(My Sportsbook) - Josh Johnson's first career NFL start couldn't have gotten off to a more perfect beginning for the young quarterback. The end result, however, turned out to be more of the same for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Johnson's initial pass in Sunday's clash with the Washington Redskins landed in the arms of wide receiver Antonio Bryant for an eight-yard touchdown, the sophomore signal-caller's first-ever scoring strike in a regular-season game. Johnson produced few other significant plays in his starting debut, however, and the Bucs wound up leaving FedEx Field with a discouraging 16-13 loss.

The athletic 23-year-old, a fifth-round choice of Tampa Bay in the 2008 draft, did show enough to offer a glimpse of optimism to a team that has now lost eight consecutive times dating back to last season. Johnson rushed for 41 yards on seven scrambles while displaying impressive elusiveness from the pocket, and his one interception was two less than his more experienced and better regarded counterpart, the Redskins' Jason Campbell, had on Sunday.

Johnson, who replaced ineffective veteran Byron Leftwich in the second half of the Bucs' forgettable 24-0 home loss to the New York Giants in Week 3, finished with 106 yards and the one early score on 13-of-22 passing.

"There were maybe four or five throws I wish I could have back, a couple plays I wish I could have back," said Johnson of his performance. "I've just got to try to get the guys, the playmakers, the ball more. I know [the Redskins] did a lot from a defensive standpoint to try to take them out of the game, but there are ways to get these guys the ball and we all can do better."

Perhaps Johnson and the Buccaneers could have come away a winner if not for a pair of long field-goal misses from kicker Mike Nugent, one from 48 yards away, the other a 49-yard try. The offseason free-agent pickup has now misfired on four-of-six three-point attempts through the first four weeks.

Nugent's failures wound up costing him his job, as the ex-Ohio State star was released on Monday and replaced by Shane Andrus, a former NFL Europa participant who handled kickoff duties for one game with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this season.

QUICK HITS: Second-year cornerback Aqib Talib had all three picks of Campbell on Sunday, tying a club single-game record set twice previously by current teammate Ronde Barber...Defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson set up Johnson's touchdown pass to Bryant with a sack and forced fumble on the Washington 10- yard line early in the first quarter...Running back Derrick Ward was inactive for Sunday's test due to a knee injury...Reserve cornerback Marcus Hamilton was also released on Monday to clear a spot for free safety Tanard Jackson, who has finished serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy.

NEXT UP: The Buccaneers will close out their tour of the NFC East with this coming Sunday's visit to Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. In addition to last week's loss to Washington, Tampa Bay has also dropped home verdicts to Dallas (34-21) and the New York Giants (24-0) this year. The 2-1 Eagles, who did not have a game last weekend, are a perfect 10-0 under head coach Andy Reid following a bye.

NEW ORLEANS: For those holding the belief that the only way the New Orleans Saints can win games is by outscoring the opposition behind prolific passing days from quarterback Drew Brees, the team presented quite a counterpoint to that notion with this past Sunday's showing against the New York Jets.

A noticeably improved defense accounted for two of the Saints' three touchdowns in their 24-10 victory over the previously-unbeaten Jets at the Superdome, while forcing New York quarterback Mark Sanchez into a litany of mistakes. New Orleans intercepted the hotshot rookie three times and sacked him on four occasions, one of which was recovered by defensive tackle Remi Ayodele in the end zone.

Veteran safety Darren Sharper, one of the key offseason additions to the Saints' revamped stop unit, gave his new team a 10-0 lead when he took a Sanchez pick 97 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

Such opportunistic displays have been commonplace for New Orleans, which is off to only the third 4-0 start in its 43-year history. The Saints lead the NFL with 13 takeaways and 10 interceptions, with the 33-year-old Sharper having already delivered five picks and a pair of scores through the first four weeks.

"We have been overlooked all season," remarked cornerback Tracy Porter. "We know what type of offense that we have. Our job is to come in week in and week out and force turnovers. We want to put our offense on the short side of the field."

Brees played a rare supporting role in Sunday's triumph, with the All-Pro triggerman compiling a modest 190 yards and no touchdowns on 20-of-32 passing. It marked the first time he failed to throw for over 200 yards at the Superdome since a loss to Tampa Bay on December 2, 2007, a span of 11 straight games.

Pierre Thomas turned out to be the Saints' offensive star against the Jets, as the unheralded running back rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while adding four catches totaling 46 yards.

