew Brees leading the way, the Saints are just a few years removed from having one of the league's most explosive offenses, but that has changed due to Brees' retirement following the 2020 campaign and Thomas' injuries.

Now, the Saints are something of an also-ran in the NFC with a 3-5 record, and digging out of that hole without the best wide receiver on the team will be a massive challenge.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady backed linebacker Devin White after the Pro Bowler was criticized for his lack of effort in last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

It's gonna take all of us. We got you @DevinWhite__40 #GoBucs https://t.co/cHcRXMApOh

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) November 3, 2022

White was responding to a tweet from Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times after the Bucs' star defender previously addressed the criticism in his Wednesday meeting with reporters.

"I was on the far side of the field, on our sidelines, (in) coverage. The play happened on their sidelines, and I took off running. Obviously, I wasn't running the fastest over there. My teammates know what's going on," White said.

The tape showed White jogging toward Demarcus Robinson as the Ravens wide receiver converted a 3rd-and-9 to extend a drive in Bucs territory with the game tied 10-10 in the third quarter. The Ravens would score a touchdown two plays later.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said White was a combination of gassed and loafing on the play, indicating he was called out in a film session.

"We single out loafs all the time, if they're loafing," Bowles told reporters last week. "Some guys are gassed, some guys are loafing, but we single everything out."

Former Buccaneers star Warren Sapp ripped White for the lackadaisical play, saying he would strip White of his captaincy. It does not appear Bowles has any plans on taking such drastic measures.

White remains the best defender on the Tampa defense, and he finished the Baltimore game with 10 total tackles. That said, with the Bucs sitting at 3-5 on the season, it's understandable that there's been more concern about the one play White didn't make than the ones he did.

Tom Brady was going through a lot last week.

Alongside his much-publicized divorce to his former wife of 13 years, Gisele Bündchen, his Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a 27-22 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. It was the team's third straight defeat, dropping it to a surprising 3-5 on the season.

Tom Brady announces that he and Gisele Bündchen have finalized their divorce pic.twitter.com/lZktvTjHCD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 28, 2022

So it was only natural during a press conference on Thursday that the topic of managing both his personal life and professional life came up.

"I've always tried to do the best I could do here [at the Bucs' facility] and then when I leave here, I try to do the best I can do. That's what we all try to do," he told reporters regarding his work-life balance. "I'm sure everyone's sitting in this room, everyone's sitting at home is trying to wake up every day doing the best they could do for their families and their career. And I'm no different. So just do the best you can do every day. We certainly try to do."

Brady also called on the team's veteran leaders to step up and carry the team past its current troubles.

"You either back down to the challenge, or you step up to the challenge."

🗣️: @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/F9w8cHKlh6

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 3, 2022

"Our great players need to go out and execute well," he told reporters. "The guys that are in their first year or two ... it's hard to put too much on those guys. That's the reality. They're getting used to playing. They haven't played a lot of football. So the guys who have played a lot of football, we have to do a better job. And that's part of what leadership's all about."

While the 45-year-old Brady is well off the pace that saw him throw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns last year—shocking numbers for a player of his age—he's hardly been poor in 2022, throwing for 2,267 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception while completing 65.9 percent of his passes.

Still, questions will linger as to whether he kept his NFL career going one season too long if the Bucs don't turn around their season. It's not as though the seven-time champion and future first-ballot Hall of Famer has anything left to prove.

The New Orleans Saints are placing wide receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve to undergo surgery on his toe.

Head coach Dennis Allen is unsure as to his availability for the remainder of the season.

Saints will place WR Michael Thomas on injured reserve and he will have surgery on his toe, according to coach Dennis Allen, who said he doesn’t know the exact timetable but doesn’t anticipate that Thomas will return this year. Was a dislocated second toe.

— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) November 3, 2022

Thomas has already missed five games because of the toe injury. It was a tough break for the veteran, who had caught 16 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns through the first three weeks.

The second-round pick of the Saints in the 2016 draft hasn't played a full season since 2019, when he posted a career-high 1,725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl selection and Offensive Player of the Year award. He also set the single-season NFL record with 149 catches that year.

The 29-year-old was limited to seven games in 2020 because of ankle and hamstring injuries. He caught 40 passes for 438 yards. The ankle injury also resulted in his missing all of the 2021 campaign. He returned healthy for 2022, but the three-time Pro Bowler couldn't escape the injury bug.

The Saints are 3-5, though they're only one game behind the first-place Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.

Losing Thomas obviously won't help New Orleans get back on track for the postseason, and his long-term outlook with the team isn't looking good given how much time he has missed over the last few years.

The trades are continuing to come in fast and furious ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.

The latest is something of a stunner, as the Atlanta Falcons dealt suspended wide receiver Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a series of conditional draft considerations, as outlined by the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

There are conditions attached to this trade for Calvin Ridley. If he gets reinstated bye a date, it’s worth a 2023 5th, otherwise it's for a 6th. If he makes the team in 2024, it’s at least a 4th. If he hits play-time milestone, it’s a 3rd. If Jax get a long-term done, it’s a 2. https://t.co/RThnpL1ioO

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2022

Ridley, 27, was suspended at minimum for the entirety of the 2022 season in March after it was discovered he bet on NFL games in the 2021 campaign while he was on the non-football illness list and not playing.

Calvin Ridley is suspended in part because he bet the #Falcons to beat the #Jaguars last season.

