NFCS News – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Report: Buccaneers players believe Tom Brady won’t be back

Several Buccaneers teammates believe Tom Brady is on the outs in Tampa Bay.

Tom Brady already teased the Carolina Panthers and the rest of the NFC South once. But this time, his departure from the division might be for reals.

A report from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Saturday morning indicated that the seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Most Valuable Player is likely moving on from his current digs. Rapoport notes that the sentiment amongst several of his teammates, based off interactions they’ve had with Brady since the wild-card round loss to the Dallas Cowboys, is that he’s done with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The report reads:

One said, “I’d be surprised if he’s back.”

Another opined, “He sounded like a person saying goodbye for good.”

Brady also sounded a similar refrain to media members in his final press conference on Monday. “I just want to say thank you guys for everything this year,” he said, noting his love for the organization and how grateful he was for the respect.

Nothing final. But to those who listened intently, it felt a lot like goodbye.

If this is a goodbye to the NFC South, Brady has already left behind yet another painful parting gift. His last game against the Panthers came in that fateful Week 17 matchup—where he threw for a season-high 432 yards and three touchdowns in knocking Carolina out of playoff contention.

The win also clinched Tampa Bay their second divisional crown in Brady’s three years with the franchise.

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In race for NFC South, Panthers remain in control entering Week 17

After a Christmas Eve upset over the Lions, the Panthers head into their Week 17 showdown against the Buccaneers with their destiny right in front of them.

“Somehow, the Carolina Panthers remain in the playoff race” is seemingly something we get to say every week. Well . . .

The Carolina Panthers remain in the playoff race after their Christmas Eve christening of the Detroit Lions. Oh, and they’re doing a little bit more than just remaining.

For the third straight go-round, thanks to their dominant upset victory, interim head coach Steve Wilks and crew are in control of their own destiny in the hunt for the NFC South crown.

At 6-9, all these Panthers have to do is win their final two games to clinch their first division title in seven seasons. Next up is the team they’re looking up at: the 7-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Given their performances over the last month, the Bucs have shown they are clearly not built for the playoffs — only barely scraping by an Arizona Cardinals team and their third-string quarterback on Christmas night. The Panthers, on the other hand, look to be gaining steam with their strong running attack, big-play defense and newfound competent quarterback play.

There is little chance that this message is not ringing out in the halls of Carolina’s locker room, as Wilks is quite talented at motivating his players and sending a message home. The Panthers will come into this Week 17 showdown ready against the game’s greatest player of all time.

But if they don’t, it’s curtains for what’s been a wild 2022 — a Tampa Bay win would lock up the NFC South for Tom Brady’s Bucs.

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Panthers can win NFC South with 6-11 record

A scenario exists where the Panthers could win the NFC South with a 6-11 record.

The Carolina Panthers could lose their game later today, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’d also lose all hope in the NFC South race.

As noted by FOX Sports NFC South reporter Greg Auman on Friday, the Panthers can still win their division even if they were to lose two of their next three games. But, those terms would have to be pretty stringent.

For Carolina to clinch it at 6-11, the following must occur:

Panthers lose to the Detroit Lions (Week 16)
Panthers defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 17)
Panthers lose to the New Orleans Saints (Week 18)
Buccaneers lose to the Arizona Cardinals, Panthers and Atlanta Falcons (Weeks 16 to 18)
Saints lose to the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles (Weeks 16 and 17)
Falcons lose to the Baltimore Ravens and Cardinals (Weeks 16 and 17)

This scenario would set an NFL record . . . kinda. A 6-11 mark would account for the worst winning percentage by a division winner in league history—”trumping” the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks of 2010.

Or, the Panthers can make this a lot less messy and just win out for the title. We’ll see if they choose cleanliness or chaos.

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Panthers still control their own destiny in NFC South after Week 15 loss

Despite their loss to the Steelers in Week 15, the Panthers still control their own destiny with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

Oddly enough, the Carolina Panthers came into Week 15 with a 5-8 record and control of their own playoff destiny. And, in an even odder development that’s so apropos of this absurd 2022 version of the NFC South, they’re coming out with a 5-9 record while still in control of their own playoff destiny.

Interim head coach Steve Wilks and his team didn’t get the result they wanted on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Steelers (and their fans) took control of Bank of America Stadium—giving the Panthers a taste of their own medicine with a dominant chokehold of a ground game—and didn’t let go in a 24-16 triumph.

But, luckily for Carolina, they got the exact results they wanted out of the other two games involving their divisional foes.

