South for the winner
Falcons and Panthers are somehow in division hunt
ATLANTA — The Falcons are rebuilding.
The Panthers are in a major state of flux.
Not too worry.
In the pitiful NFC South, both of these scuffling teams are contenders.
Every team in the NFL’s weakest division has a losing record. The Falcons (3-4) moved into first place when the Bucs (3-5) lost to the Ravvens on Thursday night, while the Panthers (2-5) and Saints are just a game behind.
“We do understand that it is a division game,” Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota said, looking ahead to Sunday’s home contest against the Panthers. “You’ve got to create somewhat of a lead in your division, you want to create separation. This is where it starts.”
The Falcons knew they could be in for a long season after trading quarterback Matt Ryan and taking a huge salary cap hit. But the Falcons probably didn’t envision the rest of the division coming along for the ride.
“Honestly, I don’t try to think about anything other than winning this game,” Mariota said. “I try to not make it more than what it is.”
The Panthers are hanging around, too, even after firing coach Matt Rhule and trading star running back Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers for a haul of draft picks.
The Panthers are coming off their best performance of the season, a 21-3 upset of Tom Brady and the struggling Buccaneers.
“We knew what (McCaffrey) meant to this team,” quarterback P.J. Walker said. “We knew what he brought to the table, but we still had to go out there and execute and go out there and play at a high level.”
Run focused
Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks took over a team that was ranked last in offense two weeks ago and made it a point to find an identity.
That meant running the ball.
D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard combined to rush for 181 yards on the ground against the Bucs. Hubbard was ruled out for Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, but the Panthers still intend to run the ball against the Falcons to set up the play-action pass.
“That is the mindset that I wanted to create up front — just blue collar, hard working and pushing the pile,” Wilks said.
The Falcons know exactly what he’s talking about. They have thrown just 27 passes the last two weeks, relying instead on a grind-it-out running game led by rookie Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley.
Where’s Pitts?
The lack of a passing game has made All-Pro tight end Kyle Pitts an afterthought in the Falcons’ offense.
The second-year player has just 16 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown, far off the pace he produced in his stellar rookie season.
Last week, Pitts was held to a seasonlow 9 yards on three receptions in a 35-17 loss at Cincinnati.
With so much emphasis on the running game, the Falcons have just three players with double-figure receptions on the season.
This year’s No. 1 pick, Drake London, leads the team with some very ordinary numbers: 26 catches for 315 yards and two scores.
“There are certain games where we haven’t had to pass that much,” Smith said. “Every game, you go in there to have balance and we have plays and those guys are a big part of our offense.”
Walker earns start
Baker Mayfield will be active for the game, but the Panthers are sticking with Walker as their starting quarterback. Walker kept the No. 1 spot after completing 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards
and two scores against the Bucs.