Tag: division

Saints lose their lead on the NFC South after uneven 3-week start

The New Orleans Saints rank behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but ahead of the Carolina Panthers in updated NFC South standings after Week 3.

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Well, that’s not ideal. After jumping out to an early lead in the race for a division crown, the New Orleans Saints are now barely ahead of the lowly 1-2 Carolina Panthers, by virtue of a win over a divisional opponent. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on top of the NFC South through three weeks, having earned a 2-1 record.

That’s painful, but it’s to be expected when the Saints play as poorly as they have. They’ve lost games on the road (to the 2-1 Las Vegas Raiders) and at home (to the 3-0 Green Bay Packers, who appear well-positioned for the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC).

At least they aren’t the 0-3 Atlanta Falcons, who have blown double-digit leads in the fourth quarter twice in as many weeks. They’re firmly in the NFC South’s basement.

Sure, the Saints can turn it around. They could start winning games again as soon as next week, when they visit the 1-2 Detroit Lions at Ford Field (before a return back to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, when the 1-2 Los Angeles Chargers visit in Week 5). It’s very possible the Saints go into their bye week at a respectable 3-2, coming out of the break ready to get hot in October. That could go a long way towards earning their fourth consecutive division title.

We’ll see what happens. Just to drive the point home, here are how the NFC South teams stack up after Week 3’s games:

  1. 2-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1 in NFC South)
  2. 1-2 New Orleans Saints (1-0 in NFC South)
  3. 1-2 Carolina Panthers (0-1 in NFC South)
  4. 0-3 Atlanta Falcons (0-0 in NFC South)

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Saints stand alone on top of the NFC South after Week 1

The New Orleans Saints were the only NFC South team to win a game in Week 1, putting them ahead of the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Falcons.

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Raise your hand if your NFL team won a game in the opening week. New Orleans Saints fans are able to do that, but every other NFC South fanbase can’t say the same.

The Atlanta Falcons were embarrassed at home by the visiting Seattle Seahawks. Teddy Bridgewater’s Carolina Panthers put up more of a fight, but were still defeated by the Las Vegas Raiders. And of course, the Saints dispatched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It leaves New Orleans alone on top of the early division standings:

  • Saints 1-0
  • Buccaneers 0-1
  • Falcons 0-1
  • Panthers 0-1

It’s a long season, sure. We’re only a single week into it, and the standings will look drastically different in just a month or two. But every win means a little more in such an uncertain season, and this is one victory Saints fans should relish. The more wins they can stack up and the wider a gap they can make between their competition in the NFC South, the sooner the Saints will be able to claim their fourth consecutive division title.

So for now, all eyes are on Week 2. The Saints are visiting the same Raiders team that battled Bridgewater, this time in the brand-new Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football. Bridgewater’s Panthers will be visiting Tom Brady and the Bucs in Tampa Bay, while the Falcons will hit the road for a meeting with the Dallas Cowboys. As long as the Saints handle their business, they can hold onto their slim lead on the NFC South crown.

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After early games, Saints-Bucs winner will hold a lead on the NFC South

The New Orleans Saints could take an early lead on the NFC South title by beating the Buccaneers, after the Panthers and Falcons lost Week 1

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The NFL’s early slate of Week 1 games have just about wrapped up, and the two contests most important to the New Orleans Saints’ interests are decided. The Carolina Panthers lost their home opener to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders despite late-game heroics from former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater, and the Atlanta Falcons were easily dispatched in their own building by the road-warrior Seattle Seahawks.

So what does that mean, exactly? If the Saints can handle their business against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans will have a critical lead over their competition for the NFC South title. The Buccaneers would trail them by a game, while the Panthers and Falcons would be a game-and-a-half behind (by virtue of a divisional win).

Of course, that also holds true for the Buccaneers. If the Saints have one of their typical slow starts to open the season, they’ll be playing catch-up right out of the gate. That’s not something they can afford, even in a long 16-game season. Kickoff is just minutes away, so tune in on your TV, radio, or streaming device of choice.

