The NFC South continues to be underwhelming. The division leading New Orleans Saints have six wins and we’re heading into Week 16 now. The division winner of the NFC South is going to have the opportunity to host a playoff game with a .500 record at best. Here’s a preview of the match ups in the NFC South this week:
Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday 1PM EST
The Buccaneers are coming off a very close loss to the Panthers in Week 15. This one may not be as close. They get a Green Bay Packers team who are looking to win their division and get a first round bye. It will also be a Green Bay that is mad about losing to the Bills last week and they’ll be looking to take it out on the Bucs.
If the Bucs want any chance to win this game they’re going to have to run the ball well. The better they’re able to run the ball the less Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be able to hurt them. The Packers defense has the third worst PFF (subscription) run defense grade in the entire NFL. If the Bucs can run the ball effectively, it might be able to open up the Packers’ secondary for Mike Glennon. Glennon has to have a turnover free game on Sunday as well. On defense it’s obvious what the the Bucs need to do: stop Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately for the Bucs they have the seventh worst pass coverage grade. The only way the Bucs can win this game is by limiting the opportunities they give Rodgers to score. I don’t see this happening very well and I expect the Packers to win this game by multiple touchdowns.
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, Sunday 1PM EST
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a hard fought game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in which the Falcons ended up losing. Coming down the stretch trying to make a playoff push they were without star wide receiver Julio Jones and could very well be without him again this week against the Saints. The Saints, on the other hand, are coming off an impressive victory over the downtrodden Chicago Bears. The Saints and the Falcons met in Week 1 in Atlanta and the Falcons won that game by a touchdown as time was winding down in the game. Will it be different this time around?
This game has all the makings of a shootout: two good quarterbacks in Matt Ryan and Drew Brees, two weak secondaries, two weak pass rushes, and elite offensive playmakers in Roddy White and Jimmy Graham. This game is most likely going to come down to whoever turns the ball over the least. According to PFF, the Saints have the fourth worst secondary and the Falcons have the second worst. The Saints have the fifth best pass grade while the Falcons have the eighth best. Each team’s strength is the other team’s weakness. This one is most likely going to be a high scoring affair and the team who has the ball last will probably be the one who ends up winning this shootout.
Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers, Sunday 1PM EST
The Browns officially started the Johnny Manziel era last week. Considering the week he had against the Cincinnati Bengals it could be a very short lived era however. Manziel completed ten passes on 18 attempts for just 80 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Carolina Panthers are waiting with bated breath.
Although the Panthers’ secondary isn’t one of the better ones in the league, if Manziel has anywhere close to the game he had last week they won’t need to be. For his game last week Manziel had a -4.4 pass grade according to PFF. For the Panthers to win, they have to make sure they get pressure on Manziel. This won’t be easy due to the inconsistent pass rush the Panthers have and how good the Browns have been in pass protection. On offense the Panthers will be getting their quarterback, Cam Newton, back and will undoubtedly help their chances. The Panthers have also been having more success in the run game as well. This is very important because the Cleveland secondary is very formidable with the likes of Donte Whitner and Joe Haden. Their run defense leaves something to be desired however. This is where the Panthers need to be successful on offense if they want to win this game. I expect the Panthers to win this game by at least a touchdown due to another bad game by Cleveland quarterback Johnny Manziel.