NFL Week 13 overreactions: Were Panthers wrong to bench Cam Newton?
With only four games left in the NFL season, part of the postseason picture is starting to come into focus. But there are plenty of unknowns still remaining as the season hits its final stretch.
Here are five overreactions we're pushing back on after Week 13:
Ron Rivera was wrong to bench Cam Newton
Collared shirts, neck ties, an interception, and mounting losses.
The 2016 Carolina Panthers can be summed up in one bizarre list.
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Rivera’s decision to bench star quarterback Cam Newton for one series for a “dress code violation” led to backup Derek Anderson tossing a pick on the first play from scrimmage in Sunday night’s 40-7 drubbing against the Seattle Seahawks.
Ron Rivera 'very comfortable' with decision to bench Cam Newton
Yes, the enforcement of this rule hurt the team in this game. Newton missing a series isn’t like comparable to making him pay a fine. The reigning league MVP missing time hurts the entire Panthers organization.
But that’s exactly why Rivera’s message resonates even stronger. Newton is the franchise's marquee player for the franchise, and he's a driving force for ticket and merchandise sales. Rivera treating the start quarterback in this fashion reinforces that no player operates outside team rules.
To give Newton preferential treatment because he’s Carolina’s best player could undermine the structure in the locker room. Newton himself even said he stood by Rivera's decision.
With that said, enforcement of such rules requires a delicate balance. Rivera can’t afford to have a divided locker room, and he needs to be careful and deliberate in his communications with his players.
Newton’s brief benching, however, is not the reason Carolina lost Sunday's game. The move cost the team three points. All of Monday’s outrage, instead, should be directed at an inept offense that couldn’t sustain drives and a defense that gave up far too many explosive plays.
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The Seahawks' season will be spoiled without Earl Thomas
The most important player on Seattle’s defense suffered a broken leg Sunday night and is now out for the remainder of the season.
This, similar to the loss of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, is a devastating blow to the Seahawks. Thomas is the rangy free safety whose speed, instinctual coverage skills, and fierce hitting allows the other members of Seattle’s secondary to be aggressive and take gambles. Losing Thomas strips Seattle of some of its tenacity.
But this isn’t a loss that dooms the Seahawks' Super Bowl aspirations.
Backup free safety Steven Terrell becomes the player to watch. He’s not at Thomas' level, but he does flash above average speed and athleticism. A good measuring stick comes next week when the Seahawks travel to Lambeau Field to face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
But Seattle (8-3-1) looks well-positioned to be the NFC’s No. 2 seed. It would get a first-round bye, and will host at least one playoff game.
A deep defense is far and away the Seahawks' biggest strength. As long as the offense – specifically the line – can improve and produce down the stretch, the team should still be considered one of the top competitors in the NFC.
Seahawks face uncertain future after Earl Thomas suffers broken leg
The Falcons still have the inside track in the NFC South
Fans in Atlanta must be holding their breath.
After a disappointing 29-28 defeat Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in which a two-point conversion attempt was intercepted and returned for a score cost the Falcons the game, Atlanta is now tied for the division lead with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7-5.
But the Falcons are still the team to beat in the division, right?
Not quite.
Atlanta has lost four of its last seven games, while the Buccaneers have won four in a row. Two of those came on the road against a formidable Chiefs team and on a cross-country trip to San Diego. Another came against an NFC powerhouse in the Seahawks.
The Bucs and Falcons split their two meetings this year, so both teams will have to make their cases against their remaining opponents.
The Falcons (at the Rams, vs. the 49ers, at the Panthers, vs. the Saints) have the easier path, with those teams combining for a .292 winning percentage, aided by the San Francisco 49ers' 1-11 mark.
The Buccaneers (vs. the Saints, at the Cowboys, at the Saints, vs. the Panthers) face teams that have won .521 % of their games, boosted by Dallas’ 11-1 start. Atlanta also currently holds the tiebreaker with a 3-1 mark against divisional opponents.
Despite that, quarterback Jameis Winston is ascending and his chemistry with receiver Mike Evans makes the duo one of the top QB-WR combos in the league. The defense is surging.
Tampa is a real threat.
NFL playoff picture: Field finalized with NFC North settled
The Packers are contenders again
Green Bay has snapped a four-game slide with consecutive victories – the latest coming in a snowy 21-13 win against the Houston Texans – to climb back in the picture for a playoff spot at 6-6.
Both of those victories, however, have come against teams that now have each lost three in a row, with the Philadelphia Eagles falling to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday after their Week 12 loss to the Packers.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has completed 72.5% of his passes for 522 yards and four touchdowns in those last two victories. He has been sacked only once in that span.
So, yes, there are positive signs.
But before everyone labels the Pack as legit contenders down the stretch, remaining games against exceptional defenses like the Seahawks (Week 14) and the Minnesota Vikings (Week 16) should tell us more about where Green Bay really lies in the NFC landscape.
And that all sets up for a season-finale against the Detroit Lions (8-4), the team the Packers are two games behind in the NFC North, and chasing.
Giants' Odell Beckham is no fan of referee Terry McAulay’s crew
The Ravens are now the favorites in the AFC North
This team has discovered its offense at the right time.
The Ravens (7-5) broke out with a 38-6 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Quarterback Joe Flacco completed 76.6 % of his passes for 381 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a monster game. Tight end Dennis Pitta (nine catches, 90 yards, two scores) appears to be back from his health issues.
But the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) should still be considered as the team to beat in the AFC North.
Running back Le’Veon Bell dominated in Sunday evening’s 24-14 victory against the New York Giants with 192 total yards from scrimmage. Receiver Antonio Brown is a big play waiting to happen. And tight end Ladarius Green looks like he can be the threat the Steelers envisioned when they signed him this offseason.
Not only that, but the path for Baltimore is tough.
The Ravens travel to play the Patriots next Monday and then face the Steelers on the road in Week 16. Three of their last four games are on the road.
Pittsburgh has a far cushier finish with road trips against the Buffalo Bills (6-6) and Bengals (4-7-1), and then home dates with the Ravens and Browns (0-12).
Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.
PHOTOS: Best of NFL Week 13
