Vin+ 3,121 Posted December 6, 2014 (AP) -- Amid growing speculation that he and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan are at odds, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton seems to be encouraged with the progress on that side of the ball. Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, meanwhile, isn't finding many positives with his club struggling in every phase. New Orleans will try to keep pace in the dismal NFC South by ending its worst home losing streak in nine years Sunday against Carolina, which hopes to avoid its longest winless stretch since 2002. A perceived feud between Payton and Ryan has been a hot topic with the two having been caught on camera arguing on the sideline several times. The latest occurrence came in last Sunday's 35-32 win at Pittsburgh when the Saints were flagged for having 12 men on the field in the third quarter. Payton has dismissed reports that he's going to let Ryan go after the season and called their relationship "outstanding." "Yeah, I get upset when there's 12 guys on the field," he said. "That doesn't mean I'm looking for another defensive coach." New Orleans (5-7), however, has plummeted to 31st defensively with 390.5 yards allowed per game after ranking fourth in 2013. The Saints have given up averages of 464.0 yards and 31.0 points in their last three contests. Pittsburgh racked up 538 yards last Sunday, but Payton said his defense came through with a "really well-played game." The Steelers scored on late drives of 95 and 98 yards after the Saints had built a 19-point fourth-quarter advantage. New Orleans intercepted Ben Roethlisberger twice and often kept him from extending plays. Payton believes that's something to build on heading into a matchup with Carolina's Cam Newton. "There are similarities in the styles of difficulty, big arms, hard to sack, extends plays," he said. The Saints look to replicate their performance against Newton in Week 9 as they try to snap their longest home losing streak since a six-game skid in 2005. They fell into a first-place tie with three straight losses at the Superdome before winning in Pittsburgh. New Orleans held Newton to a career-worst 10 of 28 passing for 151 yards while sacking him four times in a 28-10 road victory Oct. 30. Newton had two turnovers in that game and has thrown six interceptions in three games since that loss. It certainly hasn't helped that he's been sacked 25 times in the last six contests. "When we keep trying to point and find excuses, we're going to keep getting those types of results," Newton said. "It will start by all 11 guys on that field taking full responsibility and accepting coaching and getting better." The Panthers (3-8-1) sat atop the NFC South after Week 5, but they've since gone 0-6-1 as Newton has posted a league-worst 70.5 passer rating. They're now on the verge of their longest winless stretch since an eight-game losing streak 12 years ago. Carolina has averaged 14.0 points over its last five games and has given up a league-worst 31.0 per game since Week 3. The Panthers also allowed Minnesota to return two blocked punts for touchdowns in last Sunday's 31-13 loss. Rivera said he wasn't going to make any drastic changes in the wake of his team's sixth straight defeat, though the club did waive starting cornerback Antoine Cason and sign corner Carrington Byndom from the practice squad Tuesday. "It's not like we don't know what happening," Rivera said. Running back DeAngelo Williams broke a bone in his right hand last Sunday and will miss this game. Jonathan Stewart finished with a season-high 85 yards on 12 carries. New Orleans' Mark Ingram ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in the first meeting, and he's second in the league with 101.3 yards per game since Week 8. Drew Brees has completed 77.0 percent of his attempts for nine touchdowns and one interception in his last three games after throwing for a season-high five TDs last Sunday. The eight-time Pro Bowler has thrown for an average of 348.2 yards with 19 touchdowns and four picks in his last six home games versus Carolina. Jimmy Graham is likely to be more involved after he wasn't targeted for the first time since his rookie season. The star tight end has 53 catches for 675 yards and eight touchdowns against the Panthers - his best numbers versus any opponent. Second-year wideout Kenny Stills has become one of Brees' new favorite targets with 13 catches for 260 yards in the last two games. New Orleans has won four of the past five meetings at the Superdome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted December 7, 2014 Greg Olsen (knee) is active for Week 14 against the Saints. Olsen's status was never in doubt despite his "questionable" tag. Although he's been a high-end TE1 all season, Olsen will be more of a mid-range option against a Saints defense that's had success bottling up tight this season. Inactive for the Panthers are RB DeAngelo Williams, CB James Dockery, S Robert Lester, LB Horace Miller, OT David Foucault, OG Amini Silatolu and DT Micanor Regis. Source: Albert Breer on Twitte Khiry Robinson (arm) is active for Week 14 against the Panthers. Returning from a six-game absence, Robinson should spell Mark Ingram 5-6 times in the Superdome. He's not on the fantasy radar, and isn't a major concern for Ingram's status. Inactive for the Saints are WR Robert Meachem, DB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, NT Lawrence Virgil, OT Nick Becton, LB Moise Fokou, OG Senio Kelemente and DB Terrence Frederick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted December 7, 2014 LMAO SAINTS. This game is priceless. Panthers knew it was my birthday yesterday and they gave me a present. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted December 7, 2014 The NFL is going to have no choice but to go to best 6 records make the playoffs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted December 7, 2014 The NFL is going to have no choice but to go to best 6 records make the playoffs The only way I see them addressing the issue is if the NFC South winner has 6 wins or less. A 6-10 (or 6-9-1) team in the playoffs would be an absolute joke. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted December 8, 2014 Uh... care to explain this one to me? