NFC South Notebook: The perfect Panthers face an intriguing stretch

By foxsports
Published

The Carolina Panthers have been the class of not only the NFC South, but of the NFC as a whole through 10 weeks of NFL action. The 9-0 Panthers are one of only two remaining unbeatens (the New England Patriots are the other), and some are already throwing around the words "undefeated season." While that's always fun to talk about, Carolina has plenty of work to do if they want to come even close to being undefeated, and it's going to start with a very interesting upcoming stretch over the next few weeks.

While many expect Carolina to roll through their next four opponents before facing the NFC East-leading New York Giants, it may be time to pump the brakes just a bit. The Panthers are at home against the up-and-down Washington Redskins in Week 11, followed by the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. It may be easy to overlook that group, but let's not forget a few simple facts.

The first, is that the Redskins are playing with a ton of confidence after their impressive 47-14 victory over the Saints, and they've also won two of their last three. Fortunately for Carolina, Washington is a woeful 0-4 away from FedEx Field.

Next, is that the Cowboys are going to be playing their first home game with Tony Romo back under center after his injury, on Thanksgiving, against the Panthers. If you want to see a crowd that's going to be all-in and a unit looking to make a statement, look no further than that Week 11 matchup with Dallas.

Lastly, divisional games are never a walk in the park. Yes, the Saints are dealing with issues and just recently fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, but they'll come out of their bye week with a fire under them. It's also a bad idea to write off Drew Brees in any one single game, ever. As for the Falcons, well, this is a team that needs to pick up a few big wins, including both games over the Panthers, to have a shot at the NFC South title. Think Atlanta has a little bit of extra motivation heading into that first matchup?

With that schedule, followed up by the Giants, the Falcons again and the up-and-coming Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it may be smart to table the talks of an undefeated season. Instead, let's just focus on Carolina wrapping up the NFC South crown for the time being.

Jameis Winston coming of age, but still showing his youth at times

You don't need to look at the statistics to tell that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has turned a corner. After a start to his rookie campaign that included six touchdowns against seven interceptions, it was obvious that something needed to change.

Winston then reeled off a total of six touchdowns, while throwing zero interceptions in the next four games, which led to the Buccaneers going 2-2, and nearly 3-1. In this situation, like many with quarterbacks, the better (and smarter) that Winston plays, the easier life becomes on everyone.

Even after Winston's strong stretch, he had a few brutal moments in a hard-fought 10-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. Not only did he throw two interceptions, but also fumbled on the goal line with under a minute to play in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Winston and the Buccaneers were saved by a flag, as Dallas was called for defensive holding. On the very next play, Winston went from massive disaster to complete hero, rushing in the go-ahead touchdown.

No, he's not perfect, but the rookie quarterback in Tampa Bay is showing everyone why he was the No. 1-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Can Dennis Allen save the New Orleans defense?

Through Week 10 of the NFL season, here's how the New Orleans Saints are ranked in a few key defensive categories:

Points per game: 31.5 (Last)

Total yards allowed: 4,247 (Last)

Passing yards allowed: 2,931 (No. 31)

Rushing yards allowed: 1,316 (No. 31)

Interceptions: 4 (Tie for Last)

Sacks: 22 (No. 15)

Any questions as to why a change had to be made in New Orleans? Rob Ryan obviously just wasn't getting it done, or maybe the Saints just don't have the defensive firepower. Whatever the reasoning may be, something had to change. No one is expecting a dominant defense, but if new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can turn this unit into a respectable defense overall, he could have a future in New Orleans.