USA TODAY International Edition
Rivera makes right call to bench Newton
Panthers coach shows he won’t give superstar a pass on team rules
With four weeks left in the NFL regular season, part of the postseason picture is starting to come into focus. But there are plenty of unknowns remaining as the season hits its final stretch. Here are five overreactions we’re pushing back on after Week 13.
RON RIVERA WAS WRONG TO BENCH CAM NEWTON
Collared shirts, neckties, an interception and mounting losses.
The Carolina Panthers can be summed up in one bizarre list.
Rivera’s decision to bench star quarterback Cam Newton for one series for a dress- code violation led to a start for backup Derek Anderson, who threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage in Sunday night’s 40- 7 drubbing by the Seattle Seahawks.
Yes, the enforcement of this rule hurt the team in this game. Newton missing a series isn’t comparable to making him pay a fine. The reigning league MVP missing time hurts the entire Panthers organization.
That’s exactly why Rivera’s message resonates even stronger. Newton is the franchise’s marquee player, and he’s a driving force for ticket and merchandise sales. Rivera treating the starting quarterback in this fashion reinforces that no player operates outside team rules.
To give Newton preferential treatment because he’s Carolina’s best player could undermine the structure in the locker room. Newton even said he stood by Rivera’s decision. With that said, enforcement of such rules requires a delicate balance. Rivera can’t afford to have a divided locker room, and he needs to be deliberate in his communications with his players.
Newton’s brief benching, however, is not the reason Carolina lost the game. The move cost the team three points. All of Monday’s outrage instead should have been directed at an inept offense that couldn’t sustain drives and a defense that gave up far too many explosive plays.
SEAHAWKS’ SEASON WILL BE SPOILED WITHOUT EARL THOMAS
The Seahawks defense’s most important player suffered a broken leg Sunday and could be out for the rest of the season.
Like the New England Patriots’ loss of tight end Rob Gronkowski, this is a devastating blow for the Seahawks. Thomas is a rangy free safety whose speed, instinctual coverage skills and fierce hitting allow the others in Seattle’s secondary to be aggressive and take gambles. Losing Thomas strips Seattle of some of its tenacity.
But this loss won’t doom the Seahawks’ Super Bowl aspirations.
Backup free safety Steven Terrell becomes the player to watch. He’s not at Thomas’ level, but he does flash above- average speed and athleticism. A good measuring stick comes Sunday when the Seahawks travel to Lambeau Field to face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
But Seattle ( 8- 3- 1) looks well- positioned to be the NFC’s No. 2 seed. It would get a first- round bye and host at least one playoff game.
A deep defense is far and away the Seahawks’ biggest strength. As long as the offense, specifically the line, can improve and produce down the stretch, the team should still be considered one of the top competitors in the NFC.
FALCONS STILL HAVE INSIDE TRACK IN NFC SOUTH
Fans in Atlanta must be holding their breath.
After a 29- 28 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in which a two- point conversion attempt was intercepted and returned for a decisive score, the Atlanta Falcons are tied for the division lead with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7- 5.
But the Falcons are still the team to beat in the division, right? Not quite. Atlanta has lost four of its last seven games, while the Buccaneers have won four in a row. Two of those came on the road against a formidable Chiefs team and on a cross- country trip to play the San Diego Chargers. Another came against an NFC powerhouse in the Seahawks.
The Bucs and Falcons split their two meetings this year, so both teams will have to make their cases against their remaining opponents.
The Falcons ( at the Los Angeles Rams, vs. the San Francisco 49ers, at the Panthers, vs. the New Orleans Saints) have the easier path, with those teams combining for a .292 winning percentage, aided by the 49ers’ 1- 11 mark.
The Buccaneers ( vs. the Saints, at the Dallas Cowboys, at the Saints, vs. the Panthers) face teams that have won 52.1% of their games, boosted by Dallas’ 11- 1 start. Atlanta also holds the tiebreaker with a 3- 1 mark against divisional opponents.
Despite that, quarterback Jameis Winston is ascending, and his chemistry with receiver Mike Evans makes the duo one of the top QB- WR combos in the league. The defense is surging.
Tampa Bay is a real threat.
PACKERS ARE CONTENDERS AGAIN
The Packers have ended a four- game slide with consecutive victories — the latest coming in a snowy 21- 13 win against the Houston Texans — to climb back into the playoff picture at 6- 6.
Both of those victories, however, have come against teams that now have each lost three in a row, with the Philadelphia Eagles falling to the Cincinnati Bengals after their Week 12 loss to the Packers.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has completed 72.5% of his passes for 522 yards and four touchdowns in those last two victories. He has been sacked once in that span. So, yes, there are positive signs. But before everyone labels the Packers as legit contenders down the stretch, remaining games against exceptional defenses such as the Seahawks ( Week 14) and Minnesota Vikings ( Week 16) should tell us more about where Green Bay really lies in the NFC landscape.
And that all sets up for a season finale against the Detroit Lions ( 8- 4), the team the Packers are two games behind in the NFC North.
RAVENS ARE NOW FAVORITES IN AFC NORTH
This team has discovered its offense at the right time.
The Baltimore Ravens ( 7- 5) broke out with a 38- 6 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Quarterback Joe Flacco completed 76.6% of his passes for 381 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in a monster game. Tight end Dennis Pitta ( nine catches, 90 yards, two scores) appears to be back from his health issues.
But the Pittsburgh Steelers ( 7- 5) should still be considered the team to beat in the AFC North.
Running back Le’Veon Bell dominated in Sunday’s 24- 14 victory against the New York Giants with 182 yards from scrimmage. Receiver Antonio Brown is a big play waiting to happen. And tight end Ladarius Green looks like he can be the threat the Steelers envisioned when they signed him in the offseason.
Not only that, but the path for Baltimore is tough. The Ravens travel to play the Patriots next Monday and face the Steelers on the road in Week 16. Three of their last four games are on the road.
Pittsburgh has a far cushier finish with trips to face the Buffalo Bills ( 6- 6) and Bengals ( 4- 7- 1), then home dates with the Ravens and Cleveland Browns ( 0- 12).