NFC South Review: Week 1

By Robert Knarr

Each week I will be doing a review of the NFC South teams and games, while also including fantasy implications.  The NFC South is an exciting division, with the competition wide open, Jameis Winston trying to prove himself, and numerous other rookies attempting to make an impression.  Let’s get started.

Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars: 20-9

The Panthers won their first game on their way to attempting to winning their third straight division title.  The game was ugly, but the Panthers never really looked like they were going to lose against the Jaguars, who are clearly attempting to find their way.  The big weaknesses with the Panthers coming into the year were their offensive line, and lack of wide receiver options.  The concern with their wide receivers increased when Kelvin Benjamin was lost for the year, and that worry was evident in the first game.  Ted Ginn dropped an easy touchdown, and Jericho Cotchery emerged as their most dependable option.  That isn’t good news.  Greg Olsen was shut down with only one catch, and they’re going to need to get him the ball more often to be effective.  Hopefully, Funchess can become a contributor, but he did little in this game.  Jonathan Stewart also did very little and may struggle all year, because opponents can afford to stack the box, due to an inconsistent Cam and a poor receiver corps.  The line was ok, except for Michael Oher.  Big surprise, I know.  They really should’ve addressed this in the offseason, and may need to find another option.  On the flip side, the defense was stout.  CB Josh Norman had a huge pick six. Thomas Davis was his usual dominant self, and the D-line looked good as well.  Luke Kuechly got banged up, and will go through concussion protocol.  If he’s out for long, it could have a big impact on their defense.  They played well without him, but it was the Jaguars.

Fantasy Implications – The Panthers offense doesn’t look good, and the only person I’d be happy about owning on this team is Greg Olsen.  I know he had a terrible game, but he will bounce back.  Expect him to see a lot of attention on defenses, so he might not be as awesome as last year, but should still be a solid option.  Cam could be useful in some match ups, because of his ability to run, but without any weapons, I wouldn’t be clamoring to acquire him.  For the Jaguars, their offense still struggled.  They were playing a good defense, so it’s hard to understand where they’re at yet.  They should be better, and I think Allen Robinson could still be dangerous, although he did next to nothing this week.  T.J. Yeldon was ok in his debut, and should get better as well.  The Jags actually have a lot of potential weapons now.  Keep an eye on them and see how they develop.

Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons: 24-26

Julio Jones is a monster.  He is on his way to either propel your fantasy team to victory or destroy it, depending on whether or not you own him.  He could end up being the top wide receiver this year, especially with Calvin descending, Peyton looking his age finally, and Odell facing a potential sophomore slump.  The Falcons got off to a magnificent start.  They played great offense and defense in the first half.  Although, their offense had a few chances to put the game out of reach, and failed to do so.  The offensive line looked good, and Matt Ryan was performing at his usual levels, aside from a couple of interceptions.  The questionable defense also played well in the first half, although Bradford was pretty terrible as well.  The Falcons also held Murray to negative yardage through the first half.  Then, a Falcon’s team probably more accurately reflecting their abilities showed up in the second half.  The defense struggled, but still limited the run game.  Rookie Tevin Coleman looked really solid against a good Eagles front seven.  He had 80 years on 20 carries, good for 4.0YPC.  He didn’t catch any passes, but had a big pass called back, and should only get better as the year goes on.  In the second half, Bradford found his rhythm, and nearly launched an impressive Eagles comeback.  The Eagles offense I saw in the second half

Fantasy Implications – I expect Julio to easily finish as a top five wide receiver, and possibly even the top spot.  Tevin Coleman looks like a sold RB2 and could improve as the year goes on.  Coleman shouldn’t have too many defenders keying in on him, as the Falcon’s bread and butter is the pass.  Freeman was terrible, and should only be considered in the deepest of PPR leagues, as he did perform in the passing game.  Matt Ryan could’ve been better, since he threw a couple picks, but was good overall.  The Eagles offense showed up in the second half, and I expect them to perform more like that all year long.  I’d hold onto anyone from that team, as basically every position holds value.  However, why they didn’t want to run the ball more is beyond me.  Murray and Matthews could be maddening all year, because of the depth.  Each will have his games, but as things stand now, when they come will be hard to predict.  However, for PPR leagues, Sproles could be huge.  He looked more like his old self, and he was once amazing and underrated in PPR leagues.

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals: 19-31

The Saints played ok against a very good Cardinal’s team.  People forget how good this team was, before Carson Palmer went down.  Their defense is ridiculous, and they have more than enough weapons to be dangerous on offense. Palmer is still a good quarterback that fits well with this offense, and they have numerous receivers, Fitz, Michael Floyd, and emergent John Brown.  The Cardinals really could contend for the Super Bowl if things go well for them this year.  Moving on to the Saints, the defense was not good, which is what you’d expect.  However, the offense wasn’t bad, except in the red zone.  Brees and company looked really good actually, but couldn’t convert all those yards into touchdowns.  Brandin Cooks had a rough game, but Ingram shined in the passing game.  Oddly, Ingram split carries with Khiry though, which is something to keep a eye on.  Red zone problems may persist throughout the year, but I expect the Saints to turn things around as the year progresses.  The Saints were in this game, for most of it, but couldn’t get it done when it counted.

Fantasy implications – Brees had 355 yards, but only one touchdown.  That is encouraging and discouraging all at the same time.  It’s good that he was able to be productive, but as in real life, the name of the game is touchdowns.  He needs to discover a weapon or method for getting in the end zone.  I expect Brandin Cooks will still be alright.  No need to panic yet.  Look for Brandon Coleman and others to gain value as the season goes on.  I’d definitely pick up Coleman if you can.  Ingram looked good, and Khiry has value while Spiller is out.  It will be interesting to see how good Spiller can be when he comes back.  Palmer is a useful QB and John Brown can emerge as a good option.  Unfortunately, Ellington got hurt, as he is known to do.  I don’t see Chris Johnson doing much, and instead would look to rookie David Johnson for the long term, who had a monstrous 55 yd. run.  However, he didn’t get a lot of chances.

Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 42-14

In a matchup between the top two picks, Mariota and the Titans dominated.  This isn’t completely fair as the Titans have a good defense, and Tampa certainly doesn’t.  However, the gap between the two performances of Winston and Mariota was huge. Winston threw his first pass for an interception, the first player since Brett Favre to do that, so he’s got that going for him.  This game was a clear indication that Tampa Bay has a long way to go.  They should improve as the season goes on, but have their work cut out for them.  This game was never close, and Mariota didn’t even play the fourth quarter.  One bright spot for the Bucs was Austin Seferian-Jenkins.  He had two touchdowns, and after coming into the season as a breakout candidate is off to a good start.

Fantasy Implications – I’d look to grab Mariota if you can.  He won’t be this good, but has real potential, especially if he starts running. Bishop Sankey was also impressive, and should be owned in all leagues.  He has a lot of potential, but is going to need to continue to distance himself from his rookie struggles.  Not every game is going to be this easy for the Titans.  If Mariota can continue to keep this offense playing at a better level than last year though, you might want to snatch some of their wideouts, or look for Delanie Walker to step up big, assuming his injury isn’t serious.  For the Bucs, there isn’t a lot to like right now.  But it’s early and they didn’t have Mike Evans.  His potential is still huge.  Vincent Jackson again had a ton of targets.  Eventually I expect him to bounce back closer to his 2013 self, but my confidence is waning.  Seferian-Jenkins could have a huge year, but let’s not get too excited yet.  He got more looks due to Evans being out.  Winston is going to have growing pains.  I don’t see him doing much this year, at least not until the second half and he starts making adjustments.