Full NFC South 2016 Preview
By James Yarcho
Week Three
Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Wow…what a mess the Vikings became so quickly. They shipped a first and conditional fourth round pick to the Eagles for Sam Bradford, which has panned out so well for the other teams that wasted their time on him, right? Fortunately for Minnesota, they still have Adrian Peterson, who could go down as the greatest running back of all time. Unfortunately for the Vikings, all they have is Adrian Peterson and the Panthers’ defense is going to stack ten in the box and stop him at all costs. It’ll work.
Panthers 24 Vikings 14
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jeff Fisher is not a good coach. The quarterback is a mess. The only redeeming value of the offense is Todd Gurley so later, rinse, repeat on the Panthers/Vikings game. The Bucs will stack the box to stop Gurley and force the Rams’ quarterback du jour to beat them. Throw in a cross-country trip for the Rams and it’s a recipe for disaster. Yes, the Rams whooped up on the Bucs last season in their Thursday night matchup (I was so disgusted after the opening second half possession, I opted to go see Star Wars instead), but that was a Bucs team with no defensive direction, no Vincent Jackson, and starting a rapid season ending decline. Times have changed and this time, it’s the Bucs doing the whooping.
Buccaneers 28 Rams 7
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (MNF)
In a prime time showcase, the country will be exposed to exactly how bad the Falcons truly are. The Saints are hard enough to beat at home – not as hard as they were a few years ago, but the Dome is still not an easy place to play in – and the Falcons don’t have the talent or leadership to keep up with Brees and the boys in the bayou.
Saints 38 Falcons 17
Next: Week Four