Tag: Carolina Panthers

Second-half Saints schedule sets up for a strong playoff push

The New Orleans Saints strength of schedule is mediocre. The Green Bay Packers have it easy but the San Francisco 49ers are in for a shock.

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The second half of the NFL regular season is upon us, and it couldn’t have started worse for the New Orleans Saints. They air-balled what should have been an easy win over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, losing their grip on the second playoff seed in the NFC as the Green Bay Packers beat the Carolina Panthers and the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers suffered their first setback of the year to the Seattle Seahawks.

But Saints fans should feel optimistic about their fortunes moving forward, and their team’s chance to recover. New Orleans has just four games against opponents with winning records, including the 49ers (8-1), Panthers twice (5-4), and Indianapolis Colts (5-4), as well as the middling Tennessee Titans (5-5). There’s plenty of time for correction and improvement ahead of them.

According to NFL Research, the Saints’ second half schedule ranks near the middle of the pack, with their remaining opponents sharing a combined record of 33-31-0 (.516). Here’s how they rank among their peers:

Compare that to what other NFC playoff contenders are facing. The San Francisco 49ers are set to play the second-toughest schedule down the stretch, with their future opponents having gone 40-25-1 (.614); their odds of holding onto the top playoff seed in the conference are slim. However, the Green Bay Packers are in good position to maintain their one-game lead on the Saints in playoff seeding, with a relatively weak strength of schedule of 25-30-1 (.455) ahead of them. That’s the ninth-easiest second half schedule in the NFL.

As for the two-team race in the NFC South: the Carolina Panthers are still a few games behind the Saints, but their remaining strength of schedule at 32-32 (.500) is slightly easier to navigate than what New Orleans will see. If Carolina handles its business and the Saints continue to play down to their competition, it’s not impossible to see a path for the Panthers to steal a divisional title in the season’s final weeks. If New Orleans plays like they did last Sunday, they could be in for a rude awakening no matter how favorable their schedule looks on paper.

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Will Week 11’s Saints-Buccaneers game be broadcast in your area?

Week 11 should be a rebound game for the New Orleans Saints against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will the game broadcast be available for you?

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The New Orleans Saints are coming off of one of their worst performances in recent memory, having been steamrolled by the lowly Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. The Saints played poorly as an entire unit, looking more like how the almost-winless Falcons were expected to perform. A stagnant offense and self-inflicted defensive penalties kept the Saints far from reach of a victory against their NFC South archrival.

Week 11 should be a rebound game for New Orleans, as they travel to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their matchup earlier this season aside, Tampa Bay has always proven to be a tricky opponent for the Saints, especially when the Buccaneers get to play in Raymond James Stadium.

New Orleans raised a lot of questions last week about specific weaknesses within the offense, especially along the offensive line. A solid performance from quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of the offense would go a long way in assuaging any fears and questions that arose in their Week 10 outing. You will not want to miss the Saints take on the Buccaneers as they try to rebound back into the top spot in the NFC.

The broadcast map from 506 Sports highlights the coverage for each of the games during the early slate on FOX. The markets in orange will show the Saints-Buccaneers game, with Thom Brennaman and Chris Spielman on the call. The late afternoon slate, highlighted in blue, will feature the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. This also means that if you are in a blue zone , you will not receive any game during the early slot on FOX. Those areas in green will catch the week’s other NFC South matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers. Finally, the majority of the country will receive the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions kickoff, as denoted in red.

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Panthers bring back Greg Dortch for practice squad, Browns sign Bryan Cox Jr.

The Panthers didn’t miss Greg Dortch for long.

The Panthers didn’t miss Greg Dortch for long. Just days after waiving the wide receiver/return specialist, the team has brought him back for the practice squad, signing him off the Jets’. To make room, they released wide receiver Quadree Henderson.

Dortch had a strong debut for Carolina against the Titans two weeks ago. He posted 52 yards on two kickoff returns and 11 yards on two punts.

In Green Bay, the Panthers replaced Dortch by going with D.J. Moore as their punt returner and DeAndrew White on kickoffs. Both did pretty well, so until that dynamic changes we probably won’t see Dortch called up to the 53-man roster.

In related news, the Browns picked up defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., who was also recently released by the Panthers.

