After a 16-12 tune-up from the visiting Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers are 1-4 and in serious trouble.

The Panthers are having difficulty stopping the run (No. 25 in the NFL) and the pass (No. 20 in the NFL) on defense, are being destroyed by turnovers and, just like last season, are starting to be hampered by injuries. All of these pale in comparison to the troubles of Cam Newton.

Newton was the Panthers’ golden boy last year as a rookie, rewriting record books for first-year passers in the NFL. He passed for 4,051 yards, ran for 706 more and, between throwing and crossing the goal line with his legs, was responsible for 35 touchdowns.

His record-setting rookie campaign raised expectations for both the Panthers and Newton. Through five games of the 2012 season, Newton is far from reaching the bar he set so high for himself.

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It’s a good thing Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are good at coming from behind in the fourth quarter to win.

Atlanta scored 17 points in Sunday’s final quarter, and Ryan led the team to its 18th come-from-behind, game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime since he took over under center in 2008.

The bad news is that for the second week in a row, Atlanta needed to come from behind late to win.

Matt Bryant kicked the game-winning field goal in Week 4 over the Carolina Panthers with 10 seconds left in the game. Michael Turner ran for a 13-yard, go-ahead score Sunday to lead the Falcons over the Washington Redskins, 24-17.

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Both the Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks enter Sunday’s Week 5 matchup wanting to get Week 4 as far behind them as possible.

The Seahawks lost 13-19 to the St. Louis Rams and had just 319 yards of total offense.

Carolina lost to the Atlanta Falcons on a game-winning field goal after pinning Matt Ryan on his 1-yard line with just 59 seconds to play and no timeouts.

Seattle can move to within one game of Arizona in the NFC West standings with a win. Carolina, already three games behind NFC South-leading Atlanta, can’t afford to fall further behind.

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What do you say about an NFL team that had such high hopes for the season and has such top-notch talent on its roster that an 0-4 start to the season just seems utterly ridiculous?

Focus on the positives.

You scoff. How could there be positives to a winless first quarter of the season? There are, trust me.

The New Orleans Saints haven’t won a game yet in 2012, but they haven’t been blown out either. Losses to the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, were by eight points. New Orleans lost by three to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime and then by one point in Green Bay.

The two positives to take here are the margins of defeat are being reduced each week, and the total margin of defeat for the year is a mere 20 points.

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For those of you that aren't big fans of the way Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton mopes after a bad play or generally holds himself on the sideline or after a game during a press conference, get used to it. According to the Charlotte Observer, Newton's not changing.

Not only has Newton been criticized on multiple occasions for his sideline demeanor, most recently by wide receiver Steve Smith, but he was blasted in the media for stalling in the locker room after Sunday's loss by pouting with a towel on his head and his head between his legs for 25 minutes (according to Fox Sports South), and an extra-long lotion session (via ESPN's Ed Werder on Twitter) before his postgame press conference.

Newton seems to be placing too much emphasis on the pride he feels for the fact that a losing performance hurts him dearly. Losing hurts everyone, from superstar to practice-squad player. It shouldn't turn you into a diva, or worse yet, an inconsiderate crybaby.

Atlanta Falcons

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The Atlanta Falcons are a perfect 4-0 and facing a 2-2 Washington Redskins team that’s led by a rookie quarterback. There’s nothing to worry about Sunday when the team travels to FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Sunday, right?

That’s not exactly how the Falcons see things.

The Redskins have a lot going for them right now, and may be better than their record shows. Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III has the fourth-best quarterback rating in the NFL, and fellow rookie Alfred Morris ranks fifth in the league with 376 rushing yards.

The first-year duo has propelled the Redskins on the ground and has the team ranked second in the NFL in rushing. This bodes well as they’ll have the opportunity to run against the Falcons’ 29th-ranked run defense.

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No matter which side of the pay-for-performance, alleged bounty scandal anyone fell, the entire situation has been a PR nightmare—a terribly ugly situation turned nasty as both sides duke it out for the nation to absorb.

On Wednesday, news finally broke that may make both sides smile about the same thing, and dare I say agree on something.

Suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, assistant coach Joe Vitt and general manager Mickey Loomis have been granted special permission by the NFL to attend Sunday’s game at the Superdome. WVUE-TV in New Orleans was the first to report the news.

Quarterback Drew Brees is tied with Hall-of-Famer Johnny Unitas with 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. If Brees connects on a score through the air Sunday against San Diego, he’ll break an almost 52-year-old record.

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Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com sent out a note via Twitter Tuesday praising Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie safety Mark Barron. Jeremiah said Barron has been the most impressive rookie defender to date.

Barron's made 27 tackles, forced one fumble and broken up five passes, quickly showing why Tampa Bay used its first-round draft pick, and seventh-overall, to bring Barron from Alabama to Tampa Bay.

But there is a dark side to the statistics from Barron this year.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), only two safeties in the league have given up more yardage while in coverage than Barron, who has allowed 11 receptions and 171 yards through four games.

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