Article by Matt King
As teams trim their rosters, the other news from around the
NFC South is as follows:
With the most to gain this year, the Buccaneers do have a great core heading into the regular season opener. And finished camp 2-2 with this week’s pre-season win over Miami [22-17]. Neither team played many of their first stringers, and the Buccs rested Winston [ankle] entirely. Mike Glennon didn’t help his cause to be the starter [even had Winston not been confirmed starter] with an 11/20 outing for 141 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs, although that wasn’t as bad as the Dolphins QBs who threw 4 between them [2 apiece]. This had the classic feel of final warm up game about it and nobody really stood out on the stat sheet. Both teams will be glad to start the regular season and both should be more competitive next week.
The Falcons also wrapped up their camp with a 2-2 record
sealing a one point 20-19 victory over the Ravens in their final tune up.
The back-up QB job now belongs to Sean Renfree following the release of TJ Yates and Rex Grossman. Yates led the team in pre season with 35/58 for 370 yards at a 6.4 yards per attempt average with 0 TDs and sadly for him, 2 INTs. Grossman didn’t get much time on the field and combined for 41 yards from 4 completions off 9 attempts for 4.6 yards per attempt with 0 TDS and 0 INTs.
Renfree had an impressive showing in their final tune up throwing 10 completions from 15 attempts for 75 yards and 1 TD.
The Falcons are going to need big performances every week if they are to overthrow the Panthers from their nest atop the NFC South, and LB Allen Bradford could be part of the defensive unit which will cause many problems for foes over the next 16 weeks, although he’s only made 13 plays in the NFL across his 5 year career, he had a team leading 22 combined tackles [15 total, 7 assisted] although 3rd year player Stansly Maponga [6 combined tackles, 4 total 2 assisted] will be looking to increase his role and push for a start or two in the opening weeks.
The back-up QB job now belongs to Sean Renfree following the release of TJ Yates and Rex Grossman. Yates led the team in pre season with 35/58 for 370 yards at a 6.4 yards per attempt average with 0 TDs and sadly for him, 2 INTs. Grossman didn’t get much time on the field and combined for 41 yards from 4 completions off 9 attempts for 4.6 yards per attempt with 0 TDS and 0 INTs.
Renfree had an impressive showing in their final tune up throwing 10 completions from 15 attempts for 75 yards and 1 TD.
The Falcons are going to need big performances every week if they are to overthrow the Panthers from their nest atop the NFC South, and LB Allen Bradford could be part of the defensive unit which will cause many problems for foes over the next 16 weeks, although he’s only made 13 plays in the NFL across his 5 year career, he had a team leading 22 combined tackles [15 total, 7 assisted] although 3rd year player Stansly Maponga [6 combined tackles, 4 total 2 assisted] will be looking to increase his role and push for a start or two in the opening weeks.
The Saints may have moved on from Jimmy Graham and Junior
Galette, but the Saints have a lot of talented players, who this far in their
careers have failed to produce what might have otherwise been expected of them [Kenny
Vacarro, Keenan Lewis] new acquisition Brandon Browner could be a stand out,
but with a weak secondary, the Saints will have to play unconventionally to
return to the playoffs although rookies Stephone Anthony and Hau’oli Kikaha
could be a dynamic which helps the New Orleans faithful to forget about Jimmy
Graham. The Saints may have finished
camp with an 0-4 record, but they didn’t really play their main signal caller
Drew Brees for an extended period though as a team they just didn’t move the
chains enough in camp which is something they will be keep to fix in week one.
The Panthers made a trade prior to the preseason finale,
acquiring receiver Kevin Norwood from the Seattle Seahawks, sending as of now
an undisclosed draft pick in 2017, and this acquisition will be a short term
boost to the receiving line with Benjamin out for the year, and his expected
replacement [Devin Funchess] banged up with a hamstring injury.
Carolina beat the Steelers in their final tune up, after being up 17-0 at the half, by a final of 23-6 which saw the QB Joe Webb, and RB Jordan Tolman had much success with Webb throwing for 193 yards off 17 completions from 22 attempts with a TD and Tolman made mincemeat of the Steelers D with 72 yards from just 5 attempts with a 49 yard TD. The Panthers looked in mid-season form in this one with the aggression and all around play looking like a good sing heading into the regular season opener and the defence really took it to the Steeler QB unit registering 5 sacks. The Panthers managed to rack up 226 yards on the ground, with another 228 through the air although the Steelers did show some pluck with only allowing the 2 TDs mentioned above, the rest of the points came via the FG with Graham Gano hitting all three attempts for the 3 points. It is looking likely that the Panthers have had a great camp and preseason programme and the rest of the NFC South will surely be taking notice of when they are scheduled to play them.
Carolina beat the Steelers in their final tune up, after being up 17-0 at the half, by a final of 23-6 which saw the QB Joe Webb, and RB Jordan Tolman had much success with Webb throwing for 193 yards off 17 completions from 22 attempts with a TD and Tolman made mincemeat of the Steelers D with 72 yards from just 5 attempts with a 49 yard TD. The Panthers looked in mid-season form in this one with the aggression and all around play looking like a good sing heading into the regular season opener and the defence really took it to the Steeler QB unit registering 5 sacks. The Panthers managed to rack up 226 yards on the ground, with another 228 through the air although the Steelers did show some pluck with only allowing the 2 TDs mentioned above, the rest of the points came via the FG with Graham Gano hitting all three attempts for the 3 points. It is looking likely that the Panthers have had a great camp and preseason programme and the rest of the NFC South will surely be taking notice of when they are scheduled to play them.
If I were asked who I thought might win the division, I
would answer, well the money would be on the Panthers, but the team with the most
to gain this season is the Buccaneers, and they will be nowhere near as bad as
they were last year, with maybe the Saints being the biggest flop in the
division this year, it will be a close race [and above .500] to decide who
comes out on top, but I will say maybe just about the Panthers, though the Falcons
will be ready to swoop should they falter and the Buccs will be more
competitive then people might otherwise think and could snatch a wild card .
*Stats sourced via ESPN.Com and NFL.com throughout.
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