Category: NFCS News

NFC South Week 6 review: Bucs blast Packers, Falcons get first win

Here’s what happened around the NFC South Week 6.

There’s a new sheriff in town in the NFC South. Tampa took an unbeaten contender to the woodshed this week and remains on top in the division.

Here’s what happened around the NFC South Week 6.

Buccaneers (4-2) beat Packers (4-1), 38-10

The Bucs fell behind Green Bay 10-0 early and looked like they were on their way to a blowout loss. Their defense responded with a smothering performance. They picked off Aaron Rodgers twice, hit him 13 times and collected four sacks.

On offense, Ronald Jones II has become a serious rushing threat over the last few weeks. On Sunday, he totaled 113 yards and two touchdowns while averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per carry. Tight end Rob Gronkowski also got involved, catching his first touchdown pass of the year. Tampa visits the Raiders next week.

Saints (3-2) had a bye week

The Saints had an early bye week, which will help get them a bit healthier. Linebacker Kiko Alonso and running back Ty Montgomery have both been designated to return. They spent the bye productively and stayed on-brand. They will host the Panthers at the Superdome Week 7 with no fans despite a charm offensive that included publicly feuding with the mayor of New Orleans and doing their best to cause a COVID outbreak.

Panthers (3-3) lost to Bears (5-1), 23-16

Carolina got put behind the eight-ball against Chicago from the very first snap and could never really recover. Even still, despite spotting the Bears an early touchdown, they fought the whole game and kept it close. If wide receiver D.J. Moore had caught a couple of key passes they might have pulled off their fourth-straight win.

Falcons (1-5) beat Vikings (1-5), 40-23

Atlanta finally got into the win colum this week. All it took was finding an opponent even worse than themselves. Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions for the Vikings and Alexander Mattison (2.6 yards per carry) got shut down by a normally horrible Falcons run defense.

Todd Gurley (2.4 YPC) couldn’t get the run going, either but it didn’t matter. Julio Jones led the way with eight catches, 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Next up, the Falcons host the Lions.

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NFC South Week 5 review: Falcons clean house, Panthers rising

Here’s a review of what happened in the NFC South this week.

The Panthers are on the rise, the Buccaneers stumbled, the Saints are barely holding their heads above water and the Falcons have finally cleaned house.

Here’s a review of what happened in the NFC South this week.

Buccaneers (3-2) lost to Bears (4-1), 20-19

Tom Brady may be the greatest of all time, but it’s clear Nick Foles has his number. After falling behind 10-0, Foles led another comeback win against Brady, who forgot how to count to four at the end of the game.

The Bucs got strong performances from wide receiver Tyler Johnson and cornerback Carlton Davis, though. Next, Tampa gets their toughest test yet when they host the Packers and their league-best offense.

Panthers (3-2) beat Falcons (0-5), 23-16

Carolina got another sharp non-game manager kind of outing from Teddy Bridewater against Atlanta. He didn’t turn the ball over, threw for over 300 yards and posted a season-best 116.2 passer rating. Mike Davis and Robby Anderson continue to impress, as well. We’ll see if they can keep the good times going against a far more formidable Bears defense this week. Their own defense is in trouble, though. Brian Burns, Donte Jackson, Kawann Short and Yetur Gross-Matos all got injured on Sunday.

Saints (3-2) beat Chargers (1-4), 30-27

Much like Chicago, this New Orleans team doesn’t look nearly as good as their record. It took some vintage close-game Charger fails for them to beat LA on Monday night. Drew Brees looks washed and Alvin Kamara is still having to do far too many superhuman things to keep the Saints competitive.

Their defensive line is as potent as ever, though. Cameron Jordan, Sheldon Rankins and Trey Hendrickson combined for three sacks and seven tackles for a loss. The Saints are on a bye this week then they host the Panthers Week 7.