Cleveland is arguably the most disappointing team in the AFC this season. They come into this week at just 3-6 despite high expectations.

Cox flashed several times for the Panthers, so he might be able to carve out a respectable backup role for himself with the Browns’ tough defensive line.

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6 Panthers who need to step up over the last 7 games

If they’re going to defy those odds and make the postseason this year, they need these six individuals to step up over their final seven games.

Going into Week 11, the Panthers have just an 18% chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.

If they’re going to defy those odds and make the postseason this year, they need these six individuals to step up over their final seven games.

QB Kyle Allen

Kyle Allen
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

The problem: accuracy

After seven starts, we know more about what Allen is and isn’t at quarterback. He is a relentless competitor and excellent teammate who has said all the right things and taken blame for his mistakes since Cam Newton’s injury. However, Allen has also been erratic in the pocket and has missed too many open receivers. Allen is completing just 61.5% of his passes this year. That’s more than six points lower than Newton’s completion percentage from 2018. While he seems to have a strong rhythm established with D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey, Allen is often out of sync with Curtis Samuel and Greg Olsen. Working on timing with those two might help boost his accuracy.

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Pro Football Focus: Christian McCaffrey is the highest graded Panthers player in 2019

Christian McCaffrey is making a compelling case to prove them wrong this year. 

Some people will tell you that running backs don’t matter. They’re the most replaceable players on the roster and it’s not worth using a first-round draft pick on them, no matter who it is. Christian McCaffrey is making a compelling case to prove them wrong this year.

Coming into Week 11, McCaffrey ranks second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage – Dalvin Cook has 30 more yards and one more game played. He’s been by far the most valuable piece for the Panthers this season. Without McCaffrey’s contributions, Carolina’s offense would be effectively useless and the team’s record would certainly be much worse than 5-4.

It’s not just that McCaffrey is putting up high usage numbers – he’s playing at an extremely high level. Pro Football Focus has McCaffrey as the highest-graded Panthers player (89.3) this season.

“McCaffrey has been borderline superhuman this season. Yes, Jacobs has a higher overall grade than the Panthers back, but McCaffrey has played over 250 more offensive snaps than Jacobs in Weeks 1-10. McCaffrey has also earned an elite 92.1 receiving grade so far this season, which ranks second among qualifying backs.”

Unfortunately, it’s pretty much a one-man show for the Panthers offense. The next-highest graded player is second-year wide receiver D.J. Moore, who comes in 10 points lower than McCaffrey at 79.4. Then, there’s another significant drop down to tight end Greg Olsen, who has a 69.4 overall grade.

On defense, there’s no outlier like McCaffrey. Despite what’s been an off season by his standards, inside linebacker Luke Kuechly has the top PFF grade at 81.3. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is next at 79.0. First-round pick Brian Burns started the year off hot but a wrist injury has slowed him down lately and his grade has fallen to 59.2.

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Panthers vs. Falcons: Time, channel, stream for Week 11 matchup

Here’s all the info you need for this week’s game.

The Panthers haven’t seen much of their division rivals this season, aside from the Buccaneers. That changes on Sunday when they’ll host the Falcons.

Here’s all the info you need for this week’s game.

Game information

Atlanta Falcons (2-7) at Carolina Panthers (5-4)

Sunday, Nov. 17, 1:00 p.m. ET

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Television: Fox

The game will be broadcast on Fox in the green area on the map below.

via 506sports

Broadcasters

Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth

Referee assignment

Adrian Hill

Weather at kickoff

46 degrees

Precipitation: 0/%

Humidity: 60%

Wind: 12mph

Stream

You can stream the game live on Fubo TV. (Start your free trial).

Listen

The team’s flagship radio station is WBT 1110 AM.

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Former Longhorn Malik Jefferson waived by Cleveland Browns

Former Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday

On Tuesday, former Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson was waived by the Cleveland Browns.

Jefferson is in just his second year as a pro. He was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

With the Browns in 2019, Jefferson only made an appearance in one game, and that game came in week one against the Titans. In that game, Jefferson recorded just one tackle.

Hopefully, we see Malik find a new home soon. After all, he was a third-round pick last year for a reason.