QUICK HITS: The Saints won their first five games of the 1993 campaign and started out 7-0 in 1991...New Orleans scored two defensive touchdowns in a single contest for the first time since a loss to Atlanta on December 13, 1998...Brees also failed to throw a touchdown pass at home for the first time since December 23, 2007 against Philadelphia...Wide receiver Lance Moore returned to the lineup after missing two straight games with a strained hamstring, but managed just one catch for eight yards...Running back Mike Bell, who racked up 229 rushing yards in the Saints' first two wins of 2009, sat out his second consecutive outing with a sprained right knee.

NEXT UP: New Orleans will have a Week 5 bye to prepare for what could be a colossal showdown with the New York Giants at the Superdome on October 18. The Giants also moved to 4-0 with last Sunday's 27-16 ousting of Kansas City and will host the one-win Oakland Raiders this coming Sunday.

CAROLINA: The Carolina Panthers made good use of what's turned out to be a critical bye week for the defending NFC South champions, who have lost their first three tilts of 2009 by an average of nearly 17 points.

There were plenty of things to work on during the break, with the team having allowed a league-worst 182.7 rushing yards per game over its three defeats and ranking dead last as well with an unhealthy 12 giveaways and a minus-eight turnover margin. Struggling quarterback Jake Delhomme has been intercepted seven times already this season.

Carolina's biggest area of weakness has arguably been along the interior of the defensive line, where accomplished run-stuffer Maake Kemoeatu and fellow tackle Louis Leonard are both lost for the season with injuries. The Panthers made a move during the bye to attempt to shore up that depleted front, signing seasoned free agent Hollis Thomas on Thursday.

The 35-year-old Thomas, who's started 123 games in 14 NFL seasons, had been released one day earlier by the St. Louis Rams. If nothing else, the 340-pound inside plugger should lend some necessary bulk to a group where current starters Damione Lewis and Nick Hayden are somewhat undersized.

"He's got a lot of experience," Panthers head coach John Fox said of Thomas. "I think right now we're young there, and he'll help us in that department. He's played the game at this level for some time. A lot of this is how to play, and we think he'll help us immensely in that area."

Carolina is 4-3 following a bye under Fox, with victories in three of the last four years under that scenario.

NEXT UP: The Panthers will also be aiming to end a lingering unsuccessful stretch against the Washington Redskins, which will visit Bank of America Stadium for the first time since 2003 this weekend. Carolina is just 1-7 all- time against the Redskins, although all but one of those defeats have come by four points or less. The teams last faced one another in 2006, a 17-13 Redskins' win at FedEx Field.

ATLANTA: The Atlanta Falcons went into their bye in significantly better shape than the Panthers, with the 2008 playoff participants starting off the season with back-to-back home wins before being dealt a 26-10 setback at New England in Week 3. Not only has the week off enabled the team to get some of its banged-up players closer to full strength; it also provides an opportunity to better prep for what looks to be a challenging upcoming stretch.

Three of Atlanta's next four games will take place on the road, beginning with this Sunday's showdown with the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons will also visit both Dallas and the unbeaten New Orleans Saints during that span, which also includes a test from the 3-1 Chicago Bears at the Georgia Dome on October 18.

The Falcons have struggled at times in tough enemy venues during the two-year reign of head coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan. Atlanta has gone 4-6 on the road under that regime since the start of last season, with only one of those wins having come against a team that finished with a winning record. Conversely, the club has amassed an outstanding 9-2 mark at the Georgia Dome during that same time period.

Atlanta is expected to get one of its big-play weapons back on the field for Sunday's matchup with the 49ers, as fleet-footed running back Jerious Norwood has been cleared to resume practicing after sitting out the last two games with a concussion. The Falcons hope the dangerous fourth-year pro can help breathe some life back into a ground attack that's averaged a disappointing 92.3 yards per game thus far.

During last year's 11-win breakthrough, Atlanta finished second in the NFL with an average of 152.7 rushing yards per game.

NEXT UP: The Falcons will be out to halt a five-game home winning streak for the surging 49ers when the one-time NFC West rivals square off this Sunday at Candlestick Park. Atlanta will be visiting San Francisco for the first time since posting a 21-19 victory there in the 2004 season opener. The Niners are fresh off a 35-0 shellacking of hapless St. Louis in which the team limited the Rams to 177 total yards.