CHARLOTTE — Eventually, presumably, someone will take control of the NFC South. But that was not the case in Week 9.

Only one team came away with a win, and it was the club that came into the day at the bottom of the division. The Falcons got Sunday started in Spain, while the Saints went to overtime versus Cleveland, and the Bucs fell in prime time.

In Charlotte, the Panthers debuted a new defensive look and found their offensive rhythm again. But a handful of missed opportunities and weird bounces stymied a comeback, as Carolina fell 26-21 to the Denver Broncos (7-2).

NFC South standings after Week 9:

1. Carolina Panthers: 3-5, 1-1
2. New Orleans Saints: 3-5, 0-1
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-6, 2-0
4. Atlanta Falcons: 3-6, 1-2

From Zyon McCollum's big night to a two-point conversion stop that delivered a win, trade deadline deals, and more, catch up on the rest of the NFC South after Week 9.

New Orleans Saints: Early dogfight turns into overtime, 23-22 win

The Saints have found themselves in close games all season, and even overtime thrillers. On Sunday, overtime broke their way with a 23-22 win over the Cleveland Browns, their first home win of the season.

The game started as a rock fight, with nothing but defense and field goals. With just over five minutes to play in regulation, the two teams had combined for five field goals and no touchdowns. Then Shedeur Sanders, in his first start of the season, found KC Concepcion for a 64-yard touchdown that started to break things open.

The Saints, not to be denied, answered with a touchdown drive in the final minute of regulation. Running back Audric Estimé, signed off waivers on November 3 to spark what has been an anemic rushing attack, did just that with 15 rushes for 72 yards and the touchdown.

Estimé was with the Saints for the second half of last season. After claiming him just last week, coach Kellen Moore said the plan wasn't to play the running back this week, but to give him time to catch up. But in practice this week, Estimé showed he still remembered the playbook and that he was ready.

"It is incredible to be honest," Moore said of Estimé being ready to go so soon. "I don't know how many guys can do that, especially for the amount of plays he played. He is a special person, a special player. I think our whole locker room is fired up that he's back in there."

Rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson made his NFL debut after missing the first seven games with a lingering hamstring injury. He fumbled on the 1-yard line in the second quarter, keeping the Saints out of the end zone early, but finished with four catches for 30 yards in his first game.

The Tyson fumble was just one of the Saints' red zone drives that faltered. In total, they reached the red zone five times and scored only two touchdowns (two field goals, then a missed field goal). And Tyler Shough was sacked five times.

But the New Orleans defense also had five sacks, led by Carl Granderson, who had 2.0 sacks on his own. Granderson became the first player in Saints' history to have multiple sacks in four straight games.

After Cleveland scored a field goal to send it to overtime, the Saints held the ball for over five minutes in that overtime period, before finally scoring a touchdown. The Browns and Sanders answered with a touchdown drive of their own, but the defense made a final stand, thanks to pressure from Granderson, stopping the two-point conversion attempt to lock in the one-point win.

"We finished when we needed to finish," said defensive end Chase Young, who had 1.0 sack, two quarterback hits, a pass defensed, a tackle for loss and four tackles.

Center Erik McCoy left the game with a biceps injury.

On Monday, the Saints traded starting defensive tackle, Davon Godchaux to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick, according to The Athletic.

Next game: vs. Carolina Panthers (3-5) in New Orleans, 1:00 p.m. EST

Atlanta Falcons: Overcome by Bengals and Burrow across the pond, 34-17 loss

The Falcons traveled to Spain for their Week 9 international game, taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid. It was a beautiful setting for an international fanbase that has grown exponentially in recent years, but the support wasn't enough to slow a Joe Burrow-led passing attack that scored three straight touchdowns to open the game.

The Falcons opened with a touchdown drive led by — who else— Bijan Robinson, then capped by a Michael Penix Jr.-to-Charlier Woerner touchdown pass. But Burrow and the Bengals quickly answered, and by halftime, Cincinnati led 24-10.