Falcons (0-5) fire Dan Quinn, Thomas Dimitroff

At long last, the Falcons finally decided it was time to rebuild with new leadership at the top. Following Sunday’s loss to Carolina, owner Arthur Blank fired both head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. They also dumped special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica. Raheem Morris has been named their interim head coach. The Falcons have some strong foundational pieces to build around, but obviously they have a long way to go before they’ll be a contender again.

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Report: Falcons set to fire coach Dan Quinn after loss to Panthers

According to a report by Jeff Schultz at the Athletic, Atlanta is set to fire head coach Dan Quinn on Monday or Tuesday following his team’s loss today to the Panthers.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank is an extraoardinarily loyal guy. Even his patience has its limits, though.

According to a report by Jeff Schultz at the Athletic, Atlanta is set to fire head coach Dan Quinn on Monday or Tuesday following his team’s loss today to the Panthers.

Quinn’s last job was serving as the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks when they were peaking during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Clearly, Quinn was not the reason why Seattle was so successful during that time.

As head coach of the Falcons, Quinn has compiled a 43-41 record during the regular season and 3-2 in the playoffs.

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NFC South Week 4 review: The Falcons have finally hit bottom

In their Monday night loss to the Packers, Atlanta may have finally hit bottom.

Back in 2016, the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl. We all know how that ended up. They haven’t been quite right ever since and in fact they seem to be getting worse every season. In their Monday night loss to the Packers, Atlanta may have finally hit bottom.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers maintained their lead at the top of the division. Here is a review of what happened around the NFC South in Week 4.

Buccaneers (3-1) beat Chargers (1-3), 38-30

Drew Brees had been the best quarterback in this division since he arrived in 2006. It took a 43-year old Tom Brady just four games to take his place. While he’s far past his prime and his arm strength is on the wane, Brady is still an all-time competitor and he proved it again this week. In Sunday’s victory over LA, Brady threw five touchdown passes (all to different receivers), leading the Bucs to a vintage kind of comeback win after falling behind 24-7 late in the second quarter.

There are and have always been better passers than Brady in the NFL. (Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to name a few), but much like a GOAT from a different sport, nobody has been able to match Brady’s will to win. Performances like this are why he will go down as the greatest ever.

Defensively this wasn’t a great showing for Tampa. However, it looks like rookie QB Justin Herbert is going to do this to a lot of teams. Perhaps Panthers general manager Marty Hurney’s predraft interest was justified. The Bucs visit the Bears on Thursday night.

Saints (2-2) beat Lions (1-3), 35-29

Brees led a comeback of his own this week, albeit against a less impressive opponent. Under Matt Patricia, these Lions have mastered the fine art of blowing double-digit leads. They ran up a 14-point one in the first quarter against New Orleans, only to give up 35 straight points. Brees was more aggressive than he has been so far this season, averaging 9.8 yards per pass attempt. He got help from Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray, who combined for 147 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

On defense, the Saints held Adrian Peterson to 36 rushing yards on 11 carries. They gave up some big plays to Matt Stafford and his receivers, though. The Saints face the Chargers next.

Panthers (2-2) beat Cardinals (2-2), 31-21

While they’re not as bad as Detroit, this Cardinals team was every bit as messy on Sunday. The Panthers defense deserves some credit, but Kyler Murray was inaccurate and their playcalling was uneven for much of the first half, allowing Carolina to run up a significant halftime lead. Arizona’s failure to contain the edge on this Mike Davis 25-yard run in the first quarter was a perect example of their horrendous effort on defense.

Yes, the Panthers are better than we thought coming into the season and they have been competitive every week. They have also played two sloppy opponents in a row. Atlanta will make it three.

Falcons (0-4) lost to Packers (4-0), 30-16

Speaking of the Falcons, it’s hard to imagine things getting any worse for this team. It’s even harder to envision how they can climb out under the current coaching staff. Their defensive playcalling was atrocious once again against Green Bay. It’s the same soft zones and complete refusal to cover running backs that have plagued Dan Quinn’s squad since the fourth quarter of their Super Bowl loss four years ago.

Atlanta also likely lost defensive back Damontae Kazee for the season due to a “serious” Achilles injury and safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen were already on the sidelines. Tough breaks.

