Tag: NFC South

Marshon Lattimore, Deonte Harris DNP on Saints injury report

The initial New Orleans Saints injury report for their Week 12 game with the Carolina Panthers rested Marshon Lattimore and Deonte Harris.

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Despite being short-handed in Week 11, the New Orleans Saints had multiple role players step up into starting roles and help the team to a 34-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, in Week 12, the Carolina Panthers will visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the third NFC South matchup in as many weeks for the Saints.

Last week, cornerback Marshon Lattimore and kick-return specialist Deonte Harris were both out with hamstring injuries, and those ailments held them out of practice again on Wednesday. Week 12’s injury report will shed some light on the possibility of return for either of the two electric playmakers. Unfortunately, left guard Andrus Peat will miss at least a month with a broken arm. Tight end Josh Hill, who suffered a concussion last week, was a limited participant.

The injury reports published by the Saints and the Panthers on Wednesday are the initial reports for the week. A second, updated report will be released on Thursday. The final injury report with game status for certain players will be issued on Friday. Daily changes in practice participation are noted in bold text.

From the Saints

  • OL Andrus Peat (forearm), Did not participate
  • CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), Did not participate
  • WR Deonte Harris (hamstring), Did not participate
  • FB Zach Line (knee), Did not participate
  • TE Josh Hill (concussion), Limited
  • OL Larry Warford (thigh), Limited
  • WR Austin Carr (ankle), Limited
  • OL Ryan Ramczyk (knee), Limited

From the Panthers

  • CB Ross Cockrell (quad), Did not participate
  • DT Gerald McCoy (knee), Did not participate
  • OL Dennis Daley (groin), Limited
  • S Eric Reid (knee), Limited
  • LB Shaq Thompson (ankle), Limited
  • LB Brian Burns (wrist), Full

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Top 5 offensive lines of Week 11: NFC South revivals, top dawgs, and a historical O-line TD celebration

An exceptional celebration topped the list in Week 11—maybe for all Pigskin Eternity—and a few others also didn’t disappoint.

What started with the Helmet Doink Heard ‘Round the Internet and ended with a repetitive masterclass in how much higher Estadio Azteca is than Mile High, Week 11 in the NFL provided a continuous flux of double-take moments.

While the Myles Garrett-Mason Rudolph Storm was eventually downgraded to a social-media depression, the Arizona Cardinals nearly made it a two-game losing streak for the San Francisco 49ers. The Denver Broncos brought back reflections of Bills-Oilers 1993. Ezekiel Elliott introduced his best Dak Prescott-pregame impression. Tom Brady was happy with the win over the Eagles—but not, like, happy-happy. And, you guys, what exactly is pass interference?

Cut through the confusion, the entertainment and debacles, and there were also some top-level offensive line performances. A near “Yeah Billy Bob, we got the six” moment, with an exceptional celebration topped the list in Week 11—maybe for all Pigskin Eternity—and a few others also didn’t disappoint.

Here were the top 5 from Week 11.

5. Atlanta Falcons

(Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

What in the world has gotten into the 2019 Atlanta Falcons?! Suddenly, they are trendy. A real matchup nightmare. The Dirty Birds of Yesteryear. (Gillette is probably scrambling to re-release those Matt Ryan ads.) And yes, they are certainly this week’s Oliver Stone Award winner—Any Given Sunday.

They lined up across the ball from the Carolina Panthers in Week 11 and, for the second consecutive week, pummeled an NFC South opponent. The Falcons’ air attack was effective. Going up against a pass defense ranked in the top half of the league, Matt Ryan finishing the day 21-of-31 for 311 and one touchdown. The O-line held off a sturdy edge assault from Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin, limiting the pressure and allowing Ryan time to find his targets. Although the run game wasn’t anything monumental, the 30th-ranked rushing attack did just enough to keep things somewhat balanced.

Alex Mack, Jamon Brown, James Carpenter, Jake Matthews, and Kaleb McGary: Your performance—considering it was the first not under a roof this season—was truly “Great Outdoors.”