The first came courtesy of the New Orleans Saints, who topped the Atlanta Falcons to the tune of a 21-18 victory. That outcome kept Atlanta knotted with Carolina in terms of overall record (5-9), but also moved New Orleans up to a 5-9 mark in what’s now a three-way tie for second place.

Carolina’s kicker here, however, is that their 3-1 tally in the division gives them the edge over New Orleans’ 2-3 and Atlanta’s 1-4 totals.

A few hours later, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coughed up 17-point lead to the Cincinnati Bengals—falling to 6-8. This kept the cats just one game behind the top spot.

Now, what do the Panthers have to do to get to the playoffs? Well, again, they can just win out.

One of Carolina’s final three opponents is Tampa Bay. As long as they take that trio of games, even if the Bucs win their other two, that puts the Panthers at 8-9 with a divisional record of 5-1. That, of course, would trump an 8-9 Tampa team with a 4-2 divisional mark.

But, if we’re sticking to winning the day, their next few ones lead up to a clash with the 7-7 Detroit Lions on Saturday. And being that they’re winners in six of their last seven tries, the Panthers can’t afford to look too far ahead just yet.

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Cam Newton: I’m better than current QBs in the NFC South

Cam Newton would be a top ___ QB in the NFC South right now.

There’s a lot of bad football being played in the NFC South this season. And some of that bad football has certainly come from under center.

We can start with the Carolina Panthers—who have already gone through a sick carousel of Baker Mayfield, PJ Walker and Sam Darnold. The New Orleans Saints have experienced something somewhat similar, as they’ve left behind the underwhelming Jameis Winston for the equally underwhelming Andy Dalton.

Over in Atlanta, the Falcons may finally have to bench the mediocre Marcus Mariota for rookie Desmond Ridder. Heck, even Tom Brady is currently passing for a career-worst touchdown rate with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, being that we’re in this particular division and we’re writing about this particular team here at Panthers Wire, this begs the question—would these teams be better off with Cam Newton at quarterback? Well, Cam Newton probably thinks so.

While appearing as a guest on the Atlanta stop of the I Am Athlete live tour, the franchise great was asked by podcast host Brandon Marshall if he thinks he’s still better than a number of the league’s current starting quarterbacks. This was his answer:

Now, the 33-year-old free agent version of Cam Newton is quite different from the prime Most Valuable Player version of Cam Newton. While he did dive into a suboptimal situation with Matt Rhule’s Panthers in the middle of a rough 2021 season, he showed that we’re no longer in his heyday.

But even if the arm strength isn’t what it once was and the same mutant-esque durability isn’t all there, Newton probably isn’t wrong. Save for Brady, who still looks to be one of the game’s top passers, is there really a quarterback in the NFC South you’d rather have than Cam?

You tell us . . .

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Panthers now two games behind of NFC South’s top spot

A Saints win would’ve given the Panthers control of their own destiny in the NFC South. But Tom Brady happened.

The Carolina Panthers were one more New Orleans Saints stand away from holding destiny in their hands. But Tom Brady happened.

Monday night’s divisional matchup between the Saints and Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed the Panthers the more bitter to swallow in Week 13. An 11-play, 63-yard touchdown drive to close out the showdown pushed Tampa to an improbable 17-16 win and a two-game lead over Carolina in the NFC South.

So, as the playoff picture now stands, the Panthers need more than to just win out.

Carolina’s future schedule includes two more games against divisional opponents in these Buccaneers and Saints. If the Panthers can win both of those games they will be 5-1 within the NFC South for the first time since 2015.

Beyond that, they will also need Tampa to lose one more game outside of their Week 17 clash. It wouldn’t be the first time that Carolina has won the division with a losing record, as they made a similar effort back in 2014 at 7-8-1.

If this iteration of the Panthers can achieve the same feat, it would speak wonders to the turnaround that interim coach Steve Wilks (2014’s secondary coach) has done. And if he can bring this team back from the depths of despair they faced upon Matt Rhule’s dismissal, his name will surely need to be heavily considered to keep the role going into next year.

But, for now, here’s what the standings currently look like heading out of Week 13:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
Atlanta Falcons (5-8)
Carolina Panthers (4-8)
New Orleans Saints (4-9)

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Ranking NFC South QBs: Where does Panthers’ Baker Mayfield fit in?

Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers QB, has entered the chat.

Just seven years ago, the NFC South was the crème de la crème when it came to quarterbacks.

The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints had themselves quality veteran passers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had that year’s first overall pick and the Carolina Panthers, of course, had the league’s Most Valuable Player.

