Category: NFCS News

Saints fire HC Dennis Allen after Week 9 loss to Panthers

The Panthers may have been the final straw for the Saints here in 2024.

Did the Carolina Panthers just break the 2024 New Orleans Saints?

As first reported by NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo on Monday morning, the Saints have fired head coach Dennis Allen. The move comes fresh off the team’s 23-22 loss to the Panthers yesterday afternoon.

Carolina’s victory over New Orleans was a highly improbable one—as the Panthers became the first team in the last 20 years to pull off a win despite being outgained by at least 150 total yards and at least 150 rushing yards while losing the turnover battle. The prior 275 teams who were on the winning sides of those equations were 275-0.

Sunday’s defeat also marked the seventh in a row for the Saints, who started off the campaign at 2-0 and a point differential of +62. Their first win came against the Panthers in Week 1, to the tune of a 47-10 beatdown.

Allen now departs New Orleans with an overall record of 18-25 as their head coach. He is expected to be replaced by assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.

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NFC South rival Falcons agree on massive deal with QB Kirk Cousins

The NFC South just got a bit more interesting.

A division rival just got a whole lot better.

As announced by his agent on Monday afternoon, quarterback Kirk Cousins has agreed to terms on a massive deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the four-time Pro Bowl passer will be headed to the NFC South on a four-year, $180 million pact with $100 million in guarantees.

Cousins, 35, is undoubtedly an upgrade at the position for the Falcons—who have struggled to find an answer under center since the departure of Matt Ryan. Atlanta has started a handful of quarterbacks since 2022—including Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.

The Carolina Panthers are not exactly strangers to Cousins, who has experienced some success against his new nearby foes in the past. Over five career games, he’s completed just over 70 percent of his passes for 1,341 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions.

He’s also picked up wins for the Minnesota Vikings in his last two matchups in Charlotte, with the most recent coming in Week 4 of this past season.

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Mike Evans stays in NFC South, agrees to new deal with Buccaneers

Sorry, Panthers fans. You’re going to be seeing more of Mike Evans.

Yeah, now we can definitely count the Carolina Panthers out on Mike Evans.

As reported by ESPN senior NFL insider on Monday morning, Evans will be returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a new two-year, $52 million pact with $35 million in guarantees. That’s right, Panthers fans, two more years of terror.

Evans was selected by Tampa Bay with the seventh overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft. And unfortunately for the rest of the NFC South, he’s been the same guy ever since stepping foot into the league.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound pass catcher has built up one of the most dominant runs in the history of the game. He is the only player in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons.

His tenth season, incredibly enough, was amongst his very best. Evans, at 30 years old, reeled in 79 receptions for 1,255 yards (both his highest totals since 2018) with a league-leading 13 touchdowns.

Over 19 career games versus the Panthers, Evans has amassed 102 catches for 1,480 yards and 11 touchdowns—each his most against any opponent.

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Falcons hiring (former) Panthers HC candidate Raheem Morris

The Falcons are reportedly set on hiring Raheem Morris, who interviewed twice with the Panthers.

Raheem Morris is back in the NFC South.

As first reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero on Thursday, the Atlanta Falcons are expected to hire Morris as their next head coach. The 47-year-old was one of three candidates to receive a second interview for the Carolina Panthers’ vacancy—along with the team’s defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and their eventual pick Dave Canales.

Morris has spent 20 years on the NFL sidelines. His start came in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—where he served as a defensive quality control coach, defensive assistant, assistant defensive backs coach, defensive backs coach and, eventually, head coach.

Tampa Bay went 17-31 under Morris over three seasons. His best campaign came in 2010, when he led the Bucs to a 10-6 mark.

After he was fired following the 2012 season, Morris landed in Washington as a defensive backs coach for three years and then in Atlanta for six more. His sixth season with the Falcons ended in an 11-game stint as the interim head coach, a run that resulted in a 4-7 record.

Since 2021, Morris has coached under Sean McVay as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator.

Oh, and Atlanta’s choice may help out the Panthers—who probably hope to retain Evero. Evero also received multiple interviews from the Falcons.

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Miles Sanders pitches Bucs WR Mike Evans on joining Panthers

Panthers RB Miles Sanders made a playful pitch to Bucs WR Mike Evans on Friday.

