NFC Notes: Derek Carr, Michael Thomas, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

• Per Aaron Wilson, the Falcons hosted LB Elorm Lumor for a visit.

Panthers

Panthers OC Thomas Brown said their goal is to have good execution and feels their 27-0 loss to the Jets in the preseason opener was frustrating after a good week of practice against New York. 

“Our approach, regardless if it’s ‘vanilla’ or if it’s dynamic from a playbook standpoint, execution is the overall goal,” Brown said, via PanthersWire. “So it’s always frustrating every time you don’t get the results you’ve been workin’ on, especially going against that same opponent you had some success against earlier in the week, in the joint practice—which is practice vs. the game. But it’s definitely frustrating. But, it’s still a preseason game. We’re excited about gettin’ back to work.”

Brown, who was recently the Rams’ assistant head coach, said Carolina’s system was created in collaboration with HC Frank Reich and they are working on multiple areas of their offense. 

“I would say it was less of taking the Rams’ playbook and the Coach playbook and puttin’ together, and more of breakin’ down both systems,” said Brown. “Starting all over again from ground zero. To everything from general information, how we ID fronts, our formations, shifts, our motions, the snap counts. Obviously, buildin’ to the more complex things when it comes to motion adjustment—whether it be backfield motions, receiver motions, tight end motions. And also tryin’ to figure out how it best fits our players to get those guys the best shot to have success on game day.”

Saints

Saints WR Michael Thomas is happy to be back and is ready to contribute after a long recovery from an injury suffered during the 2022 season.

“You get knocked down, always get back up,” Thomas commented, via Mike Jones of The Athletic. “That’s a saying that’s always brought up and used. But I really take it to heart and get back up. You know, trust the process. Take it one day at a time. You have to really be honest with yourself. You go through a lot of emotional things, just because you would rather be out there just playing football, catching the ball from the quarterback, working with the team,” Thomas added. “But it’s a different situation. You’ve got to pause and appreciate the little things and take the small victories that build up to be big.”

“I feel grateful, first and foremost, to contribute, definitely,” Thomas added. “But I’m always striving for perfection, always trying to perfect my craft day in and day out and find the little things. So I’ll never arrive or be exactly where I want to be, but I feel good. I’m moving in the right direction. There are a lot of talented receivers out there that do a great job at their craft. A lot of different and similar body types and how guys get it done, but I think that’s the art of the game. That’s the art of the position: knowing how to create separation, how to make that play for your team, and how to get open when everyone knows the ball is coming to you. Those are the little things that make you great and I can’t wait to come out there and just put my talent on display again.”

Saints QB Derek Carr mentioned that he and Thomas are still trying to build chemistry ahead of the season.

“We’re growing into it. He’s still getting back into it. We’ve hit some plays, we’ve missed some plays,” Carr said. “Olave and Shaheed, they practiced all spring, and Mike didn’t. So, there are certain things we’re still working on. We’re getting those reps. … When Mike comes to the sideline, good or bad, we’re talking. ‘Hey, that’s my fault,’ or, ‘Oh, OK, next time I’ll set it higher.’ Or, ‘He was doing that, I was thinking that.’ The communication is getting better, and we have to have that. And then, after practice, anything I miss, we always throw it again, so (we know) what it’s supposed to feel like.”

“We can lean on each other. We can execute at a high level and, like I tell guys every day, the name of this game is we just got to move the chains down this field and score points,” Thomas said of his relationship with Carr. “So with all the talent we have surrounding us, and a guy like Derek as a quarterback, it makes you want to hold yourself accountable and to a high standard so that we can do the things we know we’re capable of.”