Atlanta added a Robinson touchdown in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough to overcome a day in which Ja'Marr Chase had 155 yards on 10 receptions (plus a score), and Tee Higgins had two touchdowns. Cincinnati won 34-17, and the Falcons dropped to 3-6.

Chase's 142 receiving yards in the first half alone were more yards than the Falcons have allowed to a single player all game this season.

"You (have to) force guys to kick field goals; you (have to) limit explosive plays," said safety Jessie Bates. "I think there were plenty of explosive plays that turned into 7 points — if you want to keep the game close.

"I feel like our offense did a hell of a job keeping drives going. But we just have to keep that score down, give our offense a chance to keep it close."

Penalties proved detrimental for Atlanta, which finished with 12 penalties for a loss of 88 yards. It's a season-high in penalties, and it's the first time Atlanta has had more than 10 in a game this year.

"We had too many self-inflicted things today that will make it really hard to win versus any opponent," said coach Kevin Stefanski, "and in this case, a very good football team."

Penix bounced back from a four-interception performance in last week's loss to the Bucs, going 20-of-31 for 162 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The turnover came on the Falcons' final drive, their last gasp to make it close with just under five minutes remaining.

Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus left the game with a possible concussion but was able to return. The Falcons were already without receiver Zachariah Branch and defensive end Samson Ebukam due to hamstring injuries.

Sunday was edge rusher James Pearce's first action back after missing the first eight weeks of the season, serving a suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, stemming from an offseason arrest for battery.

On Monday, one day ahead of the trade deadline, the Falcons sent their defensive stalwart, Bates, to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The trade was for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028, according to a report by The Athletic.

The Falcons will head back to the East Coast for another AFC matchup before their Week 11 bye week.

Next game: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) in Atlanta, 1:00 p.m. EST

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Turnovers galore for both teams, in 27-24 loss

As play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle said at one point, it was fitting that during a game in Chicago, it was as if Oprah was on the field, telling everyone they get a turnover. And while Tampa Bay won the turnover battle (more on that later), which usually indicates who will win the game, that patented late-game Caleb Williams magic came through for a Bears walk-off field goal that dropped the Bucs to 3-6.

For about eight hours on Sunday, Tampa Bay was first in the NFC South. And for a while, it looked like they'd stay there heading into Week 10. Williams picked apart the Bucs defense for the first quarter, jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then the turnovers started.

The Bucs went for it on fourth down twice in the second quarter, only to be denied by Devin Bush both times. And both times, Bucs corner Zyon McCollum got the ball back on two interceptions. Alex Anzalone, who had two interceptions last week, added another, and for the third straight game, Tampa Bay had at least four takeaways.

But the Bears nabbed two turnovers of their own, including a pick-six on Baker Mayfield, one of two interceptions he threw on the night.

"It comes back to obviously the turnovers for us, the interceptions," said Mayfield. "Especially when it turns into immediate points on the pick-six and that was obviously the difference in the game. The defense after they settled in played amazing, so you've got to make the throws, you've got to be more accurate."

The Tampa defense still wasn't done, though, and they added another turnover before the game's end (their fifth), forcing a fumble deep in Bears territory that gave Baker Mayfield and Bucky Irving the ball back with just four minutes remaining.

Irving, who had 20 rushes for 97 yards, added his second touchdown of the night off the possession, and Mayfield ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game, despite hobbling off the field earlier in the second half after taking one of four sacks on the night.

Despite Todd Bowles' defense playing well all night, pressuring and confusing Williams, the QB did what he does best on the final drive, buying time, finding open receivers, and getting Chicago into field goal range for the game-winner.

"The team fought, fought to stay in it, against one of the top teams if not the top team in the league," said Mayfield. "We're right there, so if we play clean football we can be proud of that. We need to get it fixed.

"We've got to take this bye to get healthy and continue to get guys back and just have it in our minds that we need to go on a run. Mentally it needs to be that way."

Receiver Emeka Egbuka returned to the lineup after missing two games with a concussion and foot injury.

Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury.

Next game: Bye Week