Jay Gruden is the first NFL coach to be fired this season after his Washington team started 0-5. Could the next coach to go be in the NFC South? It certainly looks possible.
Here’s a review of what went down around the division on Sunday.
Saints (4-1) beat Buccaneers (2-3): 31-24
No Drew Brees, no problem. New Orleans is now 3-0 with Teddy Bridgewater starting at quarterback. He didn’t even need much help from Alvin Kamara to earn this win – he lit up the Tampa Bay defense for 314 yards and four touchdowns while averaging over nine yards per pass. Michael Thomas did the most damage, totaling 182 yards and two scores on 11 catches. Next up, the Saints visit the Jaguars.
Buccaneers (2-3) lost to Saints (4-1): 31-24
On the bright side for the Bucs, they have found another superstar wide receiver in Chris Godwin. He posted seven catches, 125 yards and two touchdowns and looks even more potent than Mike Evans right now. The Panthers had problems with him a few games ago and will need to contain him better this coming week. Jameis Winston continues to show improvement, as well. On defense, Shaq Barrett was finally limited to zero sacks, but he still leads the NFL with nine this season. Mario Addison ranks second with 6.5.
Panthers (3-2) defeated Jaguars (2-3): 34-27
Christian McCaffrey might be an MVP candidate and an otherworldly superhero according to his teammates. Even if he is, Kyle Allen has to do more if Carolina’s going to keep this win streak alive. He has the worst completion percentage above expectation of any QB and has not fixed his fumbling issues. The Panthers defense did not look nearly as sharp this week, but rookie Brian Burns still stood out despite a dwindling snap count.
Falcons (1-4) got crushed by Texans (3-2): 53-32
If Dan Quinn wasn’t already in serious trouble before this week, he is now. Atlanta’s defense is definitely missing Keanu Neal, but they have far too much talent to play at this level. The Falcons allowed Deshaun Watson to go off for 426 yards through the air, five touchdowns and a perfect passer rating. For a coach who takes pride in defense, this is beyond unacceptable. If Atlanta can’t beat the Cardinals and their rookie QB/head coach combo, Quinn could be gone by this time next week.