Now he's on the #Jaguars. Un-freakin-real.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 1, 2022

He cannot apply for reinstatement until Feb. 15, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

His eventual return to action will give the Jaguars a dangerous, field-stretching option at wide receiver. Ridley's last full season came in 2020, when he posted 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns, emerging as one of the game's most potent playmakers.

The Jaguars have zero verticality to their offense this season

Some of that is playcalling. Some of that is talent.

Nothing to stretch the field. Nothing explosive.

Enter Calvin Ridley, who was 2nd in the NFL in 20+ yard targets in 2020 (36)

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) November 1, 2022

The Jags really need a bigger-play receiver moving forward after they overspent on mediocre options this offseason. Ridley can be that.

I like this bet. https://t.co/AG5mnutQ85

— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) November 1, 2022

The duo of Ridley and Christian Kirk, paired with promising running back Travis Etienne Jr., will give Trevor Lawrence a solid suite of weapons. Tight end Evan Engram has also had a resurgent year in Jacksonville, though he'll be a free agent after the 2022 campaign.

After a promising 2-1 start to the season, the Jags have lost five straight and once again find themselves in the running for the top overall pick in the NFL draft. Only the Houston Texans (1-5-1) and Detroit Lions (1-6) have worse records.

Ridley won't be available to the Jags this season, and it remains to be seen if he'll be reinstated ahead of the 2023 campaign. But if or when he's able to play, he'll provide a pretty significant upgrade at wide receiver, a major plus for the ongoing development of Lawrence.

The Los Angeles Rams reportedly offered the Carolina Panthers multiple first-round picks in exchange for defensive end Brian Burns.

Albert Breer of The MMQB (h/t Brendan Sugrue of Bears Wire) reported on the Rams' offer to Carolina on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Tuesday.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also reported the Rams offered two first-round picks for Burns and added that they included running back Cam Akers in those talks.

The Panthers have been active leading up to Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, trading running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals. However, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Carolina intends to keep Burns despite receiving a strong offer.

No team has been more aggressive on the trade market than the Rams in recent years. They dealt high draft picks in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2019, quarterback Matthew Stafford before the 2021 season and pass-rusher Von Miller last November.

Those moves helped the Rams win the Super Bowl last season, but it also left them short on draft picks.

For the 2023 NFL draft, the Rams are without their picks in the first, fourth and fifth rounds, meaning they would have had to deal from future draft classes in a trade for Burns.

The 24-year-old Burns was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

In his fourth NFL season, he is on pace for his best statistical campaign yet with five sacks, 36 tackles and eight tackles for loss through eight games.

After recording 7.5 sacks as a rookie, Burns registered nine sacks in each of the past two seasons, and he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection in 2021.

Since the Panthers are seemingly in rebuilding mode, securing two future first-round picks may have been attractive, but keeping a young, productive pass-rusher could have more value.

Burns continues to improve, and he is under contract next season at a salary of $16 million after Carolina exercised his fifth-year option.

If Burns continues to play well, the Panthers may make a longer-term investment in him, and they would likely be happy to do so since a star pass-rusher is among the most important foundational pieces in the NFL.

For the Rams, the 2022 season has been disappointing as they are just 3-4 and in third place in the NFC West.

Despite their struggles, they have a golden opportunity to reach the playoffs given how weak the NFC is as a whole.

Even the Panthers aren't out of it at 2-6 as they trail the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons by only two games. That may have played into their decision to retain Burns.

While reportedly turning down two first-rounders for Burns could come back to bite the Panthers, they've already picked up extra second-, third- and fourth-round picks in the 2023 draft, so they have plenty of ammo to add young talent.

The Los Angeles Rams and fantasy football players alike were surely holding their breath Sunday when wide receiver Cooper Kupp went down with an injury.

Fortunately for both, it seems like the game-changing playmaker avoided something serious.

Kupp told reporters he thinks he ended up "dodging a bullet" on the ankle injury, while head coach Sean McVay said he was "kicking himself" for leaving him in during the final minute of a 31-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

So Kupp might not miss much time, but even one game would be a problem for fantasy players reliant on his production.

That means it might be time to head to the waiver wire or even find a wide receiver to trade for ahead of the Week 9 slate.

The first name to target is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd. The veteran wide receiver has never been a massive producer, topping out at 604 receiving yards as his career high, but he looks like a fantasy sleeper after his last two performances.

Byrd hauled in a 75-yard touchdown catch in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday and followed it up with three catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in an overtime victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Only Kyle Pitts had more targets in the win over Carolina, suggesting Byrd is starting to establish some chemistry with Marcus Mariota.

Elsewhere, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer is another ideal target for either a trade or a waiver-wire addition. Mike Williams is sidelined with an injury, and Keenan Allen has dealt with a hamstring setback for much of the season.

Palmer is coming off a showing against the Denver Broncos that saw him post nine catches on 12 targets and even earned a recommendation from his teammate:

You heard it from @AustinEkeler himself - go get Josh Palmer! pic.twitter.com/vehuSojif8

— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) October 28, 2022

A potential under-the-radar addition for fantasy players is Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., who impressed against the Falcons in Sunday's loss with four catches for 87 yards on nine targets.

The LSU product was a second-round pick in 2021 and had just 138 receiving yards as a rookie, but he looked like a difference-maker with quarterback P.J. Walker under center in Sunday's contest.

There was a reason the Panthers selected Marshall with a second-round pick, and it wouldn't be a surprise if they look to target him more after his latest showing.