Little room for error against Panthers
aTLaNTa FaLCONS
ATLANTA — One season after the NFC South sent three teams to the playoffs, the division may be just as deep.
It’s early, but the Atlanta Falcons know they can’t afford to fall too far behind in the standings as they open division play today with a visit from the Carolina Panthers.
Atlanta made the playoffs at 10-6 in 2017 despite finishing third in the NFC South, behind the New Orleans Saints and Carolina, but after opening with a loss at Philadelphia, the Falcons are eager to move in the right direction.
The division’s other team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, opened in surprising fashion by upsetting the host Saints, and the Panthers are 1-0 after beating the Dallas Cowboys.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn said the team that wins the NFC South this season “will have been in some fights,” and this is a chance to inflict some blows. He’s fine with taking such a test early in the schedule.
“I think it’s good for us and good for the division, too,” Quinn said.
Each team has already taken some blows and will be missing key starters.
For Carolina, tight end Greg Olsen (broken right foot) and as many as three offensive linemen could be held out. For Atlanta, safety Keanu Neal (left knee) is out for the season, linebacker Deion Jones will miss at least eight games and running back Devonta Freeman (left knee) will sit out today at least.
“We are missing a Pro Bowler on offense,” said Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess, referring to Olsen. “We are just here to play our game. Those guys don’t make up their whole team, and Greg does not make up our whole team. … I know for sure in our locker room we have the nextman-up mentality.”
Quinn prefers having Freeman and Tevin Coleman split the carries at running back “because then we can feature the uniqueness of them, the balance of them,” but this could be another chance for Coleman to prove he can be more than a backup. He had six starts in his first three pro seasons.
“We highly regard Tevin,” Quinn said. “We’ve been down this road — if it gets to that, Tevin can certainly handle that.”
In a handoff from one former LSU player to another, Duke Riley will take over for Jones at inside linebacker. Riley had been starting on the weak side. Rookie Foyesade Oluokun, a sixth-round pick out of Yale, could share time with Kemal Ishmael at weakside linebacker, with De’Vondre Campbell still starting on the strongside. Damontae Kazee will start in Neal’s place.
The Panthers will turn to rookie Ian Thomas at tight end. Thomas is still very raw, having played only two seasons of major college football at Indiana.
“He has everything you would want in a premier tight end,” Newton said. “But he has to believe in himself and know that it starts with understanding the small things make a big difference.”