Tag: Carolina Panthers (Page 25 of 34)

      NFL Week 14 Primer

      December 7, 2008 /

      Marion BarberSunday’s Best: Cowboys (8-4) at Steelers (9-3), 4:15 PM ET FOX
      The Cowboys are fighting for their playoff lives while the Steelers are trying to stay ahead of the surprising Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. Dallas could be without running back Marion Barber (toe injury), which would be a massive blow going against the best defenses in the league. If the ‘Boys can’t run the ball, expect Dick Lebeau to dial up plenty of blitzes to force quarterback Tony Romo into mistakes. This essentially is a must-win for the Cowboys, who would be left on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today. A loss coupled with a Falcons win over the Saints and the Cowboys would need some help the rest of the way, with a remaining schedule that looks like this: vs. Giants, vs. Ravens, at Eagles. The Steelers, meanwhile, should be at full strength as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Willie Parker are expected to play. We’ll see what the Cowboys are made of come 4:00 o’clock on Sunday. Steelers are a currently a 3-point favorite.

      Upset Watch: Texans (5-7) at Packers (5-7), 1:00 PM ET CBS
      Houston welcomes back quarterback Matt Schaub this week but he’s not the reason they could pull off a decent-sized upset in Week 14. Rookie running back Steve Slaton is. Slaton is coming off a 130-yard effort against the Jaguars on Monday night and racked up 156 yards three weeks ago against the Colts. Considering the Packers are allowing a whopping 141.2 yards a game on the ground this year, Slaton could be set up for another huge day. The Texans will need to find a way to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, however, or else it’s going to be tough to win at Lambeau. The Texans’ pass defense is improving, but Rodgers and company are averaging 228.9 passing yards a game and could find success against a young Houston secondary. If the Texans don’t win outright, I say they cover the 6-point spread.

      Gus FrerotteIntriguing Matchup: Vikings (7-5) at Lions (0-12), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      There’s nothing intriguing about the winless Detroit Lions, but what is interesting is whether or not Kevin and Pat Williams will play for the Vikings. Minnesota needs a victory to stay at least one-game ahead of the Bears and Packers in the division, but without their interior defensive line, even the Lions are capable of finding some running room. The league suspended the Williamses on Tuesday morning, but a court ruling could change all that and allow the two mammoth d-tackles to play. If they don’t, could Detroit get its first win and turn the NFC North upside down yet again? Can Gus Frerotte keep this team afloat if the defense loses two key players?

      Other notable games:

      Eagles (6-5-1) at Giants (11-1), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      Philly will try and keep its slim playoff hopes alive, while a win would crown the G-Men as NFC East champions and get them one step closer to claiming home field advantage throughout the postseason.

      Redskins (7-5) at Ravens (8-4), 8:15 PM ET FOX
      This Sunday night matchup is a great one. Both teams desperately need a win to stay within reach of a playoff berth. A loss for the ‘Skins could essentially knock them out of the postseason race.

      Buccaneers (9-3) at Panthers (9-3), 8:30 PM ET ESPN
      Finally a great Monday Night Football matchup after weeks of utter crap. The winner takes a one-game lead in the NFC South and holds an edge for the second spot in the NFC playoff picture, while the loser gets tossed into the Wild Card mix.

      Falcons (8-4) at Saints (6-6), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      Atlanta has been a nice story this year, but it can’t relax now. A win would go a long way in securing a playoff spot for the Falcons, who finish with a possibly depleted Vikings and a hapless Rams team in their final two games.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Breaking down the NFC Playoff Picture

      December 4, 2008 /

      If the regular season ended today:

      1. Giants (11-1)
      2. Buccaneers (9-3)
      3. Vikings (7-5)
      4. Cardinals (7-5)
      5. Panthers (9-3)
      6. Falcons (8-4)

      Outside looking in:

      7. Cowboys (8-4)
      8. Redskins (7-5)
      9. Eagles (6-5-1)
      10. Bears (6-6)
      11. Saints (6-6)
      12. Packers (5-7)

      Outlook:

      – The Giants are essentially a lock and a win over the Eagles this Sunday would clinch the NFC East.

      Tampa Bay Bucs– The Bucs have two tough road games against the Panthers and Falcons the next two weeks, but then have two very winnable games against the Chargers and Raiders. Tampa has the second best defense in the NFC after the Giants and has already beaten Carolina and Atlanta in convincing fashion this season. Wins over the Panthers and Falcons the next two weeks would secure the NFC South Crown.

      – The Cardinals just need one more victory or a 49ers’ loss and they’ll win the pathetic NFC West. And with the Vikings possibly set to lose both of their run stuffers due to suspension, they should take a hold of the No. 3 spot in the playoffs, which would guarantee them at least one home game in the postseason.

      – The NFC North is a mess and things are far from decided. The Vikings are currently playing the best in that division, but losing Kevin Williams and Pat Williams to suspension will be a huge blow. And after they play the Lions on Sunday, the have the Falcons, Cardinals and Giants the rest of the way. Of course, Arizona and New York would both of secured playoff spots by then, which means they might rest starters and give Minnesota an easier road to the postseason.

