NFC South Week 12 review: The Falcons are who we thought they were

Here’s our review of what went down around the NFC South on Sunday.

This week the Saints were far from their best, the Panthers shanked a golden opportunity, Chris Godwin was unstoppable and the Falcons defense turned back into a dumpster fire.

Here’s our review of what went down around the NFC South on Sunday.

Saints (9-2) beat Panthers (5-6), 34-31

Sean Payton told reporters after the game that this wasn’t his team’s best performance and he’s absolutely right. Drew Brees was outplayed by Kyle Allen and was lucky he didn’t throw several more interceptions. If not for three missed kicks from short range by Joey Slye, New Orleans would have lost this one. This “victory” doesn’t bode well for their playoff hopes, especially considering how strong other conference contenders like the 49ers and the Seahawks look right now.

Panthers (5-6) lost to Saints (9-2), 34-31

To pin it all on Joey Slye isn’t fair. If Carolina’s defense had played even an average game, New Orleans would not have won. Eric Reid struggled in coverage mightily and Donte Jackson continues to make mistakes by gambling or biting on misdirection plays. Luke Kuechly was not much of a factor (when’s the last time he had just three solo tackles?) and the pass rush only managed to get two sacks and four QB hits on Brees. This was a waste of an excellent offensive performance – particularly by Allen, Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore.

Buccaneers (4-7) beat Falcons (3-8), 35-22

So much for that impressive, new-look Atlanta defense. Jameis Winston threw two more picks but he also posted three touchdowns and 313 passing yards. The Falcons had no answer for wide receiver Chris Godwin, who caught seven of eight targets, totaling 184 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, first-round pick Devin White continues to impress and Shaq Barrett had another monster outing, picking up five quarterback hits.

Falcons (3-8) lost to Buccaneers (4-7), 35-22

Barrett wasn’t the only Bucs pass rusher who had his way on Sunday. The Falcons allowed Matt Ryan to get sacked six times and gave up 13 QB hits. Atlanta’s run game was also pathetic. Qadree Ollison led them with just 20 total rushing yards. This was an unacceptable performance from an offensive line that has been regressing ever since the team’s epic fourth-quarter collapse in Super Bowl LI.

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NFC South Week 11 review: The Panthers fall further behind

Another week, another wasted opportunity for the Panthers to stay competitive in a brutal division race.

Here’s a review of what went down around the NFC South this week.

Saints (8-2) beat Buccaneers (3-7), 34-17

New Orleans rebounded from its surprise loss to Atlanta with a strong showing in Tampa Bay. Drew Brees had a classic line, completing 28 of 35 passes and throwing for three touchdowns and a 122.4 passer rating. Alvin Kamara (125 yards from scrimmage) appears to be back to himself after sitting out a few weeks. Linebacker Demario Davis continues to be a massive addition for their defense – he added four pass breakups to his total on Sunday.

Panthers (5-5) lost to Falcons (3-7), 29-3

Nobody had a worse week in the division than Carolina. The Panthers got manhandled in all three phases against the Falcons, who have now won seven of their last eight meetings. Kyle Allen should take most of the blame for throwing four picks. However, the pass rush was lackluster outside of Gerald McCoy’s efforts. It’s time for Ron Rivera to make serious changes on both sides of the ball.

Falcons (3-7) beat Panthers (5-5), 29-3

For the second straight game, Atlanta’s defense looked completely different than what we saw early in the year. After Grady Jarrett carried them for two months, the rest of their front four has found new life. Adrian Clayborn, Takk McKinley, Allen Bailey and Vic Beasley all got sacks on Allen. The Falcons also tripled their interception total for the year from two to six. It won’t earn them a spot in the playoffs, but if they keep this up it might be enough to save coach Dan Quinn’s job.

Buccaneers (3-7) lost to Saints (8-2), 34-17

Never to be outdone in the interception department, Jameis Winston threw four picks of his own on Sunday. He leads the NFL with 18 this season – six more than any other quarterback. Winston also nearly matched Allen’s completion numbers, hitting 30 of 51 attempts. The Saints defense deserves credit for containing Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who caught only half of their 14 combined targets. On defense, first-round pick Devin White (13 combined tackles) is coming into his own, but there’s not much else to like.

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