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Peter King predicts Seahawks to win NFC West and claim No. 3 seed

NBC’s Peter King released his NFL predictions for 2020, and that involved the Seahawks winning the NFC West and getting the No. 3 seed.

NBC’s Peter King recently revealed his predictions for the 2020 NFL season, which involved the Seattle Seahawks winning the NFC West and claiming the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

King stated that his reasoning for picking the Seahawks over the San Francisco 49ers, who went to the Super Bowl last season and have retained many key pieces, is partially rooted in the quarterbacks of both teams.

“San Francisco, up by two scores with eight minutes left in the Super Bowl and with so many key guys returning, is a logical pick, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Niners went 12-4 and steamed to the top seed,” King said. “I’m picking Seattle to edge the Niners in the division. It’s overly simplistic to say it’s a referendum on the quarterbacks, but that has much to do with it. I trust Russell Wilson over Jimmy Garoppolo.”

Russell Wilson is indeed one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and has some solid pieces around him heading into the 2020 season, so Seattle is certainly a contender for the division. However, while the quarterback is undoubtedly the most important player on the team, a true contender often possesses strong players on both sides of the ball.

Seattle’s defensive line in particular has more than a few question marks after the team lost out on Jadeveon Clowney to the Titans. In addition, the Seahawks have now gone three straight seasons without winning the NFC West and may face some stiff competition from the rest of the division in 2020.

The Seahawks will play the  Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 10:00 a.m. PT.

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SEC announces two more non-division football matchups for each school

The Southeastern Conference announced on Friday its schedule of two additional non-division matchups for each of its member schools.

The Southeastern Conference announced on Friday its schedule of two additional non-division matchups for each of its member schools.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey had the following to say about the scheduling decisions.

“We made every effort to create a schedule that is as competitive as possible and builds on the existing eight Conference games that had already been scheduled for 2020. This schedule is a one-year anomaly that we have developed under unique circumstances presented by the impact of COVID-19.”

Florida Gators fans now have games against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Gainesville and the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station to look forward to in addition to the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels, who had previously been scheduled. UF’s meetings with the latter two teams are set for back-to-back matchups on Oct. 10 and 17, respectively, while the dates for the latest inclusions have yet to be announced.

In a typical non-coronavirus season, SEC member schools play the other six teams in their division along with two non-divisional opponents and four out-of-conference games each year. The revised schedule pits each school against four non-divisional opponents in addition to the other six teams in its division — as opposed to two — with the second pair making up for two of the four lost non-conference matches.

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Bleacher Report projects Seahawks to win NFC West in 2020

Three of five analysts from Bleacher Report predicted the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West in 2020. The 49ers got the other two votes.

Five analysts from Bleacher Report predicted the NFL’s division rankings for the 2020 season (if there is one), and three out of five predicted the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West, with the other two votes going to the San Francisco 49ers.

The reasoning behind this was that the Seahawks were an inch or so away from winning the division last year despite numerous issues with injuries and defensive play, and the recent acquisition of superstar safety Jamal Adams designed to significantly assist the latter. Having Russell Wilson under center certainly does not hurt, either.

In fact, an anonymous offensive coordinator made a bold statement that Wilson would receive just as much praise as Patrick Mahomes if the former were the quarterback for the Chiefs.

“If Wilson was playing in Kansas City, people would be calling him the best quarterback in the NFL, and if Mahomes was in Seattle, they would be saying, ‘God, this guy is really good, but you wish they would give him a chance early in games,'” he said.

It is entirely true that Wilson is the primary reason the Seahawks are postseason contenders year after year, but the trade for Adams will certainly help with combating their division rivals’ deadly offensive weapons.

Seattle always has a chance at glory with Wilson at the helm, but the Seahawks will have their work cut out for them in the fires of the NFC West.

