NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

  • Buccaneers CB Richard Sherman could play Sunday if the team needs him, but heโ€™d prefer a week of practice before playing. (Greg Auman)
  • Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians mentioned for them to need Sherman on Sunday, multiple corners would need to be out for injury. He added CB Jamel Dean practiced Wednesday. (Jenna Laine)
  • Shermanโ€™s contract includes $500,000 guaranteed. (Tom Pelissero)

Falcons

Itโ€™s obvious that Falcons first-round TE Kyle Pitts is just a different kind of athlete from nearly everyone else he shares the football field with. While he hasnโ€™t had a dominant start to his rookie season, Falcons QB Matt Ryan says he hasnโ€™t seen opposing defenses pay that much attention to a rookie since Julio Jones

โ€œHeโ€™s warranted respect on the other side of the ball from people,โ€ Ryan said via Tori McElhaney of the team website. โ€œThatโ€™s one thing that I have noticed early on in the first few weeks, is that there is a plan for him and where heโ€™s at.โ€

Falcons HC Arthur Smith said it was just a โ€œsurface narrativeโ€ that they didnโ€™t have enough plays schemed for Pitts in the early goings of Week 3โ€™s win against the Giants. Pitts finished with just three targets and two catches, but they were pivotal plays to seal the win. 

โ€œYeah, we want to get Kyle the ball, but youโ€™ve got to give [DC] Patrick Graham and the Giants defense credit,โ€ Smith said. โ€œWe chipped away and chipped away, and (Pitts) comes through at the end. Can I call him a slide or a screen to force it to him? Yeah, maybe, but the way we were playing the game, and weโ€™ve got a lot of work to do, but they have a say. You could put it on me, but again it says more about his character. He kept chipping away and made a critical third down and a big catch in the last drive to set us up. Again, I call those surface narratives and I think itโ€™s disrespectful to the Giants and their defense and their defensive staff.โ€

  • The Falcons fired Midwest scout Rodrik David due to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. (Jordan Schultz)
  • Schultz mentions that all of Atlantaโ€™s staff received the vaccine other than David. 

Panthers

Panthers HC Matt Rhule said heโ€™s unsure if recently acquired CB C.J. Henderson will appear in Week 4 and added that the cornerback will play โ€œwhenever heโ€™s read to help us.โ€ 

โ€œAnd Iโ€™m not sure if thatโ€™s this week or not, to be honest with you,โ€ Rhule said, via Darin Gannt of the teamโ€™s official site. โ€œWeโ€™ll watch the tape and see what heโ€™s ready for. The guys that have been practicing and preparing with us for a while, those are the guys we trust to go win the game. And weโ€™ll bring C.J. along, and whenever heโ€™s ready to help us, heโ€™ll help us.โ€

Henderson called Carolina a โ€œplayer-orientedโ€ environment and feels itโ€™s a fresh start for his career.  

โ€œIโ€™ve been liking it,โ€ Henderson said. โ€œMy experience so far has been good. Itโ€™s player-oriented here, and liking it so far. For me I feel like itโ€™s a fresh new start for me. Just to start over and get things back on track. Just to get things rolling again.โ€

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