      – The Panthers got themselves back on track with an impressive win in Green Bay last Sunday, but things don’t get any easier. They host Tampa on Monday night, host Denver, and then finish at the Giants and at the Saints. We’ll know a lot more after the Panthers play the Bucs on Monday night. If they beat Tampa, first place in the NFC South is up for grabs. If they lose and Atlanta beats New Orleans on Sunday, the Panthers and Falcons would flip-flop places in the playoff picture.

      – The surprising Falcons have a very manageable rest of the season. They play a depleted Saints team on Sunday, host the Bucs next week, play a possibly Williams-less Vikings team in Minnesota and then finish the year against a hapless Rams team at the Georgia Dome. The division title might be a reach, but the playoffs certainly aren’t and that’s amazing to think after some media publications predicted the Falcons to finish 1-15 this year.

      Tony Romo– The Cowboys have a brutal stretch to end the season: at Steelers, vs. Giants, vs. Ravens, at Eagles. They could easily go 1-3 the rest of the way out, which means an 9-7 finish and no playoffs. If the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs because of one game, how much does that Week 7 loss to the Rams come back to haunt them.

      – The Redskins are still very much in the playoff chase, although they might need some help. They’ll probably need to win three of their last four games, which is possible given their remaining schedule (at Ravens, at Bengals, vs. Eagles, at 49ers). A win this week in Baltimore would go a long way. The Eagles essentially have the same task, although a much tougher road because they have to face their NFC Division rivals one more time before the end of the season. Their only break is vs. Cleveland in two weeks.

      – The Bears and Packers just got new life with the news that the Vikes’ Williamses will be suspended for four games. But both Chicago and Green Bay have their own issues (mainly defensive issues). The Packers actually have the easiest schedule, but they’ll have to win out and hope the Vikings crash and burn without their stud DTs. (Assuming of course that the suspensions hold up.)

      Anybody up for predictions on how this thing will play out?

      NFL

      Are the Vikings who we thought they were?

      December 1, 2008 /

      Adrian PetersonBefore the season started, the addition of Jared Allen to the defensive line and then the continued development of quarterback Tarvaris Jackson had many NFL purists believing the Minnesota Vikings were the team to beat in the NFC North.

      But Jackson was replaced by the ageless wonder Gus Frerotte, the team lost three of its first four games and suddenly the Vikings were like many other annual chic picks in the NFL – overrated.

      Minnesota appears back on track, however, winning four of their last five games and seizing control in the NFC North by soundly beating the Bears 34-14 on Sunday Night Football. So the question is – were the purists right all along and the Vikes just needed time for things to fall into place?

      The Vikings have a couple of key elements that make them a sound football team. They can run the ball (Adrian Peterson was a beast in their win over the Bears) behind a solid offensive line, they can stop the run and Allen gives them a dominant pass-rush. They still have some issues stopping the pass and both of their defensive tackles could be suspended soon, but they’re clearly the best team in the weak North division at this point.

      Assuming Minnesota wins their division, the question now becomes – how far can they go? Peterson is such a weapon, but we saw Sunday night how much of a physical pounding his body takes because of how hard he runs. Frerotte has been a major upgrade over Jackson, but does his play have a ceiling? It’ll be interesting to see if not only the Vikes can wrap up the division, but also whether or not they can compete with the Panthers, Falcons, Cowboys or any other Wild Card team they would face in the first round.

      NFL

      Catch of Week 13: Steve Smith or Mark Clayton?

      December 1, 2008 /

      Unofficial question of the day: Whose catch was better in Week 13, Steve Smith’s against the Packers or Mark Clayton’s one-handed grab vs. the Bengals?

      Steve Smith vs. Packers:

      Mark Clayton vs. Bengals:

      Given the magnitude of the situation in the Panthers-Packers game, I would have to go with Smith’s since he essentially won the game for Carolina. However, in terms of the catch alone, I would have to go with Clayton’s one-handed snag. (Not that Smith grabbing a pass behind his back wasn’t spectacular.)

      NFL, Video

      The Giants are the best team in football – period

      November 30, 2008 /

      Giants-RedskinsNothing against the New York Jets or Tennessee Titans, but the New York Giants are clearly the best team in the NFL right now. How many teams would have gone into Arizona and Washington the past two weeks and soundly beat two good football squads in the Cardinals and Redskins as soundly as the Giants just did?

      In their 23-7 win over the Skins on Sunday, the Giants shutout Washington in the first half and limited them to just 92 total yards on the ground. They also dominated time of possession (35:44 to 24:16), racked up 404 total yards of offense and caused two turnovers. The way the G-Men win is machine-like.

      Even though this loss hurts, Washington is still in good shape. They have a tough matchup next week in Baltimore, but then they travel to Cincinnati, face Philadelphia at home and then wrap up the season in San Francisco. They should finish no worse than 9-7 and considering they already beat the Eagles on the road earlier this season, they should be expected to beat Philly. One would think 10-6 should be good enough for a playoff berth in the NFC.

      But getting back to the topic at hand – will any team beat the Giants in the postseason? Tampa’s defense is good enough, but their offense has been hit and miss this year. Arizona’s passing game is dangerous, but the Cards would be no match for the G-Men in New York come playoff time. Carolina can be dangerous, but they’re also inconsistent. Washington, Atlanta and whoever wins the NFC North don’t seem

      So who’s left? The team that many people had representing the NFC in the Super Bowl – the Dallas Cowboys.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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