5th :: 4th :: 3rd :: 2nd :: 1st

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Examining the Falcons’ defensive resurgence over the past two weeks

Since the Falcons returned from their Week 9 bye, they’ve defeated two division rivals by playing suffocating defense.

Since the Falcons returned from their Week 9 bye, they’ve defeated two division rivals by playing suffocating defense.

With seven sacks and just two interceptions over the team’s first eight games, opposing offenses had done pretty much whatever they wanted to Atlanta while the team sputtered to a 1-7 start.

That hasn’t been the case over the past two weeks, however, as the Falcons have racked up 11 sacks and four interceptions, more than doubling the team’s season totals in both categories in just two games.

Atlanta has held its previous two opponents to under 10 points, allowing 6.0 points per game since Week 10. The team’s defensive pressure rate has skyrocketed to a level we hadn’t previously seen this year, and it’s had an effect on the entire defense.

As Aaron Freeman highlights below, Atlanta’s third-down conversion percentage has been the lowest in the NFL, at 19.2 percent:

The Falcons made some defensive coaching changes over the bye week, bringing linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich and former wide receivers coach Raheem Morris over to share the team’s defensive coordinator duties.

Dan Quinn, who took over as the team’s defensive coordinator after Atlanta parted with Marquand Manuel in the offseason, was not getting the job done and made the right call in stepping back.

It’s not to say that Quinn doesn’t deserve credit for the team’s defensive turnaround, just sometimes head coaches are better suited to focus on the big picture.

The Falcons aren’t doing much differently, and while the return of Desmond Trufant definitely helped the secondary, as DE Vic Beasley said after Sunday’s game, the difference has been execution:

Fans don’t care about who gets the credit, they just want to see the Falcons play up to their potential — the way they have over the past two weeks.

Something is definitely clicking for this defense. Atlanta likely won’t make the playoffs, but if the team keeps up this level of play, things will at least be interesting down the stretch.

That would have been hard to believe just a few weeks ago.

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Saints favored by 8.5 points over Panthers for Week 12 opening lines

The opening betting line heavily favored the New Orleans Saints over the Carolina Panthers for their Week 12 NFC South rivalry game.

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The New Orleans Saints rebounded in a big way this week, but the Carolina Panthers look like they’ve regressed hard. This always-tough NFC South rivalry series is set to pick up again in Week 12, and the Saints are clearly favored to win.

Per the opening line from BetMGM, the Saints are 8.5-point home favorites over the Panthers. With an over/under set at 47.5, that implies a final score in the neighborhood of Saints 28, Panthers 19. Not too shabby.

With Cam Newton sidelined for the rest of the year, Carolina has had to rely on Kyle Allen, which has produced mixed results. Allen’s initial success trailed off over the last month, and the Panthers’ record has fallen with it. Allen threw seven touchdown passes against zero interceptions in his first four starts, giving Carolina a four-game unbeaten stretch.

Since then, Allen has completed just three touchdown passes against nine interceptions. And the Panthers have lost three of their last four games to put their season on life support at 5-5, with a difficult road trip against the Saints next on their schedule.

If the Saints defense can be as proactive and disruptive against Carolina as they were versus Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a game in which they stole four interceptions and sacked Winston twice, hitting him a dozen other times — then they can take advantage of Allen, who’s been prone to making mistakes with the game on his shoulders.

Still, both of these teams received their most recent losses to the bottom-feeding Atlanta Falcons. Both squads know they can’t take anything for granted in the NFL, meaning an intense week of practice and preparation is ahead of them.

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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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.

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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Saints-Buccaneers odds: New Orleans looks to rebound

Previewing Sunday’s New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 11 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The New Orleans Saints (7-2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) hook up at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for a key NFC South battle at 1 p.m. Sunday.

We analyze the Saints-Buccaneers sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 11 matchup.

Saints-Buccaneers: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

  • The Saints were stunned at home by the Atlanta Falcons last week, falling 26-9 despite entering the game as 14-point favorites.
  • New Orleans has covered three straight on the road, although this is its first time being favored away from home this season. Last season the Saints were 4-2 ATS in six games as a road favorite, including a 28-14 win at Tampa as 10-point favorites.