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NFC South Week 3 review: Falcons fall into last place, Bucs rise to top

What if I told you the Carolina Panthers were actually not the worst team in the NFC South this season?

What if I told you the Carolina Panthers were actually not the worst team in the NFC South this season?

After three weeks of games, we have a new cellar-dweller, taking Carolina’s place at the bottom of the standings. Here’s what went down around the division in Week 3.

Buccaneers (2-1) beat Broncos (0-3), 28-10

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Saints are no longer in first place in the NFC South. Tampa took over the top spot with Sunday’s win in Denver combined with New Orleans’ loss. Tom Brady was sharp for the second straight game, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Bucs front-seven was all over Broncos backup QBs Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien. They totaled six sacks and 10 quarterback hits to go with eight tackles for a loss. Tampa won’t play another contender until Week 6 against Green Bay, so expect more wins to come.

Saints (1-2) lost to Packers (3-0), 37-30

While Aaron Rodgers was slinging the ball around deep to his no-name, non-Davante Adams receivers, Drew Brees played a much more conservative game. While he was accurate (29/36 for 288 yards) and matched Rodgers’ three touchdowns, he rarely threw more than five yards down the field. With Michael Thomas out, Alvin Kamara – as sensational as he has been – is carrying too heavy of a load. It’s not hard to imagine this offense being more dynamic if Jameis Winston was running it, instead. Either way, we expect this Saints team to bounce back. If they can’t win in Detroit, we’ll know they’re in real trouble, though.

Panthers (1-2) beat Chargers (1-2), 21-16

A win is a win but context is important, as well. Carolina made far too many mistakes and failed too take advantage of too many opportunities to get really excited about this win. LA had several chances to steal it at the end, including a 70.4% touchdown probability on the perfectly-designed hook-and-ladder play they failed to execute. There are some undeniably positive developments, here. However, the Chargers were the sloppier team yesterday and that’s what made the difference.

Falcons (0-3) did it again vs. Bears (3-0), 30-26

For the second straight week, Atlanta blew a significant lead in the fourth quarter, losing despite a 99%+ chance to win the game again. A lot goes into any one loss, but when this is happening consistently the key factor is atrocious clock management. The blame can only be pinned on head coach Dan Quinn, who has taken this team as far as he’s going to. Calvin Ridley, the injured Julio Jones and the other considerably talented players on this Falcons roster deserve better.

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NFC South Week 2 review: Saints, Falcons both blow big leads

Here’s a review of what happened around the division in Week 2.

The Falcons did it again this week. On Sunday, they held a 19-point lead over the Cowboys in the second half, only to completely fall apart late in the fourth quarter and cough up a loss. They weren’t the only team in the NFC South who blew a big lead, though.

Here’s a review of what happened around the division in Week 2.

Falcons (0-2) lost to Cowboys (1-1), 40-39

To give you an idea of just how epic this collapse was, Atlanta’s win probability was even higher against Dallas than when they held a 28-3 lead against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. While the Cowboys are a more talented team, the way this went down was a devastating blow. The failure to fall on the onside kick is a a result of bad coaching, plain and simple. It’s frankly confusing that Dan Quinn has hung around as long as he has. Just imagine where the Falcons would be if they’d promoted Kyle Shanahan.

Saints (1-1) lost to Raiders (2-0), 34-24

At least Atlanta has the excuse that they were playing a better team. New Orleans led Las Vegas 10-0 on Monday night, leading to a now-deleted frontrunner tweet from the injured Michael Thomas, who said it might get ugly fast. It did, just not in the way he thought. For the second straight week, Drew Brees played like the 41-year old he is. They also got practically nothing from Emmanuel Sanders, who dropped his first target and never really recovered. Alvin Kamara wound up having to carry the offense and it just wasn’t enough. On the other side of the ball, New Orleans gave up three passing touchdowns to Derek Carr and had no answer for tight end Darren Waller (12 catches, 103 yards, one touchdown).