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WATCH: Quandre Diggs gets first interception with Seahawks

Watch as Seattle Seahawks defensive back Quandre Diggs gets his first interception with his new team

A few weeks ago, former Texas Longhorn defensive back Quandre Diggs was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Seattle Seahawks. Last night, Diggs saw his first action with Seattle in a clash between the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers went into this Monday Night Football matchup as the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The Seahawks were able to stun the 49ers in San Francisco, winning in overtime by a score of 27-24.

About midway through the 3rd quarter, Diggs was able to intercept 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with the score being 10-7 in favor of San Francisco. This interception led to a Seahawks touchdown, giving them the lead.

On the night, Diggs was able to tally two tackles, one of which was solo, a pass defense, and this interception.

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NFC playoff picture: Panthers hanging by a thread going into Week 11

Here’s an updated look at the NFC playoff picture going into Week 11.

Losing to the Packers did serious damage to the Panthers’ playoff hopes for 2019. The loss dropped their season record to 5-4 and their chances of making the postseason to just 18 percent.

Here’s an updated look at the NFC playoff picture going into Week 11.

Playoff teams

1. San Francisco 49ers (8-1)
2. Green Bay Packers (8-2)
3. New Orleans Saints (7-2)
4. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
5. Seattle Seahawks (8-2)
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-3)

Still in the race

7. Los Angeles Rams (5-4)
8. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
9. Carolina Panthers (5-4)

There’s not much room for error, here. Earlier in the season, the Panthers pulled off a four-game winning streak. They may need another one in order to land a wild card spot.

Carolina’s next four opponents are the Falcons, Saints, Redskins and the Falcons again. Atlanta is just 2-7 this season and Washington (1-8) might just be the worst team in the conference. If the Panthers can find a way to upset New Orleans, winning four in a row is certainly possible.

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Falcons-Panthers odds: Carolina favored in NFC South battle

Previewing Sunday’s Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers sports betting odds and lines, with Week 11 NFL matchup analysis and picks.

The Atlanta Falcons (2-7) play a second straight NFC South rivalry game in Week 11 when they visit the Carolina Panthers (5-4) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium. We analyze the Falcons-Panthers odds and sports betting lines, while providing sports betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Falcons at Panthers: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • The Falcons returned from their bye at 1-7 and beat the New Orleans Saints 26-9 in a dominant road effort this past Sunday.
  • The Falcons have won the last three and six of the last seven head-to-head meetings dating back to Dec. 27, 2015.
  • Carolina ranks seventh in the NFL with 131.4 team rushing yards per game. Atlanta ranks 29th and is now without starting RB Devonta Freeman for at least two weeks due to a foot sprain.
  • Only nine teams allow more total yards per game than the Falcons at 371.8. Three teams allow more points per game than the 28.8 given up by Atlanta.
  • The Falcons have no interceptions and have surrendered 17 passing touchdowns since Week 3. The Panthers have averaged 1.57 INTs per game since Week 3.
  • The Panthers allow a league-high 83.3% completion rate on opponent passes in the red zone.

Falcons at Panthers: Key injuries

Falcons TE Autin Hooper (knee) joins Freeman on the sideline. CB Desmond Trufant (toe) is questionable after sitting again in Week 10. Backup RB Ito Smith (neck) is out for the season.

Panthers DB James Bradberry (groin) sat out Week 10. DL Kawann Short (shoulder) and QB Cam Newton (foot) are out for the year.

Falcons at Panthers: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Falcons 27, Panthers 24

Moneyline (?)

The Panthers are 2-2 straight up at home while the Falcons improved to 1-4 as the visitors with last week’s road win. While Atlanta is without two key pieces of the offense, it still has red-zone threats in WRs Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Back the FALCONS (+210) to keep it rolling following last week’s emotional win.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Falcons to win would return a profit of $21.

Against the Spread (?)

The FALCONS are also a fine play on the spread of +5.5 at -110 odds to lose by five or fewer points, or win outright. They’re just 3-6 against the spread and fail to cover by an average of 4.5 points, but the Panthers are just 2-2 ATS at home and Atlanta has dominated this matchup.

Over/Under (?)

Grab the OVER 50.5 (-110) with key defensive injuries. Carolina is 6-3 against the Over/Under while Atlanta is 3-6. The Falcons have a neutral differential against the totals through nine games with the Panthers plus-4.4 against the projections.

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Esten’s NFL betting record: 23-29

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