Saints at Buccaneers: Key injuries

Nov 3, 2019; Seattle, WA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Dare Ogunbowale celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. (Photo Credit: Steven Bisig – USA TODAY Sports)

Saints: CB Carlton Davis (hip) practiced in full, but is still listed as questionable. LB Carl Nassib (groin), LB Anthony Nelson (hamstring) and S M.J. Stewart (knee) are out.

Buccaneers: OT Andrus Peat (forearm), CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) and WR Deonte Harris (hamstring) are each listed as out.

Saints at Buccaneers: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 2:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Saints 34, Buccaneers 26

Moneyline (?)

The Saints (-239) should be able to bounce back on the road in this divisional battle, but risking more than two times your return is not a wise way to go. The Buccaneers (+195) are awful on defense, but so were the Falcons. If there is any way to go, it’s the Bucs rather lightly.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bucs moneyline returns a $19.50 profit with a Tampa Bay victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The SAINTS (-5.5, -110) should be able to get it done on the road, as long as their offense shows up. Their showing against an awful Atlanta defense was inexplicable, and you can expect them to pick apart the leaky D of the Buccaneers (+5.5, -110).

Over/Under (?)

The OVER 50.5 (-110) is the play whenever the Bucs are involved. The over has cashed in seven straight for the Bucs, and four of the past five at the RayJay. The Under has connected in eight of the past 11 on the road for the Saints, but the over is 9-3 in their past 12 following a straight-up loss.

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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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NFC South Week 10 review: Falcons flip the script, stun Saints

Here’s our review of what happened around the division this week.

The Saints have been the team to beat in the NFC South for the last two and a half seasons. On Sunday though they suffered a huge collapse at home against the Falcons. So, maybe they aren’t quite as indestructible as everyone had thought.

Here’s our review of what happened around the division this week.

Saints (7-2) lost to Falcons (2-7), 26-9

Nobody saw this one coming. New Orleans had a six-game win streak going coming into Week 10 and Atlanta appeared to be dead in the water. The Falcons defense flipped the script, holding the Saints to just nine points in a stunning upset. They were dominated in the trenches – a normally flawless offensive line allowed Drew Brees to get sacked six times and Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara combined for just 36 yards on the ground. The division leaders also saw Marshon Lattimore suffer a hamstring injury. The Saints will try to rebound at Tampa Bay next week.

Panthers (5-4) lost to Packers (8-2), 24-16

The Saints’ surprise loss gave Carolina a golden opportunity to close ground in the NFC South race. The Panthers squandered it, though. Two turnovers by Kyle Allen certainly didn’t help, but it was more excruciating run defense that truly lost this matchup. With defensive tackle Kawann Short on IR and unavailable, Ron Rivera needs to consider taking drastic measures to turn things around, including abandoning his new 3-4 scheme.

Buccaneers (3-6) beat Cardinals (3-6-1), 30, 27

Kyler Murray and Jameis Winston put on a show Sunday, combining for 682 total passing yards. Winston’s threw two more interceptions, though and wasn’t nearly as efficient as the No. 1 overall pick. Nevertheless, the Bucs came out on top, boosted by a second consecutive big game from Ronald Jones II. He totaled 106 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Beating Arizona and their awful defense at home is nothing special, though. Call us when they get a secondary.

Falcons (2-7) find a spark vs. Saints (7-2), 26-9

Dan Quinn finally made a real change this week: he switched up his coaching staff and abandoned defensive play-calling duties in favor of linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich. The impact was immediate. Atlanta’s defense played better than it has in a long time, especially their front seven. Grady Jarrett remains the centerpiece, but Vic Beasley finally stepped up and produced. Together, they totaled four sacks and seven quarterback hits. The Falcons’ victory came at a cost, though. Devonta Freeman and Austin Hooper both suffered injuries and could be out a while. They’ll visit the Panthers next.

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