Miles Sanders has only been a member of the Carolina Panthers for a few months. Heck, he hasn’t even taken a snap for them to this point.

Yet, he already knows that facing Mike Evans twice a year isn’t best for the franchise’s business.

The fifth-year running back joined Friday’s episode of Up & Adams, where he was asked about the ongoing contract tango between Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And when host Kay Adams gave Sanders a chance to pitch the Panthers to the four-time Pro Bowl wideout, he took it.

“If he wants to come over here, I don’t mind—but just don’t sign back to Tampa,” he said with a laugh. “You can always come over here. But dawg, definitely don’t sign back to Tampa. Go sign somewhere else in a different conference.”

Evans, who is slated to become a free agent after the 2023 campaign, is currently seeking a fresh extension. His agent Deryk Gilmore, in fact, stated that if a deal is not reached by next week, Evans will suspend contract negotiations for the remainder of the season.

That wouldn’t be the worst news for the Panthers, who have had a front row seat to Evans’ Canton-worthy career. In addition to putting the work in on them, reeling in 92 balls for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 matchups, he’s done it to the entire league—as he’s the only receiver in NFL history to amass at least 1,000 receiving yards in his each of his first nine seasons.

Oh, and must we go back to the 207-yard, three-touchdown performance he broke the Panthers’ playoff hopes with last year? Let’s not.

But if Sanders gets his wish, perhaps those numbers finally come to a halt—at least at Carolina’s expense.

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Falcons DT Grady Jarrett on Bryce Young: He was drafted No. 1 for a reason

Does Grady Jarrett think Bryce Young’s size puts opposing defenses at an advantage?

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Hey, has anyone asked Bryce Young’s upcoming opponents about the whole undersized thing? Because if there’s a concern about how the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder will hold up against professional players, perhaps asking said players he’ll be up against would be rather insightful, no?

Luckily, Jane Slater just did.

On Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning Football, the host and NFL Network reporter posed the question to Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett—who’ll be seeing Young at least twice this upcoming season. Here’s what the ninth-year veteran said of the rookie quarterback when asked if his smaller stature is an advantage or disadvantage for opposing defenses:

“I don’t know if . . . either, because I’m a ‘small’ defensive tackle,” he replied. “I think the man was drafted No. 1 for a reason—and I think we’re all gonna find out a while, over time. So you gotta give him his due credit until he proves otherwise. So it is what it is. Gotta prepare for him.”

As he himself notes, Jarrett is also considered a tad undersized for his position at the NFL level. Nonetheless, his six-foot, 305-pound frame hasn’t stopped him from becoming a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the most dominant players in the NFC South.

But will Young’s stop him from a similar future? Well, based on the early returns from his peers, the 2023 first overall pick should be just fine.

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NFC South roundtable: Who will be the division’s MVP?

Who will be the MVP of the NFC South in 2023?

A three-time NFL Most Valuable Player just left the NFC South—and, unsurprisingly, he was the Most Valuable Player of the NFC South for as long as he was in it. So, who’s going to step up and lay claim to the honor now?

Here are our managing editors’ picks for the division’s MVP in 2023.

NFC South roundtable: Who will be the division’s coach of the year?

Which NFC South head coach will shine most in 2023? Our managing editors were quite frank with their picks.

Believe it or not, Matt Rhule was the NFC South’s longest-tenured head coach at the time he walked out of the tunnel for his last NFL game. But the Carolina Panthers, and the rest of the division, are in a bit of a different place since.

So, how will this pretty fresh landscape unfold in 2023? Join us and our managing editors as we reveal our picks for the division’s coach of the year.

NFC South roundtable: Who will be your team’s toughest opponent?

Which division rival will be the toughest matchup for your NFC South squad? Our managing editors make their picks for their teams.

After a “close finish” to the NFC South race last season, the division still seems pretty open as we inch closer to 2023. So, who will be the frontrunner to take the throne this year?

Our managing editors each chose the divisional foe who they believe will be the greatest threat to their team.

NFC South roundtable: Choosing favorite moves from division rivals

Our managing editors gave some props to to the competition, choosing their favorite move from an NFC South squad other than their own.

It’s time to spread the love around the (kinda) contentious NFC South.

Join us and our managing editors—River Wells of Bucs Wire, Matt Urben of Falcons Wire and John Sigler of Saints Wire—as we each pick our favorite offseason move from our divisional foes.