Buccaneers (1-1) beat Panthers (0-2), 31-17

While Brees is definitely showing his age, the 43-year old Tom Brady bounced back this week with a vintage performance. If not for a gruesome series of drops from his receivers, he would have finished with 400+ yards and three touchdowns. This game showed just how important Chris Godwin is for the Bucs. He’s expected to return Week 3 after clearing the concussion protocol. Defensively, Tampa’s lethal front-seven dominated Carolina, sacking Teddy Bridgewater five times and posting 9.5 tackles for a loss.

Panthers (0-2) need some help

As challenging as things look going into Week 3, it’s important to keep some perspective. The Panthers were underdogs against the Raiders and Buccaneers and they had a legitimate chance to win both times despite some significant miscues in the passing game. Once Bridgewater shakes off the rust and develops a rhythm with anyone aside from Robby Anderson, this team is going to be much more competitive than we have seen so far. That said, on defense, fans should expect the tough times and “learning opportunities” to continue. The early Pro Football Focus grades for this unit are about as awful as imaginable.

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NFC South Week 1 review: A tough start for Tom Brady in Tampa

Here is a review of what went down around the NFC South Week 1.

Ever since they hit a few home runs in the 2017 NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints have been dominating this division, winning three straight NFC South championships. The Saints start the 2020 season on top again, as they were the only team in the division to win their first game of the year.

Here is a review of what went down around the NFC South Week 1.

Saints (1-0) beat Buccaneers (0-1) 34-23

The scariest thing about this team these days is that they have so many ways to beat you.

On Sunday, Drew Brees only threw for 160 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per attempt. They couldn’t run the ball either, managing just 2.4 yards per carry as a team against what’s become a truly-nasty Tampa run defense. It didn’t matter because they were able to shut down the Buccaneers offense when it counted. The Saints sacked Tom Brady three times, hit him seven times and picked him off twice, including a pick-six by Janoris Jenkins of all people.

They will be judged on how they deep they go in the playoffs, but this is still the team to beat around these parts. Next week, New Orleans will visit the Raiders.

Tompa (0-1) has work to do

Nothing will ever take away from what Brady accomplished over the last 20 years in New England. It’s also been clear for a couple seasons that he’s declining physically. That process seems to be accelerating and having to build chemistry with new receivers isn’t helping. Brady will bounce back from this loss as he always does, but it’s hard to see this Tampa team surpassing the Saints as presently constructed.

On the positive end, the Buccaneers got strong performances from a few key young pieces. Wide receiver Chris Godwin caught six of seven targets for 79 yards and linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David tallied 22 tackles together, including 4.5 for a loss.

Bruce Arians needs his other skill players to produce more, though. Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette and Mike Evans managed a grand total of just 18 yards from scrimmage. Tampa hosts Carolina next week.

Falcons (0-1) blasted by Seahawks (1-0), 38-25

It’s hard to believe this Atlanta team crushed Seattle in the playoffs just a few seasons ago. The Falcons got obliterated on Sunday by Russell Wilson, who threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns and completed a ridiculous 31 of his 35 pass attempts.

Atlanta’s defense had no answer for wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who combined for 12 catches, 187 yards and a touchdown.

On offense, the Falcons got terrorized by Jamal Adams all over the field. He posted 12 tackles (2.5 for a loss), a sack and two quarterback hits. They did get nearly 400 yards from their top three receivers, with Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage all going over 100.

Atlanta visits Dallas Week 2.

Panthers (0-1) lost to Raiders (1-0), 34-30

We’ve already combed over this loss pretty thoroughly. Most of their issues against Las Vegas are correctable. The most concerning elements were the awful run defense and the early ankle injury to cornerback Donte Jackson, who did not return to the field. While Rasul Douglas covered well in his place, this is the one position they can’t afford to lose anyone at, especially not Jackson.

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Watch: Mike Robinson predicts Panthers will win NFC South this year

Watch former Seahawks fullback and NFL Network analyst Mike Robinson predict Carolina will win the division.