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eefluxx 113 Posted December 8, 2014 I'll try to explain it. The Saints suck The Panthers suck The Panthers sucked considerbly less today. The whole NFC South sucks. Noone wants to win the division. At this point the division winner would pick 20th in the draft with at least 6 wins. When was the last time someone with 6 or less wins picked that far down in the draft? The Saints mecca of talent that is sussposedly there is all smoke and mirrors. The Panthers have Mike Shula as a OC so they have a legit excuse for the offense being woeful most of the time. The Falcons have no offensive line and not enough talent on defense. The Bucs...well. The NFC South is just a disgrace this year. The NFC South should just hand their playoff spot to another team that deserves it. As a Saints fan I will definately say we don't deserve it even if by some miracle we win the South. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted December 8, 2014 He only posts in pick 'em threads then says that. Eefluxx, you da real MVP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) The best part of that comic is the fact that a towel is over his head in the car. Lol. I really don't think six best records should make the playoffs regardless. Division rivalries are a huge thing. Not to mention, the schedule is very different for teams outside other's divisions. How would the NFC West look if they had to play the AFC and NFC North? At most, I would be okay with losing the homefield that winning a division gives you. This is an anomaly. If it starts happening on a frequent basis, then okay. But this is going to be three times in the entirety of the system that a team hosts a wildcard with a 3 or more game advantage on them. Also where was this outrage last year when the Pack won the North at 8-7-1 and the Cards got left out at 10-6 and would have been left out even if they had hit 11-5? 7-8-1 is so much worse? Or is it just that the Packers are loved as a football team, so few people cared, because we got to see A-Rod play one more game? Edited December 11, 2014 by Thanatos19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted December 11, 2014 This is an anomaly. If it starts happening on a frequent basis, then okay. But this is going to be three times in the entirety of the system that a team hosts a wildcard with a 3 or more game advantage on them. this year would make twice within five seasons that a sub-.500 team made the playoffs, something that had never happened in a full season before 2010, what sort of frequency are you looking for before this is considered a problem? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) Twice in all of eternity. Big woop. If it keeps happening on this frequent of a basis, perhaps. Divisions will shift and change. Five years ago the NFC West was godawful. When Brady and Belichek retires, the AFC East could be that division. You can't have the top six get in unless you change how you make the schedule, otherwise it would be completely unfair to teams with harder schedules. It would also nearly defacto do away with rivalries. Edited December 11, 2014 by Thanatos19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted December 12, 2014 not once through almost 90 years of football then twice in five years, that doesn't scream emerging trend? once I was willing to concede as an anomaly, but to have it happen again this quickly shows a trend the argument could be made that the realignment in 2002 created the environment for this to happen, we know everything in the league is cyclical, teams swing up and teams swing down, when you've got five or six teams in the division then it's unlikely to have every team on a downswing simultaneously, with only four it makes that more likely, same with the flip side (all teams on the upsing together) then you factor in that every team in a division plays every team in another division and odds aren't bad you'll get a division on an upswing playing a division on a downswing, this season we've got the NFC South playing the AFC North, in 2010 the NFC West played the NFC South, which had three 10-win teams Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted December 12, 2014 (edited) not once through almost 90 years of football then twice in five years, that doesn't scream emerging trend? once I was willing to concede as an anomaly, but to have it happen again this quickly shows a trend the argument could be made that the realignment in 2002 created the environment for this to happen, we know everything in the league is cyclical, teams swing up and teams swing down, when you've got five or six teams in the division then it's unlikely to have every team on a downswing simultaneously, with only four it makes that more likely, same with the flip side (all teams on the upsing together) then you factor in that every team in a division plays every team in another division and odds aren't bad you'll get a division on an upswing playing a division on a downswing, this season we've got the NFC South playing the AFC North, in 2010 the NFC West played the NFC South, which had three 10-win teams Um what? It had happened before, as a matter of fact. Was in the other thread. I disagree that having it happen twice in five years shows its a trend anymore than if it happened twice in one year. Way too quick to jump to that conclusion. What would be your solution that wouldn't destroy rivalries, yet also give team similar schedules, as otherwise strength of schedule could become a major factor. Also does this conversation go away entirely if the Falcons or Saints win out and win the division at 8-8? And again, why is 8-7-1 winning a division not a big deal? Heard basically nothing about realignment last year when the 10-6 Cards, 2.5 games ahead of the Packers, got left out for Green Bay. Edited December 12, 2014 by Thanatos19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted December 12, 2014 for the sake of the Gameday forum I responded in the playoff race thread: http://www.thegridironpalace.com/forums/index.php?/topic/71810-2014-15-nfl-playoff-rat-race/?p=2543609 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
