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[h=2]Larry Ness' 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner-Saints/Panthers (5-1 NFL Thursdays)[/h]My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the Car Panthers at 8:25 ET.
Since the NFL added the Houston Texans (32nd team) and went to an eight-division league, the ONLY division which hasn’t had a “repeat champion” is the NFC South. So it can come as no surprise that the Carolina Panthers, who at 13-3 surprised all by taking the NFC South in 2013, are having trouble this year. However, the good news for all Panther fans is, it seems like NO team is interested in winning this division in 2014. The Bucs are a laughingstock and the Falcons, 13-3 just two season ago, have followed last season's 4-12 year with a 2-6 start in 2014, missing an opportunity to be “right there” with the Saints and Panthers (a victory would have left them at 3-5) by blowing a 21-0 halftime lead last Sunday in London.
The fact that the Falcons could be “right there” in the NFC South in 2014 tells one all that’s needed to know regarding the state of this division this year. A vintage performance by Drew Brees last Sunday night has the Saints back in the playoff picture in the woeful NFC South Division. He passed for 311 yards and three TDs in a 44-23 win over Green Bay but that game was in New Orleans. The 3-4 Saints are going to have to prove they can win on the road to win this division (no wild card coming TY from the NFC South) and the team’s next road ‘test’ comes tonight in Carolina.
Carolina opened the season with back-to-back victories but owns just ONE win, since. However, it still finds itself 3-4-1 and percentage points atop the division thanks to its tie against Cincinnati three weeks ago. There can be no doubt the Panthers hardly resemble last year’s team (especially with its struggles on defense) but they have beaten the Lions (Detroit is 6-2), tied the Bengals at Cincinnati (note: Bengals are currently on a 12-0-1 SU run at home) and last Sunday against the defending champs, held Seattle out of the end zone until 47 seconds left in the game (that’s the defense we saw in 2013!). Yes, that TD was enough to beat Carolina, which squandering several opportunities in the red zone in that 13-9 loss.
Carolina says RB DeAngelo Williams is probable for this game, after missing six games due to injuries. Williams had 72 yards on 14 carries in a season-opening win at Tampa Bay and is expected to share time with Jonathan Stewart, who rushed for a season-high 79 yards on 16 attempts vs Seattle. "It'll be a nice boost," said Rivera, whose team ranks 27th with 92.9 rushing YPG. "When he and Jonathan get rolling and doing the things they do that's a huge thing for us. That could be a nice shot in the arm." Williams ran for a career-high 210 yards at New Orleans in 2012 and gained 67 in a 17-13 home victory over the Saints on Dec 22 of last year.
The line move on this game seems to indicate that most feel that the Saints’ win last Sunday means the team has turned the corner in 2014 and while I had a HUGE 10* play on the Saints in that one, I just don’t get the logic of assuming the Saints are all of a sudden “road warriors.” The Saints “gave games away” at Atlanta and Cleveland to open the season, got CRUSHED at Dallas and then “really gave one away” at Detroit in Week 7 (led 23-10 with under four minutes left in a 24-23 defeat). The Saints have now lost SEVEN consecutive regular season road games, last winning (barely) in Atlanta back in Week 12 of last season, 17-13 as 7 1/2-point favorites.
Yes, Mark Ingram ran for a career-high 172 yards last Sunday but when has this guy EVER been consistent? Anyone see the stat that the Saints had gone 21 straight regular-season and playoff road games without a 100-yard rusher since Pierre Thomas gained 110 in a 35-27 loss at Carolina on Sept 16, 2012? As for Brees, his home and away dichotomy has been DRASTIC for years!
Seattle must find a way to end the red zone problems that continue to plague the Panthers, who made three trips inside the Seattle 20 but came away with six points. Carolina's 46.2 percent TD efficiency in that area ranks 28th. However, the New Orleans D which made great strides from 2012 to 2013, has fallen back SIGNIFICANTLY here in 2014. The Saints not only take a SEVEN-game regular season road losing streak into this contest but the Saints are also on a SEVEN-game ATS losing streak as a road favorite (including 0-3 in 2014), last covering when laying points on the road at Oakland back in Week 11 of 2012 (does a rod win and cover against the Raiders even count?).