Most analysts are expecting the Panthers to finish in last place in the NFC South this season. Some disagree.

Watch former Seahawks fullback and NFL Network analyst Mike Robinson predict Carolina will win the division.

All fullbacks are awesome people by definition and Robinson is no exception to the rule. That said, this is pretty unrealistic.

We have the Saints (12-4) winning the NFC South title again, followed by the Buccaneers (10-6) then the Falcons (7-9).

What’s a realistic prediction for the Panthers this year?

Anything can happen if there’s a breakout of injuries to key players like there was in 2019. If that’s the case, they could lose as many as 12 games. With average injury luck, 6-10 feels right.

If everything goes right, including Matt Rhule proving to be a genius, nobody important getting injured, Teddy Bridgewater at least doubling his previous season-high touchdown total and the defense performing far above expectations, then an 8-8 record is achievable.

As for today’s game, we originally projected the Panthers would beat the Raiders 27-24. However, at that time we were expecting the team to do more to fix the cornerback situation than they have. Throw in no home-field crowd energy to draw from and we’re expecting Las Vegas to score another touchdown. Our prediction is 31-27, Raiders. This is still a very winnable game, though and Carolina is one of the best underdog bets this week.

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NFC South Review: Alvin Kamara rumors, Falcons QBs, Bucs kicker carousel

Here is a review of what’s going on around the NFC South right now.

Let’s check in with the Panthers’ division rivals. Here is a review of what’s going on around the NFC South right now.

Saints: Alvin Kamara trade rumors

Alvin Kamara came in with the same draft class as Christian McCaffrey and is now looking to get his own major extension. The Saints don’t seem inclined to pay up, though. According to a report by Josina Anderson at ESPN, the team is “open to trading” their star running back.

New Orleans probably doesn’t need Kamara to win a Super Bowl, as many analysts have suggested. In fact, given the overall strength and depth of their roster, they’re probably the team that needs him the least. If they can’t work out a deal with Kamara and wind up trading him, Latavius Murray would become the No. 1 back in their offense. He totaled 637 yards and five touchdowns on 146 carries last season.

Falcons add another Chester county quarterback

Atlanta added another quarterback to their depth chart today, bringing Kyle Lauletta in to help backup Matt Ryan. Along with the ancient veteran Matt Schaub, this give the Falcons three quarterbacks on their roster who are all from the same county.

At some point they’ll have to replace Schaub as their long-term QB2, but Lauletta seems like an unlikely candidate. He’s only played two games in his career and has yet to complete a pass.

Bucs starting over at kicker (again)

Tampa Bay hasn’t had any stability at placekicker ever since they let Matt Bryant walk way back in 2009. Since then they’ve tried Mike Nugent, Shane Andrus, Connor Barth, Rian Lindell, Patrick Murray, Kyle Brindza, Roberto Aguayo, Nick Folk, Cairo Santos, Chandler Catanzaro and Matt Gay. The next will be former Titans kicker Ryan Succop, who has agreed to terms with the Bucs. Succop has made 236 of 287 field goals (82.2%) and 338 of 349 extra points (97.1%) in his career.

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Report: Buccaneers expected to sign former Panthers DT Kyle Love

According to a report by Greg Auman at the Athlet.ic, the Buccaneers are expected to sign former Panthers defensive tackle Kyle Love.

According to a report by Greg Auman at the Athletic, the Buccaneers are expected to sign former Panthers defensive tackle Kyle Love, who passed his physical. Love has played 115 games regular season games in his NFL career, split between several teams.

He spent the last six years in Carolina, where he totaled 9.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hits and 11 tackles for a loss in a backup role.

While Love has never been a star (he hasn’t made one Pro Bowl), he has always offered quality reserve play for every team he’s suited up for.

Tampa already had a loaded interior line with Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea projected to start. Adding Love just makes them a little bit deeper on the inside.

Love was one of several former Panthers players who it makes sense to bring back for 2020. On the bright side, Ross Cockrell backed out on the Giants, so he’s still available.

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