But now, it’s just one really, really good old dude and a bunch of borderline backups masquerading as starters. So, like any self-respecting publication would, let’s rank ’em!

Here, with a new name recently entering the chat, are our rankings of the division’s top six quarterbacks.

Are Saints trying to jump Panthers for Malik Willis?

Are the Saints preparing to jump the Panthers in the 2022 draft order, or are their intentions far less sinister?

If we know just one thing about the New Orleans Saints, it’s that you should never take your eyes off of them. And after Monday, the focus should become even more narrow—especially for the Carolina Panthers.

In a blockbuster barter for high-stakes draft currency, the Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles mixed it up in an intriguing, but messy swap. So instead of trying to put all of it in a sentence and confusing the heck out of you, we’ll chart it out for you like this …

New Orleans receives:

2022 first-round pick (No. 16 overall)
2022 first-round pick (No. 19 overall)
2022 sixth-round pick (No. 194 overall)

Philadelphia receives:

2022 first-round pick (No. 18 overall)
2022 third-round pick (No. 101 overall)
2022 seventh-round pick (No. 237 overall)
2023 first-round pick
2024 second-round pick

*wipes sweat from brow*

Now, are the Saints up to no good?

While Philadelphia’s intentions seem a bit obvious—as they’re likely positioning themselves to make a run at a top quarterback prospect in the loaded 2023 class—New Orleans’ aren’t as clear. The first thought, of course, goes right to this quarterback class.

Although they have re-signed Jameis Winston, the Saints—like the Panthers—don’t have a solidified answer under center for the long haul. So will they then flip those 16th and 19th picks to perhaps jump the passer-needy Panthers and Atlanta Falcons into the draft’s top five?

If so, it’d likely be for Malik Willis. Despite what’ll probably be a redshirt campaign for the Liberty University product in 2022, Willis’ upside may be much too tantalizing to let wonder away—particularly to a division rival.

Or are the Saints trying to jump the Panthers for one of the three top offensive linemen? With their longtime starting left tackle Terron Armstead now gone to Miami, New Orleans probably wouldn’t mind swiping up the likes of Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu or Charles Cross.

Or, with the franchise continuing to kick that salary cap can down the road, is this just a low-key move? Are the Saints just trying to fill out their roster with younger, cheaper additions in the first round to keep their money somewhat in check?

Whatever it really is, New Orleans often seems one step ahead of much of the field. And this latest maneuver might push them one step ahead of Carolina come April 28.

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Saints to hire Dennis Allen as new head coach

The Panthers’ division rivals have now filled the spot left vacant by Sean Payton.

The Carolina Panthers won’t have much pity, but the New Orleans Saints may not have an easy time replacing Sean Payton. But they’ll try with someone who’s been rather close to him.

As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday evening, the NFC South rivals have informed Dennis Allen that he will be their next head coach. The 49-year-old, to much success, has served as Payton’s defensive coordinator for the past seven seasons.

The New Orleans defense has gone through a rags-to-riches story under Allen. After ranking 31st and 27th in total defense over his first two campaigns in 2015 and 2016, the unit has finished 17th, 14th, 11th, fourth and seventh in each of the following years.

Allen also brings head coaching experience to the gig. Prior to his second run with the Saints—with his first coming alongside Payton from 2006 to 2010 as an assistant defensive line and secondary coach—he headed the then Oakland Raiders to an 8-28 record between 2012 and 2014.

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Bucs QB Tom Brady announces retirement, ends reign of terror over Panthers

Okay, now it’s official. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady won’t be bothering the Panthers any longer, as he announced his retirement on Tuesday.

We thought it was all over on Saturday . . . except it wasn’t, at least officially.

But now, it’s officially official from the horse’s (or G.O.A.T.’s) mouth.

On Tuesday morning, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement via social media. This (sorta, kinda, maybe not really) confirms Saturday’s report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington—who apparently jumped the gun by revealing Brady’s plans.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcDCOOr-v4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The 44-year-old now puts 22 prolific seasons of football in the can. Two of those campaigns came as a powerhouse in the NFC South, where his Bucs thrashed the Panthers for four victories to the tune of a 150-to-63 point differential. In those outings, Brady tossed for a combined 1,116 yards and eight touchdowns.

Carolina also felt the wrath of the three-time Most Valuable Player way back on Feb. 1, 2004 in Super Bowl XXXVIII, when the New England Patriots topped the Panthers for the Lombardi Trophy. With that heartbreaking loss included, Brady finishes his career having led his teams to a 7-3 mark against the franchise.

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