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[h=2]Larry Ness' 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner-Saints/Panthers (5-1 NFL Thursdays)[/h]My 10* Weekly Wipeout Winner is on the Car Panthers at 8:25 ET.
Since the NFL added the Houston Texans (32nd team) and went to an eight-division league, the ONLY division which hasn’t had a “repeat champion” is the NFC South. So it can come as no surprise that the Carolina Panthers, who at 13-3 surprised all by taking the NFC South in 2013, are having trouble this year. However, the good news for all Panther fans is, it seems like NO team is interested in winning this division in 2014. The Bucs are a laughingstock and the Falcons, 13-3 just two season ago, have followed last season's 4-12 year with a 2-6 start in 2014, missing an opportunity to be “right there” with the Saints and Panthers (a victory would have left them at 3-5) by blowing a 21-0 halftime lead last Sunday in London.
The fact that the Falcons could be “right there” in the NFC South in 2014 tells one all that’s needed to know regarding the state of this division this year. A vintage performance by Drew Brees last Sunday night has the Saints back in the playoff picture in the woeful NFC South Division. He passed for 311 yards and three TDs in a 44-23 win over Green Bay but that game was in New Orleans. The 3-4 Saints are going to have to prove they can win on the road to win this division (no wild card coming TY from the NFC South) and the team’s next road ‘test’ comes tonight in Carolina.
Carolina opened the season with back-to-back victories but owns just ONE win, since. However, it still finds itself 3-4-1 and percentage points atop the division thanks to its tie against Cincinnati three weeks ago. There can be no doubt the Panthers hardly resemble last year’s team (especially with its struggles on defense) but they have beaten the Lions (Detroit is 6-2), tied the Bengals at Cincinnati (note: Bengals are currently on a 12-0-1 SU run at home) and last Sunday against the defending champs, held Seattle out of the end zone until 47 seconds left in the game (that’s the defense we saw in 2013!). Yes, that TD was enough to beat Carolina, which squandering several opportunities in the red zone in that 13-9 loss.
Carolina says RB DeAngelo Williams is probable for this game, after missing six games due to injuries. Williams had 72 yards on 14 carries in a season-opening win at Tampa Bay and is expected to share time with Jonathan Stewart, who rushed for a season-high 79 yards on 16 attempts vs Seattle. "It'll be a nice boost," said Rivera, whose team ranks 27th with 92.9 rushing YPG. "When he and Jonathan get rolling and doing the things they do that's a huge thing for us. That could be a nice shot in the arm." Williams ran for a career-high 210 yards at New Orleans in 2012 and gained 67 in a 17-13 home victory over the Saints on Dec 22 of last year.
The line move on this game seems to indicate that most feel that the Saints’ win last Sunday means the team has turned the corner in 2014 and while I had a HUGE 10* play on the Saints in that one, I just don’t get the logic of assuming the Saints are all of a sudden “road warriors.” The Saints “gave games away” at Atlanta and Cleveland to open the season, got CRUSHED at Dallas and then “really gave one away” at Detroit in Week 7 (led 23-10 with under four minutes left in a 24-23 defeat). The Saints have now lost SEVEN consecutive regular season road games, last winning (barely) in Atlanta back in Week 12 of last season, 17-13 as 7 1/2-point favorites.
Yes, Mark Ingram ran for a career-high 172 yards last Sunday but when has this guy EVER been consistent? Anyone see the stat that the Saints had gone 21 straight regular-season and playoff road games without a 100-yard rusher since Pierre Thomas gained 110 in a 35-27 loss at Carolina on Sept 16, 2012? As for Brees, his home and away dichotomy has been DRASTIC for years!
Seattle must find a way to end the red zone problems that continue to plague the Panthers, who made three trips inside the Seattle 20 but came away with six points. Carolina's 46.2 percent TD efficiency in that area ranks 28th. However, the New Orleans D which made great strides from 2012 to 2013, has fallen back SIGNIFICANTLY here in 2014. The Saints not only take a SEVEN-game regular season road losing streak into this contest but the Saints are also on a SEVEN-game ATS losing streak as a road favorite (including 0-3 in 2014), last covering when laying points on the road at Oakland back in Week 11 of 2012 (does a rod win and cover against the Raiders even count?).
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