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49ers WR Deebo Samuel not intimidated by Jamal Adams trade to Seattle

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel stated on Twitter that he is not intimidated by the Seattle Seahawks’ trade for Jamal Adams.

With the Seattle Seahawks’ recent trade for highly prized safety Jamal Adams, they showed that they are prepared to come out firing for the 2020 NFL season.

The trade has prompted responses from players and analysts around the league, including Seattle’s division rivals. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel stated on Twitter that he is not intimidated by this move and that he will rise to the challenge when the time comes.

The 49ers were reportedly one of the major players in the Adams sweepstakes after he publicly requested a trade, but now he will play for their chief division rival, putting the two teams on more even ground after the 49ers seemed to take the lead on paper.

With the satisfied Adams in the fold, the Seahawks-49ers rivalry looks to get even more heated after its rebirth last year.

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Broncos have 4th-best odds to claim AFC’s top Wild Card seed

The Broncos aren’t considered the favorites to earn the AFC’s top Wild Card seed this season.

The Denver Broncos (+250) have the fourth-best odds to claim the top Wild Card spot in the AFC this season, according to BetMGM.

Here’s a look at the 10 teams with the best odds for the top Wild Card seed, the fifth seed in the conference:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers +125
2. Cleveland Browns +200
3. Baltimore Ravens +240
4. Denver Broncos +250
5. Los Angeles Chargers +260
T-6. Buffalo Bills +300
T-6. Las Vegas Raiders +300
T-6. New England Patriots +300
9. Indianapolis Colts +350
10. Kansas City Chiefs +360

Four division winners from each conference make the playoffs each year and three Wild Card teams make it from each conference as well.

Denver won’t have to worry about competing for a Wild Card spot if it wins the division. In the AFC West, the Chiefs (-455) are considered the betting favorites, followed by the Chargers (+800), Broncos (+900) and then Raiders (+1200).

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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SB Nation Reacts rates Seahawks vs. 49ers rivalry 4th-best in NFL

SB Nation Reacts recently conducted a poll to rate the best rivalries in the NFL, with the Seahawks-49ers rivalry coming in 4th place.

SB Nation Reacts conducted a poll to rate NFL rivalries to commemorate Rivalry Week on the site and the Seahawks vs.49ers rivalry came in at No. 4, receiving 15% of the votes.

The intensity between the Seahawks and 49ers is at its highest since the 2013-14 season when they faced off in the NFC Championship, which Seattle won, punching the Seahawks’ ticket to Super Bowl XLVIII which they won as well.

The 49ers reached Super Bowl LIV last season but lost to the Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Seahawks reached the divisional round and have been competitive for the vast majority of the past decade. Coming off a 2019 season when the two teams split the series with both contests coming down to the wire, the rivalry looks to heat up even more this year in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL.

Both sides have been doing their best to gear up for the upcoming season. If there is one, we could see some more intense matchups between the two NFC West rivals in 2020.

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Colin Cowherd says Broncos could win AFC West in 2020

Colin Cowherd thinks the Broncos could top the Chiefs in the AFC West this season.

Fox Sports pundit Colin Cowherd has jumped on the Broncos’ bandwagon this offseason. Cowherd believes quarterback Drew Lock is the real deal and he says the Broncos could be a surprise team this season.

“Denver, because of smart drafting, has two good running backs, three excellent young receivers and I believe a Pro Bowl-potential tight end and a defensive coach that keeps them in every game,” Cowherd said during a recent show on FS1.

Cowherd went on to say that he believes Lock will be the “pop guy” in the NFL this season, making a big jump in his first full season as a starter. Cowherd then made a huge prediction about the division.

“You know in the NFL, somebody’s going to win a division and we’re going to be shocked. Don’t be shocked in Denver beats Kansas City [to win the AFC West].”

Cowherd suggested that the Chiefs could win 11 games and finish second in the division behind a 12-win Broncos team. That’s quite a bold prediction, one that fans in Denver can get behind.

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