The NFC South features to big divisional games this week. Can the Atlanta Falcons beat the undefeated Carolina Panthers?
There are two divisional games inside the NFC South this week. One of which is a showdown between the undefeated Carolina Panthers and the struggling Atlanta Falcons. The last time the Panthers lost at Bank of America Stadium was to the Falcons last season.
The other game features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are still alive in the NFC playoff race, and the New Orleans Saints, who came close to giving the Panthers their first loss of the season last week. Let’s take a closer look at the two games.
Atlanta Falcons (6-6) at Carolina Panthers (12-0): Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST
Last year, the Panthers entered December a team with just three wins, and almost certainly crashing out of the season at the regular season stage. This year, they are a team on the back of 16 consecutive regular season victories, 12 of which came this season, and have just won their third straight NFC South title, and they did so this year before they had even played their 12th game.
The Falcons on the other hand are stuck on six wins, the same total they posted in 2014. Believe it or not, Dan Quinn’s team was once 6-1 and looking like a nailed on postseason team.
But now, the Falcons meet the Panthers for the first of two meetings in the space of three weeks. A win for Atlanta would keep alive a glimmer of hope of reaching the playoffs, while a victory for Carolina keeps the perfect season dream in sight.
The last time the Panthers lost a game at Bank of America Stadium was when the Falcons last visited just over a year ago. Can Matt Ryan lead his team to the upset win?
New Orleans Saints (4-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6): Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST
Not so long ago, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints would be heavy favorites over the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But times have changed. The Saints defense is the worst in football, and they sit at the bottom of the NFC South at 4-8 while the Buccaneers try and earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2007.
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Remember back to the first meeting of these teams in Week 2? Jameis Winston and the Bucs had been blown out at home by the Marcus Mariota-led Titans in what was the debut of both quarterbacks. But Winston led his team into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and walked out victorious.
Now, the Bucs looked to sweep the Saints as they did the Falcons, move to 7-6 on the year and stay in the hunt for a wild-card berth. They sit behind the Seahawks (7-5) and Vikings (8-4) in the wild-card spots, but victory in this game would keep the dream alive.
Winston has improved as the season has gone on, and he will look to feast on the Saints poor defense like many other quarterbacks have. Can the Saints find a way